By I. Inojales | 08:55 PM September 15, 2026
TAGBILARAN CITY — The Boholano culture and arts community is mourning the death of writer, visual artist and development worker Amor Maria J. Vistal, who passed away at the age of 50.
Vistal, fondly called “Mai” by family and friends, was born in Tagbilaran City on January 2, 1976, to Tito Petagara Vistal and Lilia Cellan Jumamoy of Inabanga, Bohol. She died on September 15, 2025.
Her passing was announced by Kaliwat ni Karyapa (KaKa), a Bol-anon writers’ group of which she was a member.
Vistal was a licensed teacher and an alumna of Holy Name University, where she earned a Bachelor of Secondary Education degree, major in English. She was also part of the Baji Arts Collective, an all-Boholana multi-genre and multidisciplinary arts alliance.
She began writing poetry at the age of nine and continued to nurture her love for literature throughout her life.
In 2019, she published her poetry collection, Sexy Heart and Second Chances. She also contributed to two Bohol memoir anthologies edited by award-winning writer Marjorie Evasco: The Bohol We Love, published by Anvil Publishing in 2016, and The Bohol We Savor: Family and Community Heritage Food Memoirs, published by Milflores Publishing in 2026.
Vistal was a fellow of the Agi Creative Writers’ Workshop in 2019. In February 2025, she founded Silent Book Club 6300, a Bohol-based community that brought together people who shared her love for books and reading.
Beyond the literary and arts community, Vistal was known for her advocacy for environmental conservation, social justice and equity. She also volunteered with Plastic Free Bohol.
Her life was marked by resilience. She survived a spinal cord compression injury in June 2013 and underwent two open-heart surgeries, in December 2013 and September 2023.
Kaliwat ni Karyapa joined writers, artists, readers and advocates in remembering Vistal and mourning the loss of a creative voice who had devoted much of her life to poetry, books, art and community.
She leaves behind her writings, advocacy and the many lives she touched through her work and friendship.
