Stories that help you rediscover your past, understand your present, and create the future you’ve always dreamed of.
The Catalog
2023 – 2026 · 8 titles
100 Names in Baybayin
One hundred names handwritten in the traditional pre‐Philippine script on watercolor paper — each an original work of art, no two alike. A practice that survived swords, “benevolent assimilation,” and generations of shame. Your name deserves that level of intention.
Pre-order on Kickstarter →Under the Balete Tree
A 150‐page YA fantasy weaving Filipino and German folklore — Ember, lost and guided by a wolf; Makayla, challenged by a diwata; and Kiana, an aswang who must stay true to herself. Written by Lauren Lola, illustrated by Asterin.
Join the waitlist →
Filipino Weed Cookbook
Chef Charleen Caabay — reality‐TV winner and healer in the kitchen — centers Filipino flavors and plant medicine together. A celebratory, thoughtful, and delicious guide to cannabis‐infused Filipino cooking and the stories behind each dish.
Get notified →Little Mambabatok
Young Nati visits her grandmother’s village and discovers batok — the ancient practice where each tattoo holds a sacred story. She uncovers more than tradition: an unexpected connection, and a story of pain and regret spanning decades.
Order the book →
The first book printed in the Philippines — historical analysis, personal encounters, and the original 1593 text scans.
Rediscover the pre‐Philippine script with detailed guides and exercises for cultural reconnection and modern use.
A young warrior‐in‐training struggles to focus on her pursuits when invaders from an unknown land threaten her home.
In the Philippine forests, tattoo artist Jose sparks a fire, meets a mysterious woman, and undergoes a life‐altering transformation.
Services
However you want to bring your book into the world
Full-service publishing for stories that matter — from manuscript to finished book on the shelf.
Guidance on the path, the market, and the publishing choices only you can make for your work.
Campaign strategy that has funded and shipped books on Kickstarter and beyond.
Cover design, typesetting, and interior layout handled with a craftsperson’s eye.
Print management and production for runs of any size, with formats to fit your story.
Getting your book into the hands and homes of the readers who need it most.
An independent press reclaiming the stories colonization tried to erase.
Struggle × Strength publishes books rooted in Filipino heritage and decolonial storytelling. We revive pre‐colonial scripts like Baybayin, surface the traditions that survived centuries of erasure, and give a home to the writers and artists carrying them forward — across children’s books, graphic novels, workbooks, cookbooks, and histories.
Every title is made with intention. Founded by artist and Baybayin practitioner Kristian Kabuay, the press exists so readers can rediscover their past, understand their present, and build the future they’ve always dreamed of.
Have a story
to tell?
Whether you’re looking for a publisher, a consultant, a crowdfunding partner, book layout, or help going independent on your own — tell us what you’re building. We read every pitch.