Poetry book promotes Chabacano, Asia’s only Spanish-based creole language
A new anthology called 'Sombra y Luz' collects 23 poems by 10 writers of Chabacano, the Spanish-based creole spoken in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines, launched in July by Bien Chabacano blog creator Jerome Herrera.
The poems focus on love, family, and Zamboangueño identity, with Herrera noting most submissions leaned heavily on Spanish vocabulary, a stylistic choice he embraced as fitting for poetry even amid debate over how 'authentic' Chabacano writing should sound.
Herrera has said finding Chabacano poets remains the project's biggest obstacle, and hopes the book, born from a language spoken by a shrinking community since Spanish colonization ended in the 19th century, leads to a second volume.
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