Dear Librarian: Reply to Library Staff Supervisory Program

Dr. Rose Villamater, director of the Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Library, provides Rose Quilantang of Cebu City a reply from her query on library staff supervisory program.

Dear Rose,

 A supervisory program (can be) a computer program that controls the execution of other routines and regulates work scheduling and workflow, input/output operations and error actions in a data processing system.  Here is the URL of one example --  http://www.answers.com/topic/supervisory-program-1#ixzz19Noqvn4r.

I think I am not the best person to give an advice regarding this topic because this topic needs someone who knew much on computer programs.

But from the simplest point of view when I read this, I was thinking of the Library Staff at supervisory position who plans, organizes, implements and evaluates the school library program(s).

The school librarian need to calendar the special events intended and related to the library with consideration to personnel, facilities, finance, and administrator’s support to the program. 

To share our experiences in MSEUF that can serve as a guide, we started the reading program two years ago and launched it during the National Book Week.  We are hopeful that this program will encourage our Basic Education (BED) students to read and acquire a habit of reading. We were successful in encouraging students to read on the first two years but acquiring a habit of reading had just started.  For this school year, we prepared our calendar of activities with this reading program scheduled towards the early part; we started it last July to celebrate the Childen’s Book Day.  The monitoring of the program was scheduled.  Monitors for the different grade/year levels were assigned.  Recognition, awards and incentives about the program were formulated and scheduled.  Appraisal of the program was also designed and implemented for the improvement of the program and achievement of acquiring the habit of reading.

The guide should provide a broad overview of the content and process of managing a school library program.  A broad overview of the purpose, historical development, and current activities of school libraries and school librarians is presented. Consultation and cooperation between librarians and teachers, administrators, and other staff; public relations and ideas for promoting maximum use of library resources; the production of instructional media; the provision and management of time, personnel, and facilities; the provision and management of library materials; and the assessment and evaluation of school library services. 

The effective school library program supports the classroom program in meeting the learning needs of students. The contemporary school librarian, who orchestrates the major components needed to deliver a total school library program, must fulfill and balance a multi-faceted role and at the same time not lose sight of the benefits to student learners. Systematic planning and effective problem-solving are critical skills for the librarian attempting to set priorities and implement an effective, yet realistic, school library program.  To view the sample guide, check the link.  http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/ED241041.pdf

Happy New Year!

Dr. Rose Villamater, Library Director Manuel S. Enverga University Foundation Lucena City

Alcala Prize 2011 Call for Entries

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) is now accepting entries for the 2011 PBBY-Alcala Prize. The contest is co-sponsored by the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and The National Library.

The winner shall be given a cash prize of P20,000.00, a gold medal, and an opportunity to be published. Prizes will be awarded in an appropriate ceremony to be held during the celebration of National Children’s Book Day on July 19, 2011.

Contest Rules:

1. The contest is open to all Filipino citizens except those who are related to any PBBY members up to the third degree of consanguinity.
2. Entries must be based on the 2011 PBBY-Salanga Prize-winning story, “Rizaldy” by Eugene Evasco. Copies of the said story may be requested from the PBBY Secretariat.
3. All entries must be original unpublished illustrations that have not won in any previous contest.
4. All entries must consist of three (3) illustrations that are of the same size and medium, based on the winning story.
5. A contestant may send in more than one (1) entry.
6. Each entry must be signed by a pen name only, preferably on a small piece of paper pasted on the back of each artwork.  Entries with a signature or any identifying marks are automatically disqualified.
7. Together with each entry, contestants must submit a separate envelope, on the face of which only the pen name of the contestant shall appear.  The envelope must contain the contestant’s full name, address, contact numbers, short description of background, and notarized certification vouching for the originality of the entry and for the freedom of the organizers from any liability arising from the infringement of copyright in case of publication.
8. All entries must be sent to the PBBY Secretariat, c/o Adarna House,109 Scout Fernandez cor. Scout Torillo Street, Quezon City by March 30, 2011.
9. Winners will be announced no later than May 6, 2011.  Non-winning entries must be claimed no later than June 29, 2011, after which they will no longer be the responsibility of the organizers.

For more details, interested parties may contact PBBY by calling 3526765 or emailing pbby@adarna.com.ph.

2011 Salanga Prize Winners

Congratulations to Eugene Evasco for winning the grand prize of the 2011 Salanga Award. His story, Rizaldy, will be awarded the Salanga Medal on July 2011 during the celebration of the 28th National Children's Book Day.

Honorable mention goes to Patricia Gomez for her story Pepe's Gift.

SLIA 2010: Year End Round Up of Blog Posts

Keeping up with a blogging tradition at every year's end, here are the first post from December to January 2010 and the first sentence on each.

December - Book Week and Library and Information Services Month came to pass.

November - November is here.

October Wordless post

September - Our letter sender for this month's Dear Librarian post came from Augie Ebreo of the University of Batangas.

August  - Paolo Chikiamco, writer and blogger, is posting a series of my interview via his blog, Rocket Kapre.

July - Posted a video of Noel Cabangon singing Ako'y Isang Mabuting Pilipino

May  - In the afternoon of April 29, 2010, Dir. David and I went on a city tour of Puerto Princesa.

April - I got a wonderful email from Peter Tobey of Salem Press.

March - I had the wonderful experience of presenting to a group of scientists and science educators an overview of Philippine Children's Literature.

February - Paper Tigers is in the process of selecting books for children that will be donated to places around the world where the need is great.

January - 2009 was a breakthrough year for me as a blogger.

A Christmas Greeting

Library Open House

A library open house is one of the many library promotional activities that librarians can organize for their learning community. The later being its recipient and the former, the provider of services and information. What is a library open house, exactly? Its meaning varies from one library to another. But, the main purpose for doing so remains the same -- to inform the learning community that the services and information that the library provide is open for all.  

Stanford University's Information Center had a library open house that showcased new formats of information that's available for research.  Michigan State University's library open house included games and trivia contests. At Adamson University, their library open house involved a book sale, an awarding of library patrons and a series of seminar-workshops for the patrons of the library. Indeed, the library open house can be tailored made to fit the patrons' needs vis-a-vis the existing collection and services of the library.

Another activity that a library open house can have would be the display and the selection of books and other resources for purchase. Library patrons can take part in selecting and reviewing possible library resources for acquisition. And, if time would allow it, have them browse through a materials and resources for weeding out. This would entail weeks of planning and the writing of proposals that school administrators would approve. 

Note that a library open house is an activity that would help librarians strategize in the development and management of a rich and growing collection. This is the crux of the matter in doing library promotional activities. More than the image and the partnership the librarians forge with the community, promotional activities should result to an improved library collection and an efficient library service. 

