21/04/2026
๐๐ฎ๐ 3 ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ฃ
The third day of ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ง๐ฃ ๐๐๐จ๐๐ฎ๐๐จ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ ๐๐๐จ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ก (๐๐๐๐) 2026 continues to unfold as a space where words live, breathe, and connect us all.
To start the day with the National Artist Series brought us into the literary world of ๐ฉ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ด๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ผ ๐ฆ. ๐๐น๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ (Rio Alma)โa celebration not just of poetry, but of language as memory, identity, and shared experience.
From the opening reflections that set a thoughtful tone, to the insightful lecture of ๐๐ฟ. ๐๐ผ๐ต๐ป ๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐ and ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ ๐. ๐๐บ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ผ, participants were guided through the depth and significance of Rio Almaโs works. The program then transformed into a living performance of poetry, as voices carried verses beyond the page and into the hearts of listeners.
The morning event also marked a meaningful milestone with the book launching and distribution, reinforcing the festivalโs commitment to knowledge-sharing. Through the efforts of the ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ ๐ป๐ด ๐ช๐ถ๐ธ๐ฎ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ป๐ผ, copies of ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ด๐๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐ธ๐ผ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐๐ป๐ผ๐ด๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฝ๐ถ๐๐ฎ ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ผ๐ป by ๐ก๐ฒ๐๐๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ง. ๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ were entrusted to librariesโensuring that language and culture continue to reach communities across the region.
After a refreshing lunch break, the afternoon festivities began to unfold for it was time to relight the spark of interest through a series of meaningful discussions.
One of the highlights of the afternoon was the ๐ง๐ฎ๐ผ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐
๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ด๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐, starting with "๐๐ฆ๐ฌรซ๐ต ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ - ๐๐ข๐จ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐จ ๐ข๐ต ๐๐ข๐จ๐ฃ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ฐ๐ฏ: ๐๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐บ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐จ๐ข๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ข๐ณ๐ข๐ฏ๐ข๐ด๐ข๐ฏ ๐ข๐ต ๐๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ข๐ญ ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ต๐ฉ ๐ด๐ข ๐๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ต๐ช๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ". The program began with a brief introduction of the speaker by ๐ ๐ฟ. ๐ก๐ผ๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ฎ๐น๐ผ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ผ๐ป, Secretary and Western Visayas Representative of the National Committee on Literary Arts. Our speaker, ๐ ๐ฟ. ๐๐น๐ถ๐ท๐ฎ๐ต ๐๐ผ๐๐ฒ ๐. ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ผ๐, was both a seafarer and a writer. His book, entitled ๐
๐๐ ๐ข๐๐๐๐๐๐, is filled with his poems about depression, healing and glimpses of a seafarerโs reality and his personal journey that it took to get there. Midway the discussion, ๐ ๐ฟ. ๐๐น ๐๐ฒ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฎ๐น๐ฒ๐ joined on stage and also shared his thoughts and expertise both as a writer of an award winning book himself, and as a teacher. Upon the closing of the talk, a photo opportunity with the audience was held after the brief but engaging open forum.
Following a short break came, ๐ก๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ก๐ฐ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐๐ฆ๐ด๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ 4: ๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ค๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข ๐ก๐ช๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ: ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ฏ๐จ ๐๐ฉ๐ณ๐ฐ๐ถ๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฅ๐ด, featuring the author of ๐ท๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐ฟ๐ง. ๐๐ก๐ซ๐๐ ๐ฝ. ๐๐๐ฏ๐ค๐ฃ-๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฏ๐๐ก๐๐จ, ๐๐ง. ๐๐๐๐๐๐ง๐ ๐ฟ. ๐๐ก๐๐ฃ๐ค ๐
๐ง. the author of ๐ป๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ป๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ and the segment moderator, ๐๐ง. ๐
๐ค๐จ๐ ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ฎ ๐๐๐ง๐ง๐๐ง๐ ๐. ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ค. The talk encompasses using writing as a medium, not only to express ourselves and tell our stories but also as a way of giving time dedicated to ourselves and to what we love. The lives we live outside writing does not stop but sometimes we need to pause to reflect; to make time for ourselves to digest the world around us. Dr. Razon-Gonzales and Mr. Olano also briefly talked about their own individual written works as well as their writing journey. By the end of the talk, a light question and answer came up, followed by a group picture taken with the speakers and audience present before proceeding to a short break to give the participants room to breathe.
By the late afternoon, for a slight change of pace, ๐๐ง. ๐๐๐ง๐ข๐ฏ ๐๐๐๐๐ค in his ๐๐ก๐ค๐๐ก๐ค ๐๐ค๐ก๐๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐ผ๐ฃ๐ ๐๐ค๐ข๐๐ ๐จ ๐๐ฃ๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐จ๐๐ฉ๐ฎ, talked about how comics can carry and portray political themes that are relatable and rampant in todayโs time. He delightfully answered the questions from the audience afterwards, sharing his inspiration for one of their series in Pasyon Komiks, ๐ธ๐ฝ๐พ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ . To commemorate the end of his talk, a group picture taking followed.
The Exhibitor Spotlight was held next, highlighting the award winning writer, ๐๐'๐๐ข ๐๐๐๐ง๐ก๐๐ฎ ๐ฆ๐ถ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐๐. Through a video message, Ma'am Parabia, expressed her gratitude to her supportive family and friends as well as promoted several of her works such as ๐ด ๐บ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ป๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐, ๐โ๐ ๐น๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ถ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐, ๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐
๐๐ ๐๐ , and ๐โ๐ ๐
๐๐ฃ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐.
The day was coming to an end, and so was the last day of the WVZF 2026. As a way of reminiscing the series of events held in the past three days, ๐๐๐๐จ๐๐ ๐
๐ช๐ก๐๐๐ง ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐ค gave a brief recap, followed by the WVZF Wrap-up Video which showcased the highlights of this year's zine fest in a very joyous light.
Caption by Marriane Pasinao and Bryan Solano
Videos by Ashley Nicole Alegarbes, Elaine Joy Gallero and Ishi Marie Borjal
Video edited by Jaznine Andasa
