A Library for Preschool Teachers & Kids

In 1995, I began work as school librarian for the Preschool library of Xavier School. With an existing program, all I had to do was implement it. Twelve years after, the Early Education Learning Resource Center (EED LRC) has grown in more ways than one.

In terms of collection, the EED LRC now houses 5,000 print and AV resources. The library period for Nursery is slowly being resurrected after a couple of years of restructuring schedule and curriculum. Prep students are regularly being given library encounters and they have begun borrowing books. Special programs like puppet shows and film viewing are provided for students in the preschool unit.

The EED LRC, aside from functioning as reading and literacy center for students, is also a resource center for preschool teachers. Through the varied instructional materials available in the center, teachers have laid their trust on the EED LRC to deliver services and programs that agree and meet their teaching needs.

For Toe, who is wondering where the books and shows for Filipino children are

So I took my medicines at midnight, today (technically, speaking) and found myself hard of getting sleep back. I did the next best thing - blog and blog hop. After my usual round of blogs, I wandered to The Philippines According to Blogs. I have not logged in for a while and it has been ages since my last blog update. It's been so long that, at that time, the site was still maintained by Abe Olandres. Goodness.

Anyhoo, what caught my attention was this entry by Toe in her blog, Kurokuroatbp. I can not log in to post a comment because, her blog is password protected.

So, Toe, allow me to inform you that children's literature in the country is very young. When you and I were growing up in the seventies and the eighties, we read foreign books and watched foreign shows. It did not help that my mother was a librarian who worked at an American school. She brought me books! Lots! She did this until I was in my junior year in college. No regrets. I became a reader for life and truly, I have a genuine love for books and reading. This is something I want to pass on to my children, but, like you, I also searched for books that bespeak of my culture and identity. This, I want my children to experience too - read books about their heritage and culture, not merely of history, but the way things are in the Philippines, being a Filipino and becoming to be one. My children are luckier,Toe. I am able to provide them with books by foreign writers as well as books by Filipino authors.

So you see, Philippine Children's Literature is about our age. It is only in its 30's. There were books for children, of course, during the 50's, 60's and early 70's, but it did not really address the needs of Filipino children until the mid-70's, when people in the industry realized how important it is to provide books for kids that reflect their culture and the likes that would meet their developmental needs. There are several courses in college on the history of children's literature and for one, a big chunk of it is alloted for Philippine Children's Literature. There are also conferences and seminars on Philippine Children's Literature that feature a lot of our writers and illustrators. As of present, there is the PBBY who advocates reading and the promotion of books. In its website, you will find reviews of books written by Filipino authors. There are around 4-5 active book publishing companies devoted to producing books for Pinoy kids and sadly, they have to compete with foreign publishers who are mightier and bolder in terms of marketing arsenal.

Every year, National Children's Book Day (NCBD) is celebrated on the 3rd Tuesday of July. Present during the event are organizations concerned with the creation and promotion of children's books like KUTING, Ang INK and Alitaptap, along with a host of children's literature advocates, teachers and librarians, foundations and organizations. It is during the NCBD when the best written and illustrated story for kids is awarded the Salanga and Alcala prizes.

Last NCBD, I was assigned to present 27 titles of new books for children published by Pinoy publishers, written and illustrated by Pinoys, for the Pinoy growing child. It seem to increase in numbers, every year. We only had around 12 or 15 titles presented last year. These books are all available in bookstores nationwide. During the Manila International Book Fair last August, some pblishers launched the new titles. In terms of content, we've come a long way. Now you can read stories about a boy with an OFW mother; a girl whose cousin is stricken with luekemia; about Teo who shares bayabas, rambutan, pakwan, etc. to his father instead of apples, grapes and kiwis. Our writers are delving into sensitive issues on family and growing up. There are stories on adoption, separation, death, senility, being different, peer pressure, bullying, first love, first kiss, even on homosexuality (one Palanca award winner) though it still has to find a brave publisher to see it in print. Online stories for kids by Pinoy writers are also avaialble. Try to google Literaturang Tsikiting and it will lead you to ten stories and a few poems by KUTNG writers.

I hope this helps you a bit in your search. I was not able to recommend TV shows for kids, because, that is another story. It has its own issues and a history in itself that deserves another posting.

Rest assured that there is a continuous growth of books for our children in the country despite challenges in the economics of producing them and the changing reading habits and interest of children today. As long as there are people who carry on with the writing, illustrating, publication and promotion of books for Pinoy kids, there will be readers who someday will either write, or illustrate or publish or promote books for their generation and the ones to come.