Other activities that can be incorporated in the library open house would be, book talks, tech-training and orientation of new faculty or users of the library to its rules, guidelines and facility.

My First Library Card

I got my first library card when I was in grade one. I was only six years old then.

I remember how my teacher, Ms. Pagkalinawan, would have us all grade one students line up for a trip to the library. Our library at that time looked like a cave with its walls painted white. There were books on display and we were allowed to choose books we can borrow for a period of time. The librarian, Ms. Oliva, was a plump lady with a cute little smile. On that first visit, she gave a library orientation that focused on the expected behavior at the library.

I could write at grade one but Ms. Oliva and Ms. Pagkalinawan wrote the title of books for us. See how few were the books I borrowed? My mom, who's a librarian, filled the gaps.

In sixth grade, my affair with the school library was rekindled when I discovered the Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series in the shelves of the "new" library. It didn't look like a cave anymore. Plus, there was a quaint mezzanine inside that housed the Filipiniana collection.

I would love to visit my old school again to see how the library has grown and evolved. Hopefully, I could get the chance since our batch, PCS High School Batch '90, will have a reunion.

Blogsights: Web 2.0 Reflections

From Joeper -

The Web 2.0

It’s always very exciting to learn new things.  The good things about free seminar workshop are that you are learning new things at no cost. I love to accept such invitations. I believe in my life motto “opportunity knocks only once”, grab it while it’s hot.

Media is everywhere and doesn’t sleep, many scientist and innovators continue researching for new things and advancements. We need to go with the flow or else we will be left behind. Information nowadays is so easy to access by means of Internet. This present generation is almost close to paperless generation. You can have information in a device called computer and even on handheld computing devices. These information can be carried anywhere in your community or around the globe.

Information on the web is a great help to mankind. To know information about places even when you aren’t there, you can feel the ambience of that place. You don’t need a bundle of books to trace the history of our grandfathers. You can promote businesses for less advertisement fees.

The web is a giant on air. Without leaving home, you can share ideas, personal experiences and opinions to your relatives and to the people that you know. Sharing information, giving tips and tricks and making some announcements are moving fast in the information superhighway and delivered it right into your computer in few seconds.

Now it’s time to plug and connect our wireless brain to face the new challenge and a new way of income generator. Earning without leaving the comfort of your home is the best. Let’s make a blog and socialize in online networking.

One participant wished to remain anonymous --


Web 2.0 Technology

Web 2.0 technology is very important to people especially for the librarians because by means of these there’s an interaction between the user and the provider of information. With the help of the technology and media, we are now more aware and updated into the advancement of different technologies. They give us enough knowledge and skills especially in communication skills. We can communicate with the other libraries and ask what are the new trends we have now that can really help us and also to our valued users. Through this web 2.0 technology, example is blog/blogging; we can now gain insights or thoughts of different topics in different places. But creating a blog is not an easy task, although we can do it by ourselves, we should have to know how to manage our time and control the limit. Before we share the information to the users, as a librarian we should have enough knowledge and have patience in sharing information.

Note from SLIA: Reflections (previous posts and current ones) by participants are posted in its unedited versions.

Picture! Picture!

A PBBY Christmas

Merry Christmas from the PBBY! 

Standing: L-R Dr. Luis Gatmaitan; Ani Almario-David; Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz; 

Karina Bolasco; Rosette Crelencia

Seated: L-R Nina Lim-Yuson; Zarah Gagatiga; Sally Labanda; Emily Abrera

Not in picture: Rayvi Sunico; Totet de Jesus; Hermie Beltran

Scholastic Opens Library & Showroom

More Blogsights: Web 2.0 Tech Focusing on Blogs and Blogging

Mula naman kay jsdesingano --


Sa bilis ng pag-usong ng teknolohiya  sa panahon natin ngayon kailangan nating makasabay sa takbo nito. Ang paggamit ng Web 2.0 technology at ang pagbablog ay ang paraan para magawa ito. Bilang librarian o library staff maraming bagay tayong kailangang isaalang-alang:

-       Time (time management)
-       Being Responsible
-       Considering ethics
-       Environment (institution or individual)
-       Resources

Ang lahat ng bagay ay kailangang magsimula sa ating sarili, kailangan nating tanungin ang ating sarili kung kaya natin o hindi? At dito magsisimula ang lahat. Ang pagbibigay ng inpormasyon para sa iba, paglalathala ng mga sariling saloobin tungkol sa sarili o para sa institusyong kinabibilangan, mga bagay-bagay na gusting bigyang kasagutan.

Ako bilang library assistant ay napakapalad ko para mabigyan ng pagkakataon para makadalo sa seminar na ito. At kung matutunan ko ang pagboblog, maging responsible ako sa paggamit at paggawa nito. Maraming salamat po, Ms. Zarah Gagatiga.


From Paula Crescini --


As I browse one of the blogs about the Coffee Goddess, I feel so great that there was a prayer for our Maguindanao people who were victims of massacre last year. For me it is of great help, since it is a prayer intended for them, if a million browse and read that blog, then there are millions who prayed for them. Hope their souls are all in peace.


With regards to Philippine news and history, I browsed the Visconde Massacre where I was not able to get through it by the time it was happened before. I don’t have resources to follow the story and how it happened, but through the inquirer.net blog, I was then able to read the past and up-to-date story about that.


About Feathers in the Wind blogs, it gave me an idea to share how am I became a Librarian and also to give back the gratitude to my benefactor, the Peace Corps Alumni Foundation for Philippine Development. The foundation gave me the opportunity to fulfill my dream.


Blogging really involves communication. It is also one way of sharing your ideas and thoughts and especially the gratitude if you don’t have time to talk with those who you wanted to thank for.
Sharing small ideas with will really help some people to lighten their burden, if you share the word of God that give you strength and proven and seen to you. As a blogger you really is of great help to other.

Blogsights: Web 2.0 Technology - A Focus on Blogging

Here are two more reflections from participants of the Web 2.0 seminar-workshop I conducted last November 26, 2010 at the De La Salle University, Dasmarinas, Cavite.       

        From Khatlyn Grace Alcedo -

        Web 2.0 technology is very important to people especially for the librarians because by means of these there’s an interaction between the user and the provider of information. With the help of the technology and media, we are now more aware and updated into the advancement of different technology.

They give us enough knowledge and skills especially in communication skills. We can communicate with the other libraries and ask what are the new trends we have now that can really help us and also to our valued users. Through this web 2.0 technology, example is blog/blogging; we can now gain insights or thoughts of different topics in different places.

