Montes was born on September 12, 1970 in Borongan, Eastern Samar. He graduated his secondary studies at Eastern Samar National Comprehensive High School and took Creative Writing Program at Silliman University under the mentorship of Edilberto and Edith Tiempo during late 19980s and early 1990s.[1][2] At the university, he was able to improve his writing abilities, earn a master's degree, and establish himself as one of the country's regional fictionists.[1][2]
In the 1990s, Montes began teaching in Silliman before joining the Faculty of Creative Writing Program at University of the Philippines Mindanao in the 2000s.[2] He has spent the last two years of his life as a teacher at De La Salle University.[3]
In 1994, Anvil published a collection of his short stories titled "The Black Men and Other Stories." He also co-edited Tribute, a memorial anthology of stories dedicated to his mentor Edilberto Tiempo, alongside César Ruiz Aquino.[1]
Montes' numerous writings appeared in anthologies and literary journals. One of his known works is the "Turtle Season", a short story about a peacekeeper named Captain Raul Daza who was facing a problem with his wife because he could not bestow such precious time with her due to his job in the remote island of Kalayasan.[4] In 1989, he earned the third prize of Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature for his short story "The Doubters",[5] and in 2001, he was awarded the first prize for "Turtle Season".[6]
He currently lives in Dumaguete, Negros Oriental and has written an essay about the town entitled "How To Write About Dumaguete" in 2023.[7]