Pinoy Bibliobloggers' Mafia on the Move

Bibliothecarii bloggers. Hmm... I like the sound of that. Though my online dictionary did not turn out any result for the meaning of the first word. Anyhoo, here's a round up of of posts from the guys.

Von raised some questions and pondered as to why I was the only female blograrian present in the EB. Juned coined the term I used to start this post, while Charles promised to do a weekly post on library related stuff every Monday. Igor and Arnold summarized the meeting and the topics discussed last Saturday, 15 September, 2007.

A good start, I suppose. I wonder if other female blograrians will join the group sooner or latter. It is in times like this that I miss Peachy Limpin the most.

Filipino Blograrians: Blogging Mafia on the Rise (?)

Trust Von to stir things up in the mundanely quiet world of librarianship in the Philippines. And don't be surprised if four more Filipino librarians and an ardent reader-writer who have blogs join Von in brewing up a new concoction in the already muddled and intrigue ladden universe known as the blogosphere. The idea is for all of us to keep writing about the profession and related fields. With talk of putting up an aggregator or syndication, the blograrians present at last Saturday's EB, September 15, 2007 at A Different Bookstore in Serendra were all up for the challenge.

Igor is beginning to refocus his smorgasboard Gokitomo.com with a bent on LIS related topics. Arnold has declared the meeting as historic because, librarians who write and blog are finally taking a more active role in making the profession visible in the blogosphere. I'm sure Igor has a lot to write about now that he is back teaching in college. His observation on the polarity of tech skills of his LIS students would make for an interesting post. Arnold's tech news are worth reading for librarians to be updated in this area. More and more, we're being eaten by the "computer people". What they can do, we can do better actually. Unless, politics come into play at the work place. Now, that's a topic I can write with sass and class this time around.

Juned's book reviews and socio-polital commentaries are insightful. Charles' variety of posts on books, literature and media make for a good source for librarians taking stock of the collection. As for Von, he is the Filipino Librarian. What more can I say, but AMEN!

So, we'll see where we'll end up. Hopefully not in a quandary of controversies that seem to rock Filipino bloggers of late. Librarians are quiet little people, really. Besides, there is enough conflict in this world and there is so much love to go around. If I were you, I say you choose the later and love your librarian back!

Hub a Library

PBBY board member, Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz wrote an update on the Library Hub's progress in the country. It's published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer last Sept. 14, 2007. What delighted me of the news is the imminent training of librarians who will be in charge of the hub.

"Beverly Gonda, Library Hub Project Officer says in her latest update that a teacher training for the 35 Hubs has been completed and work has begun on the next set of Hubs. They are now preparing for the training of the librarians who will actually manage the daily operations of the Hubs all over the country."

Finally, training for librarians for the hubs. DepEd can learn a lot from the experiences of Riko Vinluan who has been quite successful in the Library Hub of the Naga City Public Library.

Live Blogging : Pinoy Biblioblogosphere

Male Librarians and Friend. Clockwise: Von; Juned; Arnold; Igor; and Charles Tan.

Finally. The boys are here. I am the only rose among the thorns and it's my job to live blog. Hmmm... is it because I'm a girl? I feel so like Hermione Granger at the moment. But this does not happen everyday, so it's OK.

Kidding aside, I'm the one with a laptop. I'm the only practicing librarian in the bunch, the only female librarian so, there. We all have blogs and it's blogging that has brought us together this afternoon. There are interesting topics of conversation moving around. Such unbloggable "tsismis" I do not intend to mention. There is enough trouble in this world and all I want is peace. Ahaha! Miss Congeniality, present!

Igor is currently teaching at the UP SLIS with a full load, mind. He does some consulting job as web developer in the corporate arena. Arnold is in records management at the Asian Development Bank. Juned is in indexing and abstracting. He's had success in problogging and is continuously growing in that area. Geez, it's the "raket" I want to have! Charles is not a librarian by academic preparation and occupation, but he is among "us" because he is a friend of the library.

When Von posted the announcement for this EB, he wanted to know how big the Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere is. Well, people present this afternoon gives Von a good picture on the size of this PBB (Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere).

Live Blogging: Pinoy Big Biblioblogosphere

So here we are at Serendra, A Different Bookstore waiting for more people to join us - Von, Charles and I. It's 4.30 PM already and we remain a threesome.

Will post later when the others have arrived.

Teachers and Mentors

Ace Elgar and I will be doing a seminar-workshop on Storytelling on September 22, 2007 at the UP College of Education. The event will be sponsored by the UP REGALE (Reading Education Department) in celebration of International Literacy Month.