But creating a blog is not an easy task. Though we can do it by ourselves, we should have to know how to manage our time and control the limit of postings. Before we share the information to the users, as a librarian we should have enough knowledge and have patience in sharing information.

From Cholita Clico --

WEB 2.0 Technology was so interesting and knowledgeable to all readers. This technology can give us a lot of information about many things such as giving tips, advertising, posting informative pictures and etc.  That’s why through this technology we can explore our imagination and develop our creativity to produce reliable information and pass this to other users.

  

With regards to the discussion about “Blog and Blogging “I noticed and I learned that creating a blog is not an easy task to do. It needs a lot of time to study and determine what topic or information you are going to blog in your blogging website.  We are also responsible with the information we’re posting in the blog because we always observe ethics and that’s good for the users.   

Thank you very much for today’s seminar-workshop for keeping me in touch about learning the Web 2.0

Loving lovealibrarian.blogspot.com

What a pleasant news I got this morning from Cate Newton of Guide to Online Schools. They love my library blog that it is included in their list of Top 50 Librarian Blogs. If anything, it gives me all the reason to continue blogging. An enormous and eternal thank you to Von Totanes for inspiring me to leave the shadows of blogging anonymity and to courageously embrace the light!


Here's what people in Guide to Online Schools said about SLIA --

School Librarian in Action comes from a Philippine librarian who blogs about books, conferences, his personal interests, and more.

Blogsights!

Me-anne Jimenez-Salvador writes her insights on the Web 2.0 Technology seminar-workshop I conducted at De La Salle University , Dasmarinas, Cavite last November 26, 2010.

It seems that blogging is enjoyable thing to do. But my question is, do I have time on earth to do this thing?  

First, I don’t have access on the site except today because we have workshop and we need to familiarize ourselves with the different blogs by librarians and hopefully be inspired by it. Second, as a unit head, I do need to ensure that our unit – the Readers’ Services is running well because we are the front liners of the library plus I have monthly exhibit to conceptualize and implement plus I have bi-monthly library newsletter to write. Besides, we have so many paper works to do in preparation for PAASCU and other accreditation.  

Third, after office, I have Espasyo Siningdikato, a not-for-profit  community-based artists initiative to take care of. As President, I have to lead the group and think of creative ideas which we could organize and implement and to look for other organizations and agencies to link-up with. 

Fourth, I am the current director for membership and awards of PAEA. There I am expected to raise more members and encourage them to be active in the group. Also, they asked me to think of awards that we could give to our members to honor, motivate and encourage them to excel more on their profession as art educator. 

And lastly, I also need to fulfill my passion to create and produce artworks for the upcoming exhibits of Grupo Ocho, another art group of mine. This is a pool of artists based in Cavite and we exist to hold group art show in Tagaytay and other nearby towns, our way of propagating Cavite art.

With all of these activities, when could I find time to do blogging and where could I do this? I think  I am the one who can best answer this question and what I better way of answering this but to read and reflect on the passage in theEcclesiastes 3:1-15, A Time for Everything.

I will posting more insights by participants, especially on blogging since this activity is a good example of Web 2.0 technology.

Scholastic Christmas Book Sale

I'm dropping by the Scholastic Christmas Book Sale for delightfully discounted books. Books make great gifts this Christmas and this sale is perfect!

I hope to meet Enoy Ferriol at Scholastic Warehouse as well for the Sambat Trust - Scholastic matching book grant initiative we've started at Wawa Elementary School. We're targeting two thousand five hundred books and we've stocked up a thousand and five. A thousand more to go!


The Scholastic Book Sale started last December 1, 2010 and will end on December 10, 2010.

National Book Week Workshops 2010

Reading Is a RIGHT

Book Week and Library and Information Services Month came to pass.

I reflect on the workshops and talks I conducted the past month and realized a few things:  among the many services librarians do, it matters that we make it possible for information to be available to all; and that, whatever format of information we provide our clients, they engage and READ the content and the medium in which it was delivered.

I'm re-posting Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz's article in the Inquirer last 26 November 2010. I have taken this from the PBBY blog. She mentions in her article Minadanao Librarian who has began literacy projects in Mindanao through effective library services. The article once again reminds us of the crucial role we play in national development.

Must we buy books we want to read?

Commentary

by Neni Sta. Romana Cruz

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:46:00 11/26/2010
Inquirer. net Filed Under: Education
 

“Life happened because I turned the pages.” —Alberto Manguel, A History of Reading (1996)

BAY AREA, San Francisco—If I cannot restrain myself from talking about public libraries in a developed country—the one (and only) principal reason I envy the life here—it is really to highlight how literacy and access to books ought to be a basic right that each and every citizen enjoys.

No, I do not have the illusion that American society is not confronted with a declining literacy rate and a fading interest in books. But its citizens are constantly reading more than we do. They read while waiting for the train or a concert, on train rides, even in the course of a morning walk—all of them keeping a book or even a Kindle on hand so that no time is ever wasted. I’d crane my neck, curious to know what they are reading. Most of them carry copies from their public library, as the library name was prominently stamped on the books. (Yes, many others are busy with their mobile phones.)

How could this habit have been acquired if these readers were not immersed in their early years in schools and an effective public library system? No wonder American comic strip characters make a big fuss about acquiring a library card. A library card is indeed a proud badge to own.

Marvin Atienza, a Chevron executive in Concord, recounts that in his school library in Cavite, he would salivate before the locked bookcase of the complete set of brown and gold gilded Encyclopedia Britannica volumes, something he could not yet be allowed to borrow because he was just in grade school.

Fortunately, today’s enlightened teachers know that when the inclination is there, prescribed learning dates should be thrown out the window. Seize the teaching moment as it comes few and far between.

Bless Marvin’s curiosity for not being doused. He went on to become the very first student in his grade school to become a scholar at the Philippine Science High School where he thrived in being constantly challenged. Today in the book paradise that is the US, he is a public library regular and takes pride in having a library card.

Fellow reading advocate RayVi Sunico continues to remind of this contradiction: we, a country whose economy has yet to boost the quality of life and purchasing power, are the very country that has to purchase books that we need. Little wonder that between the more basic needs and books, books are easily dismissed as luxuries.

RayVi’s tireless refrain on the paradox: “A good public library system means reading is not dependent on purchasing power. This is why I point out that the richer the country, the less money people have to spend on buying books.”

Let me not be perceived as merely raving and ranting about the absence and the dismal state of existing public libraries in the country. To date, no one has challenged my lamentations, but I continue to patiently wait, as only reactions in unison with my views have come in.

