He studied at the University of the Philippines and Ateneo de Manila University, where he got his first exposure to politics, theater, and literature. His poetry collections won the Philippines’s Palanca Award in 2000, 2003 and 2009, while his book Ang Pasipiko sa Loob ng Aking Maleta (Ateneo de Manila University Press, 2013) won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award and was nominated for the National Book Award for Poetry. He considers himself a de facto ASEAN citizen, with his professional life almost entirely devoted to development and humanitarian work across Southeast Asia, queer and otherwise.