Local literature in Soccsksargen remains young. While writers from Region 12 have seen their work published, awarded, and even taught in schools, formal literary circles and organized gatherings are only beginning to take root.
One proof of that effort is the SOX Zine Fest—an annual celebration of self-publishing and the idea that literature should belong to everyone. What began in General Santos City in 2017 as a small meet-up of writers who simply knew one another has evolved, by 2025, into a full-fledged regional event. Each year, a different province takes a turn hosting.
This year’s fest, held on November 29, was organized by the Timog Literary Circle (TLC), a young but already registered youth group under the Provincial Youth Development Office and the National Youth Commission. Its members are college students and young professionals who share a common belief: reading and writing should be within everyone’s reach. They welcomed writers and readers at the Notre Dame of Marbel University (NDMU) BRC Lobby in Koronadal City.
Soccsksargen sits at the southern tip of central Mindanao—a region often known to tourists for Mt. Matutum, its lakes and waterfalls, T’nalak fabric, Tboli weaving, and the vast pineapple plantations at the mountain’s foot. But behind these postcard images are stories shaped by a population as diverse as its landscape.
Region 12 is home to Tagalog, Ilonggo, Ilocano, Bisaya, Muslim, and Lumad communities living side by side. Their languages, histories, and memories vary—and so do the stories that today’s generation carries.
At the heart of the zine fest is the zine itself: a do-it-yourself publication produced with minimal cost and maximum freedom. A zine can hold poems, stories, sketches, manifestos—anything the writer or artist wants to share, free from the usual gatekeeping of traditional publishing.
More than a hundred zine titles filled the tables this year, covering themes from love and self-discovery to politics, sci-fi, coming-of-age tales, eroticism, and children’s stories.
A special panel brought established writers to speak on the importance of reading and writing in the region, and why self-publishing matters. On the panel were Alvin Larida of the Soccsksargen Writers Collective, Gerald “Gik” Galindez of Tridax Zines, Bella Coronel of Amber Notes and an Amazon-published author, and MJ Tumamac of Aklat Alamid.
NDMU English ClubTumamac said independent publishing allows writers to center their advocacies using the languages they grew up with.
TLC Chairperson Jessa Mae Magbanua echoed this, reminding participants why they gathered: “Alam natin na South Cotabato is a non-reading/writing community… pero ‘yun ang advocacy ng TLC—na ilapit sa mamamayan ang reading and writing (We know that South Cotabato is a non-reading and non-writing community… but that’s the advocacy of TLC—to bring reading and writing closer to the people).”
Highlights of SOX Zine Fest 2025
Although SOX Zine Fest is held annually, each host venue brings its own signature touch. This year, TLC made inclusivity its centerpiece.
1. Mga Liham Mula sa Selda
In October, TLC partnered with the Koronadal City District Jail to conduct a writing workshop for 20 Persons Deprived of Liberty (PDLs). The participants wrote poems and personal narratives, which TLC members compiled into a zine titled Mga Liham Mula sa Selda—likely the first of its kind in the country. Each copy sells for P100, with proceeds going back to the PDL-writers in kind this Christmas.
“Even behind bars, there are stories na dapat marinig din natin (there are stories we need to hear, too),” said Magbanua.
Jail Officer 2 Amfrechine Namuag and Jail Officer 1 Michael Ausad attended the launch. Namuag thanked TLC for giving the PDLs a platform. She asked the audience to resist judging those still awaiting trial and instead read their stories with compassion. She added that it was the first time a writers’ group had visited the jail and encouraged PDLs to write.
2. Youngest zine makers: Nicko and Mamon
The call for inclusivity was most visible when two young writers, nine-year-old Kareem “Mamon” Brahim and 12-year-old Nicko Rones Nacario, arrived with their own zines, drawing admiration from their older counterparts. Their parents proudly stood by them.
Nacario, a Grade 6 student diagnosed with mild Autism Spectrum Disorder, brought two titles: The Sacred Fish, a retelling of an Ilianen Manobo story, and Cody the Cat: The Haunted House.
“Nicko is truly a fighter. His story has inspired and touched the hearts of many, even seasoned,” his mother, Nes Nacario, wrote in a Facebook post.
Brahim’s journey began at age six, tagging along to zine fests with his writer-mother and discovering illustration along the way.
“He’s naturally curious and started asking what everyone was doing and why there were so many ‘books.’ I explained it in a way he could understand. After that, he began telling me outrageous stories at home and I listened to all of them. It even became the reverse: Kareem would tell me stories until I fell asleep,” his mother, Ezel Brahim, said. He sold his story titled Buhay na Bahay.
Literary organizations in Region 12 may still be young, but the passion here runs deep. These writers—students, professionals, PDLs, and even children—continue to build a space where stories of the region, in all their diversity, can be heard, read, and shared. PR