And there seems to be a glimmer of hope. I stumbled on what appears to be positive news from Mindanao: In 2009 the Davao City Public Library headed by Nora Fe Alajar had been selected by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as the most outstanding public library in the country. The library in downtown Davao promotes reading among the children in 14 villages through its mobile libraries. Other libraries in the short list were those in Dagupan, Angeles, Zamboanga, Bacolod and Talisay.

There is a blog anonymously run by “Mindanao Librarian, Region XII, Philippines.” I’m impressed that she does not bother to identify herself except to say, “I am passionate about public and school libraries being socially-inclusive learning spaces. I am also a staunch advocate of reader development, particularly for the traditionally marginalized Mindanaoans. I have great faith in the power of information to transform individuals and communities. I dream of the day when Mindanaoan children will be better able to navigate and compete in a world driven more and more by new information challenges.” Shouldn’t that be every librarian’s credo?

What’s even more heartwarming is that she actually enjoys reading—and lists Jessica Zafra’s “Twisted” series among her favorites—and keeps abreast with what’s current, what’s popular and what might appeal to reluctant readers. For how can a love of reading (a truly tired phrase today) be passed on if the librarian does not have it herself? The Mindanao Librarian needs to be lauded and publicly acknowledged.

National Book Week carries this incredibly ponderous theme, “Pandaigdigang Pakikipag-ugnayan sa Pamamagitan ng mga Aklat at Impormasyong Teknolohiya at Komunikasyon.” Could we not do as well with something catchy and memorable as these popular slogans, “Hooked on Books,” “Get Caught Reading,” or “Any Day, Any Time, Any Book,” in Filipino?

Preserving the Role of Books

Posting this "old" PowerPoint from the 2nd Library Link Conference of the Filipinas Heritage in line with my talk at St. Paul College Pasig last week.

Preserving the Role of Books

View more presentations from eruannie.

I won! I won! I won!

Not in the grand lotto.

But in the Harry Potter Giveaway contest at Sumthinblue's. 

Who Copied Who

In light of the DOT hullabaloo, here are two videos made from the same mould.

The Lost Generation



The Future of Publishing



Note: PenguinUK made a citation and notated the source of idea and inspiration from The Lost Generation.

Picture! Picture!

Earning a License

Sixteen years ago, I took the exams for librarians that would earn me a license.

If my memory serves me right, Dean Igor Cabbab was my exams-mate. He was seated a few chairs in front of me. I was seated in front of Abigail Capitin. I did not know them then. Yet, I remember both their faces. They were very confident. Years after, in some librarian event or the other, I was able to pick up their names and match it with my memory of their bright faces.

What I remember well was the way I was squirming in my seat those two days of the exam. Unlike Dean Cabbab and Ms. Capitin, I was a bundle of nerves. I was so unsure of passing the board exam. As luck would have it, I passed a few steps above the passing mark. Mahal talaga ako ni Lord.

Passing the librarians' board exam meant everything to me. I took it as God's way of telling me to be a librarian. Back then, I was teaching in preschool.

As a young professional and licensed librarian, ang yabang ko. A few years of actual practice made me realize how complicated this issue of librarians earning a license was. Human factor so they say, it is not perfect. At present, it remains so. What with many non-licensed librarians practicing the profession equal to their licensed counterparts. Sigh.

My simple message to those who passed the librarians' board exam: the moral and ethical obligations to obtaining and having a license is a personal responsibility. Use it well.

Congratulations to you!

Harry Potter Moments

I just joined a Harry Potter contest over at Bookmarked. Blooey Singson, the blog's owner, is  a huge Harry Potter fan so she's celebrating and giving away prizes in time for the movie. Though she says she won't watch it. But, if you're a Potterite like me, head on to her blog and see that many of us are up to no good! Kidding.

Here are my Harry Potter Memories.

HP Moment #1 - It was 2001 when I was at the height of my Potter obsession. I was pregnant with our youngest when I finished reading HP 4. In between 2001-2002, I bought Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them and Quidditch Through the Ages to while away the time waiting for Book 5. That school year, I was moderator of the Book Club. I had fifteen grade 5-6 boys combined. Not all of them were readers. They could read, but they're very selective at what to read. Thick chapter books with very few illustrations are a no-no.

Nonetheless, I urged them to read any of the HP series in preparation for Battle of the Books. They did and some even went as far as researching online. I had prepared my own set of activities to monitor their reading speed and space. On Battle of the Books day, we had FUN! As a wrap up activity, I had a write-the-author activity.

Yep. We dared write to JK Rowling!

I placed all of their letters in one big envelope and included mine as cover letter. I mailed it by snail to Scholastic New York. This was around Nov. or early Dec. of 2001.

On February 2002, Scholastic sent us sixteen letters and photos with JK Rowling's autograph!

I know it came from the publicist, or some marketing-PR person in Scholastic New York, but the important thing is, they answered back! My boys and I were on cloud nine. A good number of them became HP fans to this day.

HP Moment #2 - On the day HP 7 was released, I bought my copy at the Scholastic warehouse in Pasig City. I bought two copies actually - one for me and one for my friend, Mona Dy. It was my payback to her for something I owed. She claimed to have no memory at all on the debt.

HP Moment #3 - In the summer of 2008, my son has turned twelve and by the time school started in June, he has finished reading HP 3 - my favorite book in the series.

Looking back at the years when I was crazy over Harry made me realize that my HP moments extend beyond acquiring the books. It made me share reading magic to my students, my friend and my son. It made JK Rowling real to me as her publisher sent a letter recognizing our love for her writing and the books she created. There is love and wonder during those years that spanned age differences and geographic location. Books can do that. And if it is not magic, tell me what is?

Top Ten Librarian Board Exam Passers (2010)

The successful examinees who garnered the top 10 places in the Librarian Licensure Examination November 2010 are:

1 ANGELINE MAY ISLA ODILAO UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN 87.80
2 ALDIANE JOY BASALE AMBIT HOLY CROSS OF DAVAO COLLEGE 87.05
3 NICOLO LORENZO TAPANG CERVANTES UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN 86.30
4 MARY JANE CORTEZ MORANDARTE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN 86.25
5 IMELDA ROJAS BRAZAL ATENEO DE NAGA 85.75
6 BIANCA REI TAMAYO BAYLAS UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN 85.60
7 JOHANNA JAYNE SEE TACUS PHILIPPINE NORMAL UNIVERSITY-MANILA 85.50
8 IVY HONEYLOU GO CACHO UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN 85.30
9 KRISTI MA FEVIE VILLAPANDO MACASAET UNIVERSITY OF SANTO TOMAS 85.10
10 KELVIN BERNARDO SAMSON UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES-DILIMAN 84.75

Source: http://www.boardexamresultsph.com/top-10-november-2010-librarian

A Lament on Our Public Library System

Neni Sta. Roman-Cruz, writes about her public library experience and laments the state of Philippine public library system in the Philippine Daily Inquirer. Here's an excerpt --

I do feel deprived that no public library in the country has made a difference in my life, again stressing the fact that the world of books is not within everyone’s reach. If we go by official statistics, there are thousands of public libraries—I fervently hope they are touching the lives of readers, as I only know of the more progressive ones in Quezon City and Davao City. And I would be so happy to be proven wrong in my thinking, in my information, in what I am gladly willing to concede as irresponsible and rash observations. Let them be deemed false and misleading, please.