The workshop is a meaningful one for me and Ace because, students from the UP College of Education will be side by side with us in facilitating the workshop. Jerson Capuyan and Michelle Agas were participants during the Storytelling workshop I conducted for them last year. Miko Manalo on the other hand, attended Ace's Storytelling workshop session two years back. This was made possible by Prof. Portia Padilla whose never ending campaign for literacy and reading has made her a champion for the cause.

One Day In Naga

My workshop at the Naga City Public Library last August 27, 2007 was attended by 50 participants from the district. Most of them are teachers in the content area who were given library duties to man the school library. They were expected to multitask and accomplish dual roles, that of a teacher and a school librarian.

The seminar-workshop began with basic school library services. Call it School Library Management 101 for those who were plucked out of their teaching positions to become vanguards of the school library. Useful and practical topics like resource sharing, networking, fund raising, gaining support from administration, parents and the community were also discussed. Issues on manpower, lack of support and high expectations inevitably surfaced, so I tried my best to be encouraging enough. After all, the concerns they enumerated are things I experience too. Money for books and library up keeping will always be problems, but it can be solved through an empowered and well supported library staff.

I met Riko Vinluan, finally, in the flesh. I've met him online and last Monday of that August was our actual "Eye Ball". He is a resourceful and dynamic librarian. He organized the Naga School Librarians Association right after the session. They were able to identify workable action plans for their school libraries. Reading campaigns, networking and articulation of needs to supervisors are some of the few strategies they've identified so far.

Through PBBY and the local government of Naga City, I was witness to the famous Library Hub of the district. Riko has actually taken responsibility on the circulation of books to different hubs. Using the Naga City Library Book Mobile, books for the schools are placed in bins. These bins are given to the school for a time and are returned to the hub for replenishment and book repair. It's a structure that works for them.

I have said it once and I will say it again, if there is no librarian or library personnel for the hubs who can do the monitoring and supervision on the route of books and schools, all resources and efforts may go to waste. Plus, there are reading and library programs that need to be done for the hubs to truly come alive. Entrust such programs and activities to teachers? Their first duty is to teach. The presence of people from the library sector is crucial.

In this case, it appears that provision and access for books are the main agenda. It is a good start, but the recipients of the hub's services have a  huge challenge to face - how to continue this working structure or system so that it has an impact on the children's lives.

Filipina Librarians: Chona De Jesus & Ellen Floro

I met Chona De Jesus today. Chona is the librarian for the Magsaysay Training Center. It is a company specilaizing on the training of maritime personnel and Chona has the task of serving their information and training needs. She invited me to do a storytelling sesion for children of the company's employees. The activity was in line with their READiscovery Program which is aimed at developing the reading habits of children and adults.

According to her, it was a kick off activity to further promote the library and the culture of reading in the company. I also met her boss, Ms. Grace Cabilatazan, who is a self confessed reader and book lover. She is putting importance on the company's library as hub and source of skills, competence and knowledge. Such support for the librarina will go a long way.

Chona's sister, Ellen Floro is like her, a librarian. Both are graduates of the Philippine Normal Univeristy. Chona finished her degree in 1990, while Ellen graduated in the year 1995.

In our brief "chikahan", I learned how many librarians are leaving the Philippines for better working opportunities and economic conditions abroad. It really is a decision. In this globally competitive world, lines, boarders and divisions are little things that matter. One's identity, level of competence and skill make all the big difference.

Messy Table

This is one side of my table. The right side. There you can see my mobile phone sitting on a red cat mobile phone holder. There's the calendar, my fortune plant, a mug of pens, markers and shears. I have a bottle of water, always beside me since I'm a heavy water drinker now. My brown coffee mug only gets the taste of caffeine once a day. Since June, I've lessend my coffee drinking to help ease my work out regiment. Coffee stiffens the fat mass. I have so much to loose. It meant double the hard work if I continue my three cups of coffee a day.

You can also see the brown paper bag beside the pink water bottle. It has puto and kutsinta bought along the road in Wack-Wack. I munch every now and then. Little bites to tide over the hunger pangs. I did not finish it all as my son, who goes to school in the same school I work in, would look for merienda after a loaded day of academic studying.

And here is the left side of my table. Messy. Messy, Messy.

