The inaugural Davao Pen and Stationery Fest (DPSF) is bringing in some of the best pen and accessory suppliers from Metro Manila while putting the spotlight on the city’s own stationery creatives on August 29-30 26 at Seda Abreeza in Davao City.

“We made sure to reach out to people who are incredible in their field, who are great at calligraphy, who are great at stamp carving,” organizer Kristine Serranoso told Pen Noob in an interview. “These things that (Davao-based hobbyists) just normally see on their phones, on TikTok and Instagram, they’re gonna be in their city.”

The Davao Pen and Stationery Fest is the first multi-day pen-related show outside of the metro, and the second event in the Philippines after the Manila Pen Show, that gathers hobbyists and brands under one roof with multiple workshops happening on the side.

“We wanted to provide that to our community here in Davao, because, you know, the Philippines is bigger than just Metro Manila. We’re an archipelago, there are so many places here,” Kristine added. “We’re hoping to serve those people.”

Addressing hobby pain points

For the past year, Davao’s growing fountain pen and stationery community only had one brick and mortar source for hobby materials: a small stationery shop inside a cafe, Tinta and Teksto.

But for the city’s new and young enthusiasts that find utility first before beauty in nibs and paper, it is never too soon to have a big pen event,.

“Us here sa Davao, na malayo sa Manila, sa Cebu, we didn’t have any stores aside from Tinta (and Teksto). Everyone had to buy blind,” said Rozel Gubi, co-founder of Tinta and Teksto and also one of the fest’s organizers.

Instead of solely relying on online videos and hoping that e-commerce purchases turn out okay, she said that hobbyists in the city can finally “try” a pen “before they buy” during the Davao Pen and Stationery Fest.

“What they can expect is a totally different shopping experience,” added Kristine, free of shipping fees thanks to a good mix of big brands and local talent showcased over the weekend,

 

 

A wider fountain pen network in the Philippines 

While the Manila Pen Show is primarily focused on pens, DPSF organizer Cecille Monterola said that they are also equally showcasing stationery so that attendees can get everything they need in one visit.

“Parang hindi kumpleto ang pen mo kung wala kang stickers,” she added, highlighting the mix of paper products and leather goods available over the weekend.

Map Your Memories: A Travel Journal Workshop

Launched at the Manila Pen Show in 2026, the Map Your Memories: A Travel Journal Workshop is going to Davao. Photo from the Kikay Krafts N Journals  Facebook Page.

Rozel said that they agreed to get the “blessing” of Manila Pen Show’s organizer, Fountain Pen Network – Philippines, before they started planning for DPSF.

“They were all very supportive,” she said, adding that she is one of FPN-P’s Davao-based members while she nurtured the hobby with Manila-based friends. Aside from the Manila Pen Show, organizers also took inspiration from Yoseka’s Stationery Fest in New York.

READ: Manila Pen Show writes records anew with 2026 edition

Rozel is holding a crash course for fountain pen newbies during the fest.


Davao’s newer pen folks, Rozel noted, prefer getting the right writing experience over accumulating more fine writers “to complete a set.”

“The interest more is using the fountain pens,” she added. “With these younger kids, they’re more on, ‘what will I use to write within my journal?’”

From new pen friends to new pen fest

L-R: Davao Pen and Stationery Fest organizers Rozel Gubi, Kristine Serrano, and Cecille Monterola

While Rozel has been with FPN-P for quite some time already, Cecille is also a hobby newbie with a penchant for pink pens. They eventually had a pen meet at Kristine’s cafe and tagged it on Instagram.

“Sobrang serendipituous kasi when they posted that, may friend and I had just started getting into the hobby,” said Kristine, whose bitter-sweet entry point was receiving a pen from a friend’s late sister’s collection. “So we’re like, oh my god, there are people pala in Davao who are into the hobby, kasi, we didn’t know, because the friends we had who were into the hobby were all Manila people.”

This encounter led to Kristine putting up Journal Circle Davao and the three of them organizing the Davao Pen and Stationery Fest, less than a year after their first encounter. There were initially four, but the quartet-turned trio persisted.


While there were smaller art fairs already being held in the city, the trio felt a need for a more integrated homegrown event. Then what initially started as a plan for a small fair eventually grew to a fest with dozens of confirmed exhibitors.

They also feared not getting enough local creators, with some still artists presumably still thinking about the Patron of the Arts issue.


READ: Local art festival under fire for event mismanagement

 

“Why would they put their trust in us when we haven’t been tested,” said Kristine.

Cecille also shared that some confirmed brands even pulled out. “So, yun yung challenge amin na parang kasi first time namin… brands are hesitating to sponsor or invest in us.” 

Thankfully, there were suppliers that stayed with the trio even before the venue was finalized.

“So, as soon as we signed the contract with Seda, we posted on our threads, and surprisingly, that got a lot of attention,” noted Kristine. The organizers even had to turn down exhibitors after slots filled fast, hoping to accommodate them instead in 2027.

Celebrating what Davao has to offer

As DPSF 2026 kicks off, the trio hopes that visitors from outside the city discover new favorites among local creators.

“So we’ve showcased a bunch of great, Davao artists who are going to be here to sell their stickers and their stuff,” said Kristine.  “Baka makita ng mga taga-Manila, you know, discover new talent, so that’s one thing.”

They also intentionally scheduled the event in August to coincide with the annual KAdayawan Festival. “So, although the major parade just ended… there are still festivities happening all throughout the city,” Kristine said. “Especially if you’re a visitor, the fruit right now is amazing, because that’s what Kadayawan is celebrating.

While VIP tickets are already sold out, visitors can still get general admission access to the two-day event for Php200 at dpsf.helixpay.ph. DPFS will also have exclusive, commemorative merchandise such as glass pens and washi tapes up for sale.