I have to admit that there are libraries in Metro Manila which have been so hospitable to research and learning—the Lopez Memorial Museum and Library in Pasig with the peerless Mercy Servida; the Rizal Library on the Ateneo campus in Loyola; and the Filipiniana section of the National Library. But where to go when one wants to read for the sheer delight of it? Sadly in Manila, it has been the bookstores where one has to make a purchase.

 Her article, National Book Week: Celebration or Lamentation, was posted on November 13, 2010 in the commentary page of the Inquirer.

The Reading Librarian: Ann Grace Bansig

Librarians Read Series: Ann Grace Bansig is currently at Flanders, Belguim for a study grant. She was formerly a school librarian at the De La Salle Zobel School.
 
I am a late bloomer reader. But I will just share books that I enjoyed most during the first two years in college and a little during high school. When I discovered the richness of the Main Library, I started borrowing books that are not so related with the academics but gave joyful and great experiences for me as a reader. So here goes my list:

1. Roald Dahl’s books – I really enjoyed the wit and extraordinary humor of this guy. Even though his books are a bit eccentric and psychotic most of the times, I will still recommend his books. In a research I read for my master’s degree, I’ve found out why his books are a bit controversial in terms of the circumstances happened to the characters he created. According to him, bad guys should be punished! Read his books and you’ll see! =)

2. Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew series – I think most us read if not the complete series, then some of the books which stars these famous young detectives back in college or earlier. What I love about Joe and Frank is that they are really good in reading the clues, same with Nancy. I even read the book where both the Hardy boys and Nancy Drew worked together in solving mysteries. They are very youthful, romantic sometimes and wholesome in content, no doubt about it! Through time, the versions of their book evolved too as they are now in famous graphic novels.

3. Da Vinci Code – I read this book long before it became so famous! I remembered that it kept me awake one night to finish it because there is a long queue for this by word of mouth from a friend who read it before me. I never regretted the hours I spent just to finish this!

4. Bridge to Terabithia – I’d say this one is sad at the end but the friendship it showed is one of a kind. This book made me shed tears because of the ending. It has a movie adaptation too and I’m happy to say that I was not too disappointed with the film version.

5. Star girl – This is book is about a girl named Susan Caraway, but she uses “Star girl” as a name. Star girl is full of eccentricities and is a non-conformist. She does things that are way beyond the norms. She sings “Happy birthday” to every kid in school even if she does not know them personally. She attends funeral of other people. She cheers the enemy of the school in basketball and leaves coins in the street. What's good about this book, is that it tells us to be true to ourselves. We don’t have to be anything that we are not for fear of rejection.

6. Harry potter series – I met Harry Potter in college through a friend that reads a lot.  She lent me the book one weekend, and starting that time, I became a Hogwarts’ student wannabe. JK Rowling surely knew how to win a reader because until now Harry Potter holds a place in my heart. Though the film versions are a disappointment, I still watch it with my friends because it became a “Harry Potter tradition”.

7. Gone with the wind – Wow, I have a classic on my list! I love this book though a bit thick and long! I persevered to finish it because I want to know the ending of Scarlett O’Hara. Set during the Revolution, women can surely learn something from the wicked ways of lovely Madam O’Hara as she did her best to survive war, famine and love.

8. B1 Gang Series – I don’t know if others were familiar with this series. I think this is the Philippine version of Hardy Boys and Nancy Drew mysteries. The gang is composed of four high school teenagers namely: Gino, Kiko, Boging and Jo. They solve mysteries and myths as they travel around the country. I remembered we used them for some book reports. I do hope that they continue publishing these books because they promote Filipino values, heritage and friendship. Plus they can also compete with the influx of foreign books. If we can patronize foreign books, we can also do so with Philippine materials. =)

Books I read in my post-teen age that I want to recommend.
1. Spiderwick Chronicles
2. Percy Jackson series
3. Hunger games trilogy
4. Princess Diaries series
5. The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel
6. Books by Eva Ibbotson
7. Inkheart series
8. Series of Unfortunate Events – good for building vocabulary words
9. Newbery Award winning books
10. Filipiniana books published by Adarna, Tahanan and Lampara

The Reading Librarian: Darrel Manuel Marco

Librarians Read Series:  Darrel Manuel O. Marco is the Lower Grades Readers' Services Librarian at De La Salle Zobel School, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City

I used to love these books. Some of them were suggested by my friends, some are of sentimental values, while some are just pieces to satisfy my curiosity.

1. The Little Prince -- I really got curious about this book not because of the title but because of the author, I really didn't know how to pronounce his last name! That's why I tried to read the book, and then I realized that, oh!, I'm nearly done and I enjoyed the story. Fantastic. Profound. Antoine de Saint-Exupery really had me going not just because of his last name but because of his captivating way in writing the story.

2. The Da Vinci Code -- yes, I am still young and I was like 18 when I read this phenomenal book. Shocking. Intriguing. Revealing. If you don't have a strong foundation on your belief (and some ounces of sweat for researching), you might as well be convinced, that somehow, these revelations might have really happened or might have truth in them. I give three cheers for Dan Brown for creating this fictional book which stirred the confidence of the "Christian" world.

3. The Five People You Meet in Heaven -- This was the first book I bought from my first attendance in the Manila International Book Fair (2005). Very inspirational. Once my mom was shocked when she saw me reading this book because of the title. She thought that it was all about deaths, killings, and the likes. But then, the young reader I was, I eventually convinced her to try reading it, and she told me that she cried after reading it.

4. Tuesdays with Morrie -- Yet another inspirational book by Mitch Albom. As my college classmates and I were having some small chats on the book that we were reading that time, some of them highly suggested that I should give this one a shot. Nevertheless, I loved this book. Read this for four times and it never failed to make me pour buckets. I guess this is also one of my inspirations why I love being a teacher-librarian.