It's PAASCU Pre-Survey year and reporst are needed here and there. There are questions from the Principal to answer, administrative reports to accomplish and statistics to study. I have made a list of "to dos" for the coming months. I shudder at the length of the things to be done. From the looks of things, I'm afraid I will not be able to finish my Special Problem in grad school. Something's got to give.

Live Blogging : PAASCU Visit

I am in Lipa, Batangas right now, accreditng a private Catholic high school. It is the second day and the accrediting team is down pat wrapping up. I can't post details as everything in the PAASCU experience is shrouded with confidentiality. Let it be known, though, that the beauty of accreditation rests on professional networking, growth in the field of education and service students and to colleagues in the profession.

Here we are at the breakfast table this morning. Aren't we a happy bunch?

This PAASCU Accrediitng Team is led by Mrs. Rita Atienza of the Graduate School of the Ateneo De Manila. I have another post in The Coffee Goddess. Click here for the PAASCU post.

With The Filipino Librarian

There were a good number of Filipino Librarians in my panel discussion last August 30, 2007, Thursday at the Manila International Book Fair. We had our pictures taken and I'm hoping one of them nice people would send me a copy. I did not bring a digicam, sadly. But, I have a Macbook with built in camera via Photo Booth.

So here is a picture of me and Von, Filipino Librarian after a very ligt mereinda at Coffee.com.

My stint and visit at the Manila Internation Book Fair this year was very brief. Unlike in previous years when I would be there for days and would spend time, money and effort selecting books for my own perusal and enjoyment, I am low key this year due to work responsibilities and professional endeavors. The short trip to the fair was enough to touch base with friends in the industry though. I was able to make new connections nonetheless. Networking is very important for the job and I think, I've done fairly well on this area.

Live Blogging : Where have all the male (Filipino) librarians gone?

Male librarians are few. At least, in the Philippines. If I am wrong, then tell me so and I will not mind.

Today, I met Mahrlo Pua at the Manila International Book Fair. He is Filipino. He is a librarian, and a school librarian at that. And yes, he is male.



Mahrlo worked as head librarian of the Children's Library, Robinson's Galleria Branch for three years. He then moved on to be information specialist in the Council for the Welfare of Children. Right now, he is still among children providing library services and programs at the De La Salle Zobel, Ayala Alabang.

The picture above was taken using Photobooth. With Bluetooth, I sent his photo to his cellular phone. How hi-tech can librarians be?

Librarian In Action : Riko Vinluan

This is Riko Vinluan, yes, he is male and the librarian of the Naga City Library. He is in charge of the Naga City Libray Hub as well as the Raul Roco Collection (and future museum). On top o f this, He is involved in helping public school libraries become visible and functionally real in Naga City via the support of its local government and the DepEd division there. Given these assignments and responsibilities, he feels so old at 29 years old.



I pray that Riko's well spring of enthusiasm and energy never runs dry because, I witnessed (in my short stint there as workshop-seminar facilitator) Riko's leadership to mobilize people for a more progressive library services in the community. After my two day session with teacher-librarians and students of library science from the Ateneo De Naga and the Univeristy of Nueva Caceres, Riko went on to organize the Naga School Librarians Association. This early, they have projects and activities lined up.

Here's hoping that they get the support they truly deserve from all sectors of government and non-government organizations. My presence there yesterday was made possible through collaboration with the PBBY.

Plagiarized? Again.

Von Totanes has proved once again that he has reached celebrity blogger status. Kidding aside, what happened to him recently is really serious stuff.

In his current post , he sends an open letter to the person who lifted his works from his blog into a collection of speeches. The publisher and the editor of the book better start doing something. Von's blog is well read and has great reach. If another blogger celebrity gets wind of this news, they can only regret the irresponsibility and carelessness that went with producing the material.

Blogs have power. And responsible bloggers know damn well how to weild it. Just think Malu Fernandez.

Sawikaan 2007 & Buwan ng Wika

Celebration of the Buwan ng Wika was to open last August 15, 2007 in our school. Typhoon Egay and a series of "no classes" days moved the remembrance of its historical and cultural relevance in the community on August 31, 2007. The GS LRC has of course, prepared activities for the unit with storytelling sessions, film viewing and trivia contests.

It is during this time of the school year when Filipiniana books are disturbed from their silence in the shelves. Filipino and Tagalog become, all of a sudden, langauge stars to students who'd rather speak English or Taglish, a combination of both Tagalog and English language. While many traditional educators raise eyebrows to this mixture of langauge, it can not be denied that the assimilation of English words into hard core Filipino is ever present, and, inevitable. Our language is very much alive, and so is English. The result has actually prompted columnist Mike Tan to coin a new term for this mix - Finglish.

