Dear Reader,

Search for Zamboanga online, and you'll often find lists of tourist spots, brief historical summaries, or scattered articles. But you'll rarely find the everyday stories, recipes, traditions, sounds, and language that make this city feel like home.

Sometimes, you can even come across misrepresentation of Zamboangueño culture – cuisines attributed to us because of the locality, or because of the proximity to other islands, a misconception of our ability to maintain peace and order in these parts.

As a result, we have always compromised. For generations, many of us have had to make difficult choices. Some stayed, quietly preserving traditions despite uncertainty. Others left in search of opportunity and safety, carrying pieces of Zamboanga wherever they went. Still others gradually grew distant from the language and culture altogether. Whatever the reason, each choice has contributed to traditions and memories becoming harder to pass on.

As a result, we have invaluable stories disappearing from our Zamboangueño psyche. We have recipes that do not reach the tongues of the next generation. We have songs that become a distant hum just beyond the reach of recall.