Bien Chabacano Launches Voces del Alma – The First Anthology of Contemporary Chavacano Poetry

I am very happy and proud to announce that Voces del Alma, the first-ever anthology of contemporary poetry written in Chavacano, is now officially available!

This book is really a dream come true. It gathers selected poems from writers of different backgrounds and ages who joined Bien Chabacano’s first poetry writing contest earlier this year. Through their works, you will read about love, memory, identity, faith, family, and the simple beauty of everyday life in Zamboanga and the Chavacano-speaking community.

This project began with Bien Chabacano's first poetry writing contest. The prizes for the contest were funded from participating at Dia del Libro 2026.

For me, this anthology is more than just a collection of poems. It is a platform for Chavacano voices, both emerging and established, to be heard. My deepest hope is that Voces del Alma will inspire more people to read, write, and appreciate our language.

This project continues the journey I started with El Diutay Principe, the Chavacano translation of The Little Prince. Through Bien Chabacano, I want to keep promoting and preserving our beautiful language, especially the Zamboanga variety, by creating new and meaningful literature.

Every Chavacano poem in the book comes with an English translation to make it accessible to more readers. The maiden issue is titled Sombra y Luz.

Thank you to all the contributors who trusted me with their poems as well as everyone who has supported Bien Chabacano from the beginning.