5. Pride and Prejudice -- My college bestfriend, Ella, loves the classics. So, I thought, what's with them and what makes you hooked with them? They're boring and too dragging. She lent me one of her books, I tried Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen and I was proved otherwise. I loved the Bennet sisters ever since. Then came the movie with Kiera Knightly and the rest is history. Now, I am trying to read the new edition, "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies".

6. Ang Alamat ng Gubat -- Got curious because my high school classmates were all passing it around. Thought it was just some graphic novel book by Bob Ong, where a naughty crab was the main protagonist. But I was wrong, it was totally a book of social relevance once you tried reading between the lines. Since then, I read all the other books written by Bob Ong.

7. Love Story/ Oliver's Story -- My former housemate, Nomer, is a fan of Erich Segal books. Those were the "hell week" times that I asked him if he could give me some diversions from my acads and he suggested that I read books by Erich Segal. I picked the thinnest book, Love Story, among his collections. And Viola! I was hooked. The story is not your typical love story and what makes it more fun is the wit of the characters, Jenny and Oliver. Then, of course, I was also hooked with the sequel, Oliver's Story. This made me realize that love after all is not just all about love.

8. Acts of Faith -- The Trinoma Mall in Quezon City was still newly established then, and the Powerbooks store there was the place where I munched this book. Everytime I'd go to that store, I would really look for this particular title and continue reading it until I'm finally done. I finished this book for about five times of visiting the store within one week. This is another book by Erich Segal where love dared to transcend even the extremes of the opposites.

9. Catcher in the Rye/ To Kill a Mockingbird -- In my freshman year, I was assigned to do a report on censorship in the library. While researching for my topic, I stumbled upon these two titles which were deemed censored. So the curious cat in me wondered why. Nomer, once again, lent me his Catcher while another friend of mine, Gel, let me borrow To Kill in exchange of my Da Vinci. Both books were profoundly written. I guess that's why they're censored. Hehe. Kidding aside, Catcher has some tinge of racism in it while To Kill has aspects of violence which I guess are not suitable for the target market, Juveniles.

10. Harry Potter series -- One word: FANTASTIC! I hate that it is being compared to the Twilight series. HP is legenday. The plot thickens along the way. The struggles become harder and tougher but in the end, our victor would still emerge, of course, victorious! It's children's literature for the whole family. Now, I am re-reading the whole series and I really want more!

May I also suggest some of the books that I love to read even though I'm not a teenager anymore? Here are some:
1. Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins -- never thought I'd love this series. I want more!
2. Percy Jackson and the Olympians series by Rick Riordan -- who wouldn't want to be a demi-god/goddess?
3. Geronimo Stilton series by Geronimo Stilton -- Yeah, blame it on my babies! They love the series and I got infected. The humor is infectious and the lessons as well as guide in good writing is incomparable
4. His Dark Materials Trilogy by Philip Pullman -- The first movie, Golden Compass might not have given it a good justification but the series is really good.
5. Lord of the Rings trilogy -- I started reading it when I was 20, not a teenager anymore. :P Epic saga. Very nice.
6. Books by Eric Carle -- yeah, I'm going back to my childhood years
7. Books by Dr. Seuss
8. The Polar Express -- Can't help but cry everytime I read this. Very touching.
9. Fablehaven series by Brandon Mull -- fairies, nyphs, satyrs and every magical creatures
10. Spiderwick Chronicles by Tony DiTerlizzi

I also hope that we read more Filipiniana books and enrich our Filipiniana literature by contributing more creative Filipino stories. Such creative books are:
1. Tuwing Sabado
2. Asan na ang sundo ko
3. Ang pambihirang buhok ni Raquel
4. Half and Half
5. Tight times
6. The Yellow Paperclip and It's Bright Purple Spots
7. Bruhahaha - bruhihihi
8. Filemon Mamon
9. Barumbadong Bus
10. Bisikleta ni Monmon
11. Pilandok series

I hope that as you read this article, you are now considering to try to read at least one of the titles. Or any titles for all I care, just so as long as you keep reading, you love learning and you never stop sharing what you've learned to the world. Start with one page at a time, and soon you'll find out that there really is no harm in reading.

What Does a Librarian Make?

For the first time, a Filipino author remembers with fondness a librarian who was influential, in part, for shaping her world to the wonder of words. Candy Gourlay writes about Ms. Evelyn Diaz, her grade school librarian in relation to her being nominated a Carnegie Medal.

Head on to Candy Gourlay's blog, read her post on her favorite librarian and win a prize along the way.

The Reading Librarian: Igor Cabbab

Librarians Read Series: Dean Igor Cabbab of the UP School of Library and Information Science. 

Please note that he made the list before his formal appointment as dean of the UP SLIS. Either way, congrats to the new post and more power to UP SLIS!

Oh, I wasn't much of a book reader way back then. I remember reading the following:

1. The Prophet by Khalil Gibran (library book, I really don't know why I picked up that book O_o;;)

2. Encyclopedia Brown, The Hardy Boys Series and The Nancy Drew Series (borrowed from cousins)

3. Complete Works of Shakespeare (around the house, my parents)

4. Mythology, Edith Hamilton and Age of Fable, Thomas Bulfinch (around the house, my parents)

5. Le Morte d' Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory (around the house, my parents, yeah, Dragonball Z even before Son Goku! Knight gets stronger during the day, weaker at sunset, three days of fighting nonstop. ^_^)

6. The komiks section of Liwayway (every week when I visit my aunt, Agua Bendita anyone?)

7. A ton of Komiks!!! (while tending my lola's store, hospital overnights, long bus rides... Wakasan, Funny Komiks, etc.)

8. DC comics 12-issue arc "Crisis on Infinite Earths" (loaned from my hs pals, hey, multiple universes and a seemingly invulnerable superhero like Supergirl dying f***s up one's childhood like no other)

9. TinTin and Asterix the Gaul comics (library books)

10. Elizabeth Barrett Browning poems: Sonnets from the Portuguese (around the house)

Oh, and a ton of Sweet Valley High and Sweet Dreams(?) paperbacks my sister leaves in the toilet for reading (ei, they're there, need to read something ^_^;;)

Come to think of it, this probably explains a lot why I am what I am today.

The Reading Librarian: Von Totanes

Librarians Read Series: Von Totanes,  PhD candidate at the University of Toronto, licensed librarian in the Philippines and hibernating blogger in cyberspace.
 
