Monday, September 29, 2025
Sunday, September 28, 2025
Thursday, September 25, 2025
Tuesday, September 23, 2025
Books on Martial Law for Children & Young Adults: A curated library guide
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Early Readers (5–10 years old)
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Sayaw ng mga Ilaw – Cheeno Marlo Sayuno, illus. Aaron Asis
A girl longs to learn a traditional dance as her family faces absence and loss under Martial Law. -
Isang Harding Papel – Augie Rivera, illus. Rommel Joson
A child’s paper garden becomes a symbol of hope while her mother is imprisoned. -
Si Jhun-Jhun, Noong Bago Ideklara ang Batas Militar – Augie Rivera, illus. Brian Vallesteros
A bilingual story showing how Martial Law disrupted ordinary childhood. -
Ito Ang Diktadura – Equipo Plantel, illus. Mikel Casal
A simple yet powerful introduction to dictatorship, translated into Filipino.
Middle Readers (11–14 years old)
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Salingkit: A 1986 Diary – Cyan Abad-Jugo
A diary of friendship and awakening during the People Power Revolution. -
Martial Law Babies – Arnold Arre
A graphic novel capturing the humor, nostalgia, and struggles of a generation raised during Martial Law.
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Older Teens & Young Adults (15+ years old)
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Dekada ’70 – Lualhati Bautista
A family’s story of awakening and resistance during the Marcos dictatorship. -
Desaparesidos – Lualhati Bautista
A former activist confronts the trauma of the disappeared and the silence of history. -
12:01 – Russell Molina, illus. Kajo Baldisimo
A haunting graphic novel about curfew, disappearance, and the shadows of authoritarian rule. -
The Gun Dealer’s Daughter – Gina Apostol
A privileged daughter is drawn into activism, memory, and guilt during Martial Law.
Monday, September 22, 2025
Friday, September 19, 2025
Martial Law Stories PH: Salingkit
Taking off from Russell Molina’s talk last August 29 for Filipino Week, here is one line that refuses to leave: “Martial Law is not an event. It is an idea. Ideas can be resurrected.”
It is a reminder that history is not a closed book. What we choose to forget can return; what we choose to silence can echo louder. To read, to question, to remember, these acts become our guardrails against the resurrection of ideas that once brought fear and darkness. This week, our library, the BA Library will highlight books on Martial Law as an act of remembrance and courage.
In doing so, we affirm the importance of human rights as the foundation of a just society. Above all, we honor our shared humanity by keeping memory alive through stories.
Salingkit: A 1986 Diary
by Cyan Abad-Jugo
Written as a diary, this novel traces the life of Kitty, a young girl navigating her friendships, crushes, and daily struggles against the backdrop of the 1986 People Power Revolution. It offers readers an intimate look at Martial Law’s final years through the voice of a child growing into awareness.
Target Level: Middle grade readers (ages 11–14)
Philo & TOK Connections:
How do personal experiences connect to broader historical events?
What makes everyday experiences (friendships, family life) valid sources of historical knowledge?
Check the BA Library OPAC. Our Book List on Martial Law is publicly accessible.https://library.beaconacademy.ph/cgi-bin/koha/opac-shelves.pl?op=view&shelfnumber=1
#FilipinianaXTOK #MartialLawLiterature #BookReview
Thursday, September 18, 2025
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
Post MIBF Reflections: From Bayan to Bookshelf: Nurturing Filipiniana in the School Library (1 of 2)
Here is an executive summary of my talk with PASLI sponsored by Tuttle Publishing Philippines.
Resource Speaker: Zarah C. Gagatiga, RL – Teacher Librarian, Award-Winning Author, PASLI PRO
This seminar highlights the importance of nurturing
Filipiniana collections that mirror the oral traditions and diverse lives of
Filipino children, promote bilingual literacy, and design community programs
that bring stories to life. It draws on Rosenblatt’s Transactional Theory and
Reception Theory to affirm reader agency and position reading as both a
personal and social act.
Connection of Activities to Objectives:
Curate Filipiniana Books: The Mini-Curation Challenge
directly engaged participants in selecting titles that preserve oral traditions
and meet children’s cultural and developmental needs. This addressed the first
objective by encouraging thoughtful, purposeful collection building.
Promote Bilingual Literacy: The Dual Language Read-Aloud
made participants experience firsthand how language shifts between Filipino and
English affect rhythm, imagery, and meaning, sharpening bilingual awareness and
appreciation of cultural registers.
Design Community-Based Programs: The Story-to-Program
Workshop challenged groups to transform folktales into inclusive community
activities (e.g., puppet plays, barangay storytelling circles), concretizing
how libraries can bridge culture and community.
Integrative Activity: The Reading Roulette embodied all
three objectives at once. By rotating books, participants saw reader agency in
action, experienced the value of diverse Filipiniana texts, and built a sense
of community by sharing insights with peers and the larger group.
