Fragments of struggles and resistance in ‘Tipak, Tibak na Danas’

By JIAN ZHARESE JOEIS SANZ

BULACAN – Zines are one of the most modern forms of art. Despite being ‘short and sweet’, this compilation of literary works, photographs, or visual art is easy to fall in love with–but never move on from. 

“Tipak, Tibak na Danas” by Malaya Nicolas, a feminist writer and chairperson of Valenzuela Arts and Literary Society (VALS), is just one of the 20 zines under Bente-bente Zine’s (BBZ) Volume 3. The zines written by 20 talented women writers holding varying stories, narratives, and emotions, were featured in Philippine Bookfest 2025. It can be bought for an affordable price of 20 pesos, highlighting the goal of BBZ on promoting art to the masses at an arm’s reach.

Photo by Bente-Bente Zines

Despite its simple black-and-white aesthetic, the zine holds an entire world of fragmented struggles and resistance. It bears the weight of political commentaries on the pressing issues faced by the Filipino people and the activist community, offering a powerful reflection of their realities.

The zine opens with a striking ‘Talaan ng Kadiliman’, formatted like a book’s table of contents. This talaan serves as the zine’s defining charm, weaving together poems, and Duterte’s sexist and oppressive statements from his speeches—laying bare the ex-president’s wickedness, which it seeks to confront.

In the following pages, the zine births raw experiences and emotions, spotlighting on themes such as the bonds forged in activism, the lingering unrest of a ‘desaparecido’, and the many struggles that define resistance.

Overall, ‘Tipak, Tibak na Danas’ weaves together fragments of resistance and struggles into a single zine. It serves as a gift this women’s month to progressive women, and the masses they serve. (AMU, RVO)

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