Here are the ten that I kept reading over and over again in high school and beyond:

Adventures in the Screen Trade - William Goldman
Airport - Arthur Hailey
The Bourne Identity - Robert Ludlum
The Day of the Jackal - Frederick Forsyth
Doctors - Erich Segal
Evergreen - Belva Plain
The Firm - John Grisham
The Godfather - Mario Puzo
If Tomorrow Comes - Sidney Sheldon
Kane and Abel - Jeffrey Archer

I was 13 in 1986, when my dad told me that I needed to move up from the Hardy boys and handed me the Bourne Identity. He initially had to force me to read one chapter every week, but eventually I had to plead that he let me finish the book. From then on, I just kept reading what I thought of as grown-up books!

Perhaps the ones that need the most explanation are the lone non-fiction book--adventures--and the one by a woman. Adventures was one of the few new books at the library. I didn't really have any idea what it was about, but it looked interesting, so I borrowed it. And ended up getting hooked on a book that I later learned was THE classic book on screenwriting with the oft-repeated "no one knows anything," in reference to Hollywood.

I never saw the Evergreen miniseries, but I did see a few minutes on TV once and thought maybe I should read the book. After reading so many action-packed bestsellers, you'd think it was really not my style and give up. But back then I thought I HAD to finish every book I began, and eventually fell in love with its very slow pace, and ended up going back to it (i bought my own copy) every now and then. I tried reading a few of her other books, but I don't think i ever finished--and certainly didn't REread--any of them.

The Reading Librarian: Fe Angela Verzosa

Librarians Read Series: Madame Fe Angela Verzosa and her books read as a teenager. 

It took me quite long to make this list (4 hours?), because I had hundreds of favorites during my teen years, when my early life was half-spent in reading good books by great minds. Because you defined the period from 13-18, I had to eliminate the first 3 formative years when I was still in High School and reading a lot of Nancy Drew mysteries plus the required literature readings from my English and Lit subjects, and concentrated on the latter 3 years of my teenhood to come up with this list. My favorite books, in the order of how they affected my adolescent thinking are:

• Platero y Yo by Juan Ramon Jimenez . I fell in love with the book and the author, a Spanish poet, who received the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1956. This book was given on my 16th birthday by a bosom friend, with whom I had a passionate relationship later in life. From then on, I decided if ever I would write poetry, it would be in the style of Juan Ramon, a prose poem.

• The Little Prince (or Le Petit Prince) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, a French aviator, who wrote the novella in 1943. I was so moved by the lines - "One sees clearly only with the heart. The essential is invisible to the eyes." – that for years, it was my favorite motto. My favorite chapter was 21: when the prince meets and tames a fox, who explains to the prince that his rose is unique and special, because she is the one whom he loves. ("It is the time you have lost for your rose that makes your rose so important.")

• The Art of Loving by Erich Fromm, is a book written by psychologist and social philosopher, another gift from my first boy friend. I still have the book published in 1956 by Harper & Row and treasures it to this day. This bestseller is a favorite companion to another book he wrote Escape from Freedom, where he postulated 8 basic needs: Relatedness (relationships with others, care, respect, knowledge), Transcendence (creativity, developing a loving and interesting life), Rootedness (feeling of belonging), Sense of Identity (seeing ourselves as a unique person and part of a social group), Frame of orientation (understanding the world and our place in it.), Excitation and Stimulation (actively striving for a goal rather than simply responding), Unity (a sense of oneness between one person and the "natural and human world outside"), and Effectiveness (the need to feel accomplished).

• Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh, is an inspirational book that I continue to read over and over again, especially during times of soul-searching and agonizing need for peace and solitude. Anne Morrow Lindbergh (known as the first American woman to have a pilot’s license) was an admirable woman, and her stoic character was sharpened by many tragedies in her life.

• The Grass Harp by Truman Capote, a story of youth and loneliness, was among the great books I read in my teens. After reading this novel, I went on to read "Other Voices, Other Rooms,” and into more Capote works, and decided Truman Capote deserves to be among the literary giants in American literature.

• The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers, her first of many novels, about eccentric characters, portraits of the rejected, forgotten, mistreated and oppressed. Needless to mention, after this, I devoured the rest - Reflections in a Golden Eye, The Member of the Wedding, and the novella The Ballad of the Sad Café.

• Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence. I first read the expurgated version, not knowing I was missing some chapters, and after reading it from our school library, discovered that an unexpurgated version was available (from a friend’s library possession), and read it over and over again, graduating to more of his novels, Sons and Lovers and Women in Love.

• Jude the Obscure by Tomas Hardy, another English novelist and poet, who had a profound influence on my literary taste. I was first introduced to Hardy’s novels after reading The Return of the Native (a required reading), and after reading Far from the Madding Crowd , The Mayor of Casterbridge, and Tess of the d'Urbervilles, I decided the best was Jude the Obscure. I will never forget his precocious child, Little Father Time.

• Tropic of Cancer, Tropic of Capricorn and Black Spring by Henry Miller, a revolutionary and controversial writer, whose first of this trilogy was banned in the US for almost 25 years, until the US Supreme Court declared it to be a work of literature and not pornography.

• The Alexandria Quartet (Justine, Balthazar, Mountolive, and Clea) by another English novelist, Lawrence Durrell, which fascinated me because of its exotic setting in the city of Alexandria. I read the tetralogy in hurried succession, after watching the epic movie, Lawrence of Arabia.

Librarians Read Series: The Reading Librarian

From November 8-12, 2010, the blog will feature one librarian per day and their list of books read as a teen. Yes, it's a spill over of Teen Read Week 2010!

This is what I got for having invited readers to join in the Teen Read Week list mania. No regrets! The more the merrier!

The five Filipino librarians who replied to my call for participation in this blog's Teen Read Week list mania is a very small percentage of the big group of  Filipino librarians out there who read. I've often met people from outside the profession who complain that librarians do not READ. Shame it is to hear and know about this. A librarian who does not read should re-examine his or her career path. Librarians MUST be models of the reading habit especially in the community of learners that they belong to. It is not a requirement to read every book there is in the vast collection of the library or online resources but, it is essential that the librarian is a READER.

Now I imagine teaching LIS (Library and Information Science) in college. If I were, I would ask the college applicant these two questions: Do you read? What have you read recently?


If you are a college freshman and is considering taking LIS as a major course (and brave enough to reply to this post), hit the comment button and share your reading list!

Happy reading!

What's Your Bookprint?

I have five bookprints at You Are What You Read.

What's yours?

Storytelling Past, Present...and Counting!