When school libraries center Filipino folktales and works by Filipino creators, they affirm children’s agency, nurture social reading, and uphold access and representation as acts of justice. Folktales sharpen metalinguistic awareness, preparing children to engage digital and AI-driven tools with reflection, responsibility, and cultural grounding.
Monday, September 15, 2025
Saturday, September 13, 2025
Friday, September 12, 2025
The Lighthouse Diary #78: From Curiosity to Inquiry: How the Library Can Help
I am a Louise Rosenblatt bias and a KWL junkie. It’s not surprising that I anchor my library skills and ATL sessions on Transactional Theory, Metacognitive Awareness, and Constructivist and Inquiry-Based Learning. The recent integration of the BA Library’s research services and reference program shows how theory, approach, and strategy converge. Helping students move from curiosity to inquiry, and inviting teachers to collaborate with the library in guiding authentic research.
In this Grade 8 skills class, students were tasked with drafting research questions on the theme of colonization by the Spanish, American, and Japanese. Using the KWL chart (except for L), I guided them in framing their questions. Their drafts already show a move beyond recall; many are asking about legitimacy, effectiveness, impact, and influence—questions that invite deeper critical engagement. To sustain this trajectory, I recommend that Grades 7–8 be given more opportunities to read widely and intentionally select subject-related texts and materials. For Individuals & Societies (Group 3), a layered reading strategy can help:
First pass: textbooks and timelines (to establish the big picture)
Second pass: short essays and secondary readings (to explore causes, effects, and interpretations)
Third pass: primary sources—diaries, posters, speeches, documents (to engage with authentic voices and perspectives)
This progression ensures that students move from broad context to deeper analysis, ultimately developing the skills and confidence to frame thoughtful research questions and pursue authentic inquiry.
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Martial Law Stories PH: Sayaw ng Mga Ilaw
Taking off from Russell Molina’s talk last August 29 for Filipino Week, here is one line that refuses to leave: “Martial Law is not an event. It is an idea. Ideas can be resurrected.”
It is a reminder that history is not a closed book. What we choose to forget can return; what we choose to silence can echo louder. To read, to question, to remember, these acts become our guardrails against the resurrection of ideas that once brought fear and darkness. This week, our library, the BA Library will highlight books on Martial Law as an act of remembrance and courage.
In doing so, we affirm the importance of human rights as the foundation of a just society. Above all, we honor our shared humanity by keeping memory alive through stories.
Sayaw ng mga Ilaw (Dance of the Lights)
by Cheeno Marlo Sayuno, illustrated by Aaron Asis
Set in 1981, this touching story follows 9-year-old Laya who dreams of learning the Pandanggo-Oasiwas dance with her Ate Kala. But when her father fails to return home, their house grows dim—illuminating a journey of hope, love, and collective resilience amid the shadows of Martial Law.
Target Level: Early to middle grade readers but older readers can benefit from the historical basis of the story especially when examined using the lens of arts and anthropology.
TOK and Philo Connections:
How can children’s stories reveal truths about events that are too complex or painful to explain directly?
In what ways can dance and light be forms of knowledge about history and resilience?
How do different perspectives—child, parent, community—shape what we know about Martial Law?
Check the BA Library OPAC. Our Book List on Martial Law is publicly accessible.
#FilipinianaXTOK #MartialLawLiterature #BookReview
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
The Lighthouse Diary Entry #77: Martial Law Stories PH
Taking off from Russell Molina’s talk last August 29 for Filipino Week, here is one line that refuses to leave: “Martial Law is not an event. It is an idea. Ideas can be resurrected.”
It is a reminder that history is not a closed book. What we choose to forget can return; what we choose to silence can echo louder. To read, to question, to remember, these acts become our guardrails against the resurrection of ideas that once brought fear and darkness. This week, the BA Library will highlight books on Martial Law as an act of remembrance and courage.
In doing so, we affirm the importance of human rights as the foundation of a just society. Above all, we honor our shared humanity by keeping memory alive through stories.
First up is Russell Molina and Kajo Baldissimo's 12:01.
This haunting graphic novel tells the story of young people sneaking past curfew during Martial Law. When one of them is caught and never seen again, the narrative becomes a powerful allegory for memory, silence, and the disappeared. Combining stark visuals with sparse, searing text, 12:01 confronts readers with the enduring shadows of authoritarian rule.
Target Readers: Older teens (Grades 10–12) and adults
Philo and TOK Connections:
How does art, in this case, a graphic novel, convey truths about history differently from official records?
Can silence itself be a form of knowledge, especially in remembering trauma and loss?
How do we know the past when sources are incomplete or deliberately suppressed?
How do stories (like 12:01) act as artefacts or avenues of remembrance?
Check the BA Library OPAC. Our Book List on Martial Law is publicly accessible.
