Where the personal meets the political
When Marvin B. Aceron introduced the pilot issue of the quarterly art and literature journal Santelmo in June 2022, he couldn’t have envisioned that the small company of editors could keep it going for as long as it has.
For April 2025, Santelmo 12, “The Crossroads Issue,” was recently promoted online, somewhat in hindsight, as the “Torchbearer of the Kakampink Movement”—“an incendiary collection of essays, poems, fiction, and political art from some of the country’s fiercest voices.”
In his latest Publisher’s Note, titled “At the Crossroads, the Good Man Begins Again,” Aceron writes:
“A good man is always a beginner. Life brings him, again and again, to the crossroads—not once, but many times. Sometimes the choice is clear. Sometimes the road ahead crumbles. Sometimes the hardest choice is whether to keep going, or to stop and begin something else.
“He wakes with a plan, expecting the day to unfold as it did before—half-expecting it won’t. He lays bricks on a wall he’s been building for years. He does it carefully, methodically, with all he has. Still, the bricks may chip. The wall may tilt. The work may collapse. And then he must decide: rebuild the same wall, or turn, and build another.
“He surveys what remains—what held, what failed. He may curse. He may rest his hands on his knees, unsure. But then he lifts his eyes. He smiles. And he begins again. From where he left off, or from the rubble. Or from a new place entirely.
“This is the rhythm of his life: he starts, he stops, he questions, he chooses. And still—he begins. It’s not about pride or stubbornness. It’s not even about him. It’s about what must be done, and the quiet courage it takes to ask: Is this still the right thing to do?
“If he walks away, he walks not in defeat, but in trust—that another good man will come, or that his own strength is needed elsewhere. Either way, the work continues. A wall will rise, to shelter others from the wind, the cruelty of men, or the rushing sea.
“The good man knows the universe is vast. He is small, but not insignificant. Call it hope. Call it love. Call it the stubborn grace that steadies his hands.
“He stands at the crossroads often. And each time, he chooses. And begins again.”
He has ample reason to sound hopeful. Indeed, Santelmo 12 burns with conviction, literature, and love for country, not just as a magazine— “it’s a movement in print.” Included are poems in English by Aceron himself (“Now, Barabbas Had a Dog” and “Tzel”); South Africa-based Jim Pascual Agustin (“Blue Dragonfly”); and issue co-editor Alma Anonas-Carpio with an extended suite: “At the crossroads, darkly.”
Poems in Filipino are by Allan Popa (“Parabula ng mga Gansa,” “Ang mga Salagubang” and “Alinsunod kay Kurosawa”) and National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario a.k.a. Rio Alma, with “(H)istorya ng Haring Púsong o Pusóng” and “Landas na Matinik.”
Here’s an excerpt from Almario’s second poem, its last two stanzas: “Búhay ba ang araw-araw na paghigop ng kape/ At ang maghapong pakikinig o panonood ng balita sa paligid?/ Paglabas, lumulusog ka ba sa hibik ng mga pulubi?/ Pag gabi, nahihimbing ka ba sa tibok ng poot sa daigdig?// Bakit sasayangin ang hininga sa pagbutingting/ Sa siràng relo o mga umaga ng pagtiris sa taghiwayat?/ Naghihintay ang mga bundok na aakyatin at papatágin/ Sa dulo ng matinik at madawag na landas ng pangarap.”
Translated by issue co-editor Emmanuel Quintos Velasco into Filipino are three poems by the Swedish Nobel Prize awardee from his book Tomas Tranströmer, Selected Poems: “The Name,” “The Blue House,” and “Secrets on the Way”—which became “Ang Pangalan,” “Ang Asul na Bahay,” and “Mga Lihim na Parating.”
Poet and playwright Nicolas B. Pichay transforms Noli me tangere into a screenplay, here showcased with an excerpt.
Also in Filipino are Jules Abraham de Leon’s short story, “Si Inton,” and historical essays by novelist Edgar Calabia Samar with “Ang Papel ng Nobelista-Kritiko sa Tunguhin ng Kontemporanyong Nobela,” and again, National Artist Almario with “Ang Pagsasanga ng Realidad at ng Katotohanan.”
Essays in English are by Dumaguete-based Ian Rosales Casocot with “Albert Faurot and Wang Wei, Renaissance Men,” freelance writer and PR practitioner Gay Ace Domingo with “My Crossroads,” and yours truly with a memory-toward-the-future piece titled “When the Roads Were Still Clear of Tongue-twisters.”
It features generational athletes LeBron James, Luka Donkic, tennis superstars Carlos Alcaraz and Aryna Sabalenka, and local professional volleybelle Vanie Gandler as inspirational company—in sharp contrast with ill-considered posse suspects Putin, Jinping, Kim Jong Un, Netanyahu, Trump, and Duterte (only one of whom appears to have already reached his fated destination).
Another essay in English, a full-length feature by Adelle Chua, is titled “Audit is Life: The highs and lows of Heidi Lloce-Mendoza.” It spotlights the former COA Commissioner as a senatorial candidate. An FB post promotes it thus: “A gripping portrait of integrity under fire. We follow Heidi from a tin-can allowance system in Quezon to a solo art exhibit in Vienna—and now, to a surprise run for Senate. Her story is funny and unforgettable.”
The full piece may be downloaded here for free.
Finally, for Art Features, “Caricatures as Relevant Political Cartoons” puts together six humorous works by DengCoy Miel, Paul Eric Roca, The Political Idiot, Cartoonist Zack, and Cheong Ardivilla. Then there’s Lourd de Veyra’s “Frenzied Process” with seven recent artworks, one of which was selected for the cover.
Per Lourd, “These are pieces from several exhibitions from 2023 to 2025; three are sketchbook exercises. As usual, their genesis follows my highly electric motivation that comes after the panic of ‘P*nyeta… búkas na pala ang deadline?’ while reflecting on the ill effects of prolonged sleep deprivation on my mental health.”
The entire issue can be downloaded here for P60. Printed copies are available at P1,300 per copy.
