Jonaxx The Pop Fiction Queen Levels Up

On the morning of March 5, 2017, Sunday, a long line of people formed around the Filoil Flying V Centre (formerly the San Juan Arena) in San Juan City.

- Romy Antonette P. Cruz

Some of them had turned up and camped out in the vicinity as early as three in the morning, while others from outside Metro Manila had arrived the night before.

Several computers for registration purposes had been set up in a booth outside the sports arena, and rows of monobloc chairs had been arranged in the indoor basketball court, the usual venue for college basketball games. A small stage had been set up at one end of the basketball court facing the monobloc chairs.

A total of 1,734 fans—mostly teenagers, but also including senior citizens, PWDs (persons with disabilities), and even pregnant women—waited patiently to enter the arena. But instead of giant foam fingers with a sports team’s name printed on them, or sticks with neon lights for a concert, the fans had in their hands one or three volumes of the book Baka Sakali. They were all hoping to have their copies of the book signed, and to see their beloved author Jonaxx.

Jonaxx is Jonah Mae Panen Pacala, a 26-year-old kindergarten teacher who has written and published more stories than she can count, and who has taken the local writing scene by storm.

In an exclusive interview with YES!, she talks about the beginnings of her writing, how she gets inspirations from her stories, and what’s next for her writing career.

EARLY START

A native of Cagayan de Oro City (CDO), Jonah Mae knew early on that she wanted to write. At the age of eight, while playing with her Barbie dolls, she would jot down dialogues for the dolls on her notebooks, and then she would let her playmates read what she had written.