Sunday, September 7, 2025
Saturday, September 6, 2025
Thursday, September 4, 2025
Bangtan Hermana Notes: From Me to We: On Personal Joy and the Collective and Communal Nature of Fandom
On the surface, fandom looks like a string of individual stories: I got lucky, I persevered with my iPhone 16, I saved for years. Social media magnifies this focus on the self, rewarding posts that showcase proximity or possessions. Hyperindividualism at its finest at a time of war, division and uncertainty. It is no surprise that the prevailing mindset becomes: “I’ll celebrate my way, and that’s enough.” It does not help that in a capitalist consumer culture, fandom is too easily reduced to what we buy, what we hold, what we can show.
The artists we stan becomes COMMODITY.
But fandom is not only personal. It is also communal. Lighting the MOA Globe purple, singing in unison at concerts, streaming in circles, organizing cupsleeves events and watch parties. These are not solitary acts; they are rituals of community and belonging. And as Clifford Geertz (1973) reminds us, rituals are texts we interpret. To do a “thick description” of fandom* is to see beyond the surface gesture and into the layered meanings: a light on a globe is not just electricity, it is longing, belonging, a collective claim to space. A cupsleeve is not just paper, it is memory shared over coffee, proof that ARMY is plural.
So why does individualism still prevail? Because it is the language capitalism teaches us. Because “celebrate your way” is easier than asking “who gets left out?” Because envy is deflected by shrinking fandom into personal coping, rather than expanding it into communal and relational accountability.
The challenge is not to erase personal joy, RC’s happiness is hers, barricade victories are theirs. The challenge is to keep joy mindful. Joy is sacred. And in fandom where fangirls are prejudiced, A WOMAN’S JOY IS SACRED. To celebrate with gentleness, knowing others were scammed, excluded, unlucky. To remember that purple is not just a personal color, but a shared one. These all point to connection and community despite individual differences.
Maybe ARMY’s work is to resist fandom being flattened into “me” and recover the “we.” To thicken our descriptions of what it means to be fans not just as consumers, but as companions, co-creators, caretakers. BTS has always reminded us that we never walk alone. That they are more than idols, artists and products of an industry. They are people. And in their art and music, we find humanity. BTS never sang alone, and neither should we.
Apobangpo. Purple and true.
* Geertz defines thick description as a method of interpreting culture by attending not only to observed behavior but also to the context and meaning behind it, like “sorting out the structures of signification” through which people make their actions meaningful (The Interpretation of Cultures, 1973, p. 6).
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Zine Review: Strange Weather in Manila by Alina R. Co
Reading your zine felt like being spoken to by grief itself. The weight of your lines, the tenderness of your laments, I know them. You carry your mother in every syllable, in every stanza and space. It is the same way I carry mine in the lines, spaces and stanzas of every day. She left in October last year, but absence has a way of staying present.
Nostalgia when grieving is both sweet and savory, and yet, it left me aching for things that will never be. You captured this in “Butter” and “Ginataan”, Ali. But I am amazed at myself. How I endured reading your poems because, like you, I do find the weather in Manila strange, not only because of climate change, but in part because of the question you asked in your poem: Will the sky ever be clear again from one horizon to another?
I ask the same question, having lost not just my mother but my mother in law and dear good friends in the children’s book industry one after another. The weather is not only strange. It has totally changed. But you know what, it will clear up. And it will darken again. And it clears and darkens once more. Like waves swaying. This is grief. And in my case, I just stand there by the shore, breathing with waves as the wind tugs them back and pushes them forward.
Your poems have now become my companions as I hear what Rumi once offered:
“I saw grief drinking a cup of sorrow and called out, ‘It tastes sweet, does it not?’ ‘You’ve caught me,’ grief answered, ‘and you’ve ruined my business. How can I sell sorrow, when you know it’s a blessing?’”
It unsettles me, how grief can taste sweet. How sorrow can hold blessing. And yet, this is what your writing teaches me too. That grief is not only loss, but also a strange companionship. A mirror. A bridge.
I return to a poem I wrote on September 3, 2021. Then, it was simply memory. Today, it reads back to me as inheritance. What our mothers and grandmothers passed on, quietly, in kitchens and songs. I offer it to you as a companion piece, one candle beside another. One writer walking alongside each other.
Nanay Leony
©️zarahgeeh 9.3.21
Garlic, ginger
Salt and pepper
Onions, of course
What Nanay Leony calls
A concoction to ward off
Dis-ease
She sings
An ancient tune
Sounding out the words under her breath
While stirring the pot
Of chicken broth
The aroma fills the kitchen
It floats over the sala
Out to the veranda
Where I sit watching the neighborhood kids play in the rain
The smell, the sounds
They find their way into my heart
She calls for me
And I know it is time
To be healed
To be loved
And to live again for one more rainy day
While eating the flavors of earth and air
Grief, your poems remind me, is never just sorrow. It is also this: memory steeped in broth, song folded into silence, healing carried forward in small ways. I walk with you in this, Ali, trusting that somewhere between sorrow and sweetness, we’ll find what remains.
With love and kinship, in the spirit of Women Writing,
Zarah 💜🙏💜
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