Sillimanian wins 2026 Golden Haiku Competition

Sillimanian alumnus Keanu Paul B. Sygaco has been named as the Washington D.C. area winner of the prestigious 2026 Golden Haiku Poetry Competition, held in Washington, D.C., United States.

This year’s theme, “The Joy of Nature,” inspired thousands of poets from around the globe.

community garden
  river-scent soil
   under my nails

His haiku poem stood out among nearly 5,000 entries submitted from 90 countries, all 50 U.S. states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico.

Award-winning poets receive prizes and the honor of seeing their haiku displayed on vibrant street signs along some of Washington, D.C.’s most iconic thoroughfares from March through May. The colorful displays brighten the city’s winter streets, offering passersby a poetic reminder of spring’s impending arrival.

The competition, hosted by the Golden Triangle BID for almost a decade, is open to poets of all ages worldwide. This year’s distinguished panel of judges featured Abigail Friedman, Lenard Moore, and Kit Pancoast Nagamura.

Sygaco is no stranger to this, as his work was also previously featured in the 2024 Golden Haiku Competition and in The Japan Society’s Haiku Corner in London.

He graduated summa cum laude from Silliman University in 2024 with a Bachelor’s in Foreign Affairs and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in International Relations at the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, focusing on Security, Strategy, and Statecraft.

Link: https://goldentriangledc.com/events/golden-haiku-2026-winners/