Book Talks and Literacy Initiatives

The Reading Association of the Philippines' Asian Literacy Conference is on its second day of consummation. The program contained a mix of local and international teachers, practitioners, professionals and scholars in the field of education, reading instruction and library science. It has, if my memory serves me right, five to six break out sessions of paper presentations, panel discussions and poster sessions. There are also literacy categories for every paper presented, posters displayed and discussion panels.

Here's a photo of my friend, Kinchay Villafranca, who had two sessions on reading and IT instruction in the middle years. As for myself, I had a panel discussion on the literacy initiatives of the PBBY -- The Salanga and Alcala Prizes; Wan Dey Isang Araw; Salaysayan; the National Children's Book Day and the 1st National Children's Book Day.

Yesterday, I was at the National Library of the Philippines for a lecture on Reading and how it shapes the mind. It was organized by the Book Talk Society of the Philippines. It's president is Prof. Mike Cobaria who was my former professor at the Philippine Normal University.

I had the opportunity to book talk four of the books who made it to the Best Reads 2010 - 1st NCBA. I could tell that it was at that time when the participants were engaged all the more. Another highlight of the day was the inclusion of Sambat Trust's grass roots school library development project in Tanauan, Batangas. At the end of my lecture, donated books were turned over to Pathways to Higher Education for the high school libraries they help develop.

There are more library and literacy activities slated for the month of November. I'll be blogging about those I will attend and conduct. So stick around for more news on the literacy and literary scene in Manila!

CDR King's e-Reader

I just need to blog this -- a cheap e-reader for only Php 4,000 (rounded off)! Read more about it in Arnold Zafra's blog.

Now this does not mean I will run to the nearest CDR King outlet. The cheapskate that I am! I'll write Santa Claus a letter!

Folks Talk on Pinoy Folk Tales

One of the many rewards I got from writing the manuscript of Tales From the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories was that, I had the opportunity to discuss with my writer friends the influences, inspirations and status of Philippine folk lore today. This proves that writing, though a solitary act, should never be done in isolation. The whole process involves a lot of reading, speaking and articulating and yes, listening to peers and experts in the discipline.

Augie River and Dr. Luis Gatmaitan were perfect for such discussions. The former provided me with references and leads while the later gave me tips to the many possibilities of retelling a well loved tale. Paolo Chikiamco lent his passionate opinion on Filipino Folk stories via the interview questions I sent his way a few weeks back. His blog, Rocket Kapre has a treasure trove of resources for the folk tale enthusiast.

Read on Paolo's thoughts and insights on Philippine folk lore --

a. What made you compile a blog link/site on Filipino folk tales other than an obvious interest on the genre?

When I set up the website for Rocket Kapre Books, I didn't want it to serve only as a bulletin board for announcements pertaining to our books and authors. I also wanted it to be a place that fosters the creation of Filipino works of speculative fiction, wherever these works are eventually published. I figured one way to do this would be by sharing some of the resources I've found in my own research, and I chose to do this first with Philippine mythology and folklore because there didn't seem to be a lot of online resources dealing with these topics, and because our heritage is such a fertile source of inspiration. Speculative fiction authors in other countries have been kept their old tales alive by re-imagining them and re-incorporating elements into new, modern stories, and I'd love to see more Filipino authors do the same (in the footsteps of people such as Arnold Arre and Budjette Tan).

Researching pre-hispanic Filipino traditions can be a daunting and time-consuming task because of the vast diversity of the cultures and people lived in these islands, and a relative scarcity of research materials, especially if you don't live near a library. The Myth List and Philippine Pantheons pages are my way of providing a starting point for writers who want to incorporate elements of our myths in their tales.


b. What Western and Eastern influences are predominantly found in our folk tales? Name at least five.

I'm not sure if we can really speak of a Western influence in our earliest folk tales, since most of the foreigners who visited our shores before the Spanish arrived were from Asia. Some writers believe that a few of the more popular creatures of folk lore were created because of or as a reaction to the Spanish--"Kapre" is said to come from the Arabic word "Kaffir" and could have been used to demonize the West, while the Manananggal could have come from an attempt by Spanish missionaries to demonize female shamans who were their competition in the spiritual realm.

Easterners, being our neighbors, exercised a more direct influence, but you'd need an expert (rather than just an enthusiast like myself) to quantify them. Some of our people, such as the Sama Dilaut, may have come to our islands from other countries and carried their own store of folklore which mixed with those who were here before them. Certain local myths also seem to be of a type that can be found in some form in many other Eastern cultures -- such as the many myths dealing with a man who, through deceit, marries a Star in human form. The introduction of Islam to the south of the archipelago also influenced folklore there heavily, and we received Islam primarily from our Southeast Asian neighbors.


c. What is the prevailing folk tale motif have you observed present in the folk tales you've read so far?

Again, it's hard for me to generalize given that I've been trying to read up on the folklore of our people from all over the islands, and there can be great differences in the tales of the north as opposed to the south, or the myths of the people who live in the mountains as opposed to those who live in the lowlands. Each culture will have their own particular concerns, and that will greatly affect the motifs present in their folklore. Herminia Meñez Coben points out, for instance, that "the attainment of immortality without having to experience death" is central to the Bukidnon, and that's something you can see from their tale of the Ascension to Heaven via the Salimbal, the heavenly ship.


d. As a writer and collector of folk tales, what is the greatest challenge you've encountered yet? Where do you attribute this challenge?


As a collector, the greatest challenge is finding material that not only gives a narration of the old stories, but also gives a proper context, one that explains what the myth as a whole or elements of that myth meant for the people and culture from which it originated. If I'm reading an epic, say, where the hero turns into a particular kind of animal, it's very helpful to know whether that animal has a particular cultural significance. The old tales were always more than just literal narrations of events - like the universe itself in the eyes of many cultures, the old stories had layers, and if one simply reads a retelling of the story, without any context, that depth can be lost.

As a writer, the greatest challenge for me is trying to embrace these old myths and legends as a part of my Filipino heritage, without wrongful appropriation. These are my stories and yet, at the same time, they are not, because many of the stories which are considered Filipino folklore emerge from communities which pre-existed the idea of a Philippine nation, or even a Filipino race, communities which still exist today in a sort of grey area where they are struggling to maintain their unique cultural identities.


e. What folk tale personify the Filipino?


I think many of our countrymen are die-hard romantics, so I think that the stories that best embody the Filipino spirit are those that deal with true love, particularly those that involve a pair trying to overcome nigh-insurmountable obstacles in order to consummate their affections. One example is the myth of the Ibanag which explains why there is a high tide whenever the moon is full. It involves the daughter of the sun god, the son of the sea go, and the violation of the laws of the immortals. It could easily serve as the basis for the modern form of narrative that so engrosses the nation - the Fantaserye.