Thank You Ms. Neni!

Last week, several writing organizations, reading advocacy groups and industry stakeholders gathered to bid goodbye and thank Ms. Neni Sta. Romana Cruz for eight fruitful years of service to the National Book Development Board. Held at the Training Hall of JRich Holdings, the office of Precious Pages and Lampara Books, Ms. Neni was feted, serenaded and given a tribute she will remember forever. After all, for us, we believe that "Neni is Forever".

I knew Ms. Neni as far back as childhood. Because my mother, a librarian, worked at the International School Manila, she brought me to work during summer and had me spend the day at the Children's Media Center. There, Ms. Neni held office. She is not a librarian. She is a writer and a reader; a lover of books and a children's literature advocate. All through my growing up year in high school and college, Ms. Neni and I would cross paths. As a young librarian, I dared join the PBBY's 1st Storytelling Contest. During that time, she was its President.

And the rest is history for me and Ms. Neni.

We were together in Sa Aklat Sisikat as trainors, advocates in PBBY and partners in the staging of the first National Children's Book Awards. She is off now to a long awaited vacation and retirement beckons. What a wonderful life!

Below are links to blog posts about Ms. Neni and to some where I just had to mention her because she is worth all the credit.

When Ms. Neni asked me about literacy teaching without using books at all.
When Ms. Neni got curious about blogging as a writing exercise
When Ms. Neni recommended me to speak in the Reading Conference in Bangkok
When Ms. Neni became my editor
When working with Ms. Neni becomes a delightful experience
When Ms. Neni stands beside you to cut a ribbon 

National Book Week 2018: Stories! Stories! Stories!

Darrel Marco explaining the judging mechanics

National Book Week begins on Saturday, November 24, 2018 and will end on Friday, November 30, 2018. NBW Chairperson Darrel Marco shares with us what makes this NBW celebration exciting, why libraries are all the more important in today's globally conflicted world, and compares NBW 2018 to Rhandee Garlitos'  Chenelyn! Chenelyn! (Adarna House)

 1. What makes NBW 2018 exciting?

Stories! Stories! And more stories!!! 

National Book Week 2018 this year is themed "Connected Actions, Collective Vision: Libraries transforming society".

I believe that it is thru the telling of stories that we can transform our society -- stories of struggles and hardships, stories of failures and downfalls, stories of hope and aspirations, stories of collaboration and cooperation, and stories of success and happy endings.

We are opening the 2018 National Book Week with a Reader's Theatre Contest and a Storytelling Festival on November 24, 2018 at the Gateway Gallery in Cubao, Quezon City. This is one successful story of collaboration between the PLAI and an NGO gearing towards the development and promotion of literacy in our society thru books and stories.

Another notable collaboration is among different regional librarian's councils working hand-in-hand with the Department of Education divisions to promote the National Book Week.

This year, we also introduced the nationwide Graphic Novel Making contest. Entries started pouring in from all over the Philippines since August, and this is aside from the usual Poster Making and Essay writing contests. Winners of these contests will be announced on the opening day, as well.

I think what makes this event exciting is the fact that this is not purely librarians' work but a collaborative effort of a community wanting to promote literacy. Some events and celebrations may have the flash and bangs but makes the NBW2018 special are those minute details that make the event more endearing to the public.

Entries for the Poster Making Contest

2. In light of the current political climate in the country and in the world, how do librarians and libraries factor in book development in the country?

The dawn of social media was a double-edged sword, with one side helping us to move forward thru easier and real-time communication, and with the other one shaking up our core value i.e. the truth. We are bombarded daily with deliberate disinformation in the forms of fake news, alternative facts and historical revisionism, and oftentimes people retaliate thru namecalling or smart-shaming. I say, let us go back to the facts -- i.e. the written and verified ones.

As librarians, we are supposed to be the gatekeepers of these facts. The library that is open to everyone -- the innocent, the accused, the victim, the abused and even to some extent, the criminals -- should be a bastion of social justice. We still have a long way to go in developing a learned nation that would go to books to seek for facts instead of social media but I am positive of the steps being taken to have a more media and information literate society. Additionally, there is also a sliver of hope that Philippine children's books today are tackling more radical and sensitive topics that were used to be considered as taboo.

The judges troop together for a photo op.

3. If you are to compare the NBW to a book, what is it and why?

In an ideal world, it would be The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Who doesn't love a beautiful butterfly as an ending, right?

But looking back, I would rather say, it's Chenelyn, Chenelyn by Rhandee Garlitos. 

Books are there whenever we need a friend or a helping hand, whenever we want to while away our time at the beach or at a coffee shop -- but we just realize their true importance once they are gone. We take for granted those books that are offered in front of us, given that we have social media, Netflix and technology.

I hope that books and technology would co-exist and would not go against each other. I mean if you could go watch one episode of RuPaul's Drag Race, then try to read one chapter of a book too, or even one short story, and you'll see that your life will change.

My 2018 Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) Kilig Moments

Making this list and checking it twice! 

1. The MIBF is always a happy reunion with friends in the book industry.

2. A book signing session can be a kikay moment. I was seated with Beth Parrocha during the book signing event at Lampara Books. She is frank and honest and I love her for it! 

Here’s how one of our conversations went:

Beth: I like the curve of your eyeliner. 

Me: Thanks! Took me a year to master this curve. 

Beth: Ah, yes! Such things take time to master.

Spoken by a true artist!

3. I got to chat with readers young was and old. Adults who read Children’s Literatire are full of grace. Kids who read Children’s literature are full of hope. Parents and teachers who buy them for their kids and students are doing the right thing in heping them love reading.

4. An honest to goodness kilig moment is when my books were chosen as storytelling pieces for the Lampara Storytelling Contest.

5. Honored and humbled to sign my books bought by librarian, writer and illustrator friends.

6. Always a happy feeling when I meet librarians and teachers who have all attended my past and previous workshops and we greet each other like old friends. #wearefamily

So, on to MIBF 2019! 

Catching Up: Filipino Fridays #4: 5 Revolutions That Changed the Way I Read

This is the last in the meme and it is a topic worth reckoning.

What are the five revolutions that changed the way I read?

1. JK Rowling. She introduced me to fantasy. And to canon. Reading the Harry Potter books, made me reach out to Tolkien, CS Lewis and more British writers. She also changed the way I look at the author and reader relationship. Imagine my delight when she answered a letter that I wrote to her for my book club in school! She sure does know how to please the fans. And her marketing team is just brilliant!

2. Book to Movie Adaptations. This helped me in reading engagement as well as being enriched with the literary and filmic experience of stories.

3. Ebooks and epublishing. I am leaning more and more on my Kindle, but I stay loyal to the print. I am also curious about self publishing. Given the time, I would venture into that realm. I have a Wattpad account, so maybe, re-activating it is a start.

4. Social Media. My news source and gossip channel is Twitter, FB and Pinterest. I also make use of social media to promote my books.

5. A Busier Philippine Book Industry. A lot has happened the past five years! The slow but measured growth of Philippine YA; Komikon; Booklatan; the annual book fairs; the National Children's Book Awards. The book industry is changing and growing and, in our experience in Manila, Filipino readers are more visible now than ever.

What will the next five years look like?