His article today is an interesting observation at how our langauge has morphed over time. Economics, changing contexts, cultural revolutions, etc., motivates and usher such changes. All this he reflects upon the announcement of the winners in the Word of the Year in the Sawikaan 2007. Miskol was granted the first place, followed by runner ups, roro and Friendster.

For more information on Sawikaan 2007, go here.

The 33d National Writers Congress

The Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL) would like to invite writers and lovers of literature in its 33rd National Writers Congress to be held at the Pulungang Recto, College of Arts and Letters Faculty Center , University of the Philippines , Diliman, Quezon City on August 25 from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. With the theme “Literature and Writers’ Welfare,” Senator Francis Pangilinan will speak about his legislative vision for literature. Other agenda are recent developments in intellectual property rights, and the model for a collective management group responsible for collecting royalties. Four noted writers will also receive the prestigious Gawad Pambansang Alagad.

A general election of the new set of UMPIL Board of Directors will be held afterwards. For inquiries, please call Vim or Joey at nos. 922-1830.

Appointments & Engagements

August 27, 2007
Naga Public and School Library System & the Philippine Board on Books for Young People
Seminar-Workshop on Developing a Library for the Young
Naga City, Philippines
Contact Person ; Riko Vinluan

August 30, 2007
3.30 pm - 4.30 pm
Read Or Die & Powerbooks
Panel Discussion on Children, Teens & Reading in the Time of IT
Manila International Book Fair
World Trade Center, Pasay City
Contact Person : Tin Mandigma (+639283555365)

September 1, 2007
9.00 am - 11.00 am
Storytelling and Read Aloud Session
Magsaysay Training
UN Avenue, Manila

September 2, 2007
8.30 am - 12.00 noon
Review Classes on School Library Management
UP SLIS, Diliman Quezon City
Contact : UP SLIS (98.18.500 loc. 2870 / 2869)

September 3-4, 2007
PAASCU Accreditation
Lipa City, Batangas

September 22, 2007
10.00 am - 4.00 pm
Storytelling Workshop with Ace Elgar
UP REGALE, UP College of Education
Diliman Quezon City
Contact Person : Teacher Portia Padilla (+639178581124)

Ibang Klase : Ang INK 16th Exhibit

On its sixteenth year Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK) grows older
and turns over a new leaf with "Ibang Klase!" , the theme for this year's
annual exhibit. It is Ang I.N.K. members' way of paying tribute to the
personalities who peopled and memories that colored their individual high
school lives.

The Crush ng Bayan, the Nerd, the Bully, the resident school ghost,
ghost-hunting in the school grounds, soirees, first love, first date,
first kiss, first dance, graduation, grad ball, prom king and queen,
choral fest, intrams, newspaper drive, drama fest, declamation contests,
debates, yearbook, diary (or blog), school ring, high school fair (jail
booth, kissing booth, marriage booth, concerts, crush, rollercoaster ride
with crush), cutting class, school paper, high school orgs, sleepovers,
zits, first deodorant, first make-up kit, first shave, algebra, biology,
trigonometry, geometry, physics, P.E., gym practice, immersions,
retreats, merit and demerit slips, quarterly exams, high school summers,
summer camps, excursions, field trips, first smoke, high school fashion,
Seventeen magazine, Sweet Valley High, Judy Blume, Bob Ong, celebrity
crush, school uniform, cutesy accessories, first makeup, etc. Funny or
sad, sane or crazy, memorable or forgettable, these are our memories of
high school.

Opening cocktails:
14 August 2007, Tuesday, 6:00 PM
at the Archaeology Wing, Powerplant Mall

Weekend Activities:
Saturday, 18 August 2007
1 p.m. - Face Painting
2 p.m. - Illustration Clinic with Don Arado, Liza Flores, Jordan Santos and Wilson Tortosa
Sunday, 19 August 2007
12 nn. - Face Painting
1 p.m. - Storytelling session
2 p.m. - Art Workshop with Jomike Tejido

Exhibit runs from August 14 to 23, 2007 at the Archaeology Wing, Powerplant Mall, Makati.

Visit our website: http://ink.group.ph/

JK Rowling Reviewed by Stephen King

Here is a fantastc review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by Stephen King. It could not get better than this - a writer reviewing another. King is obviosly, a fan of the Potter series. We get to see a writer responding as a reader of fantasy.

It is just so, wow.

National Book Awards 2006

Here are the finalists for the National Book Awards for books published in the Philippines in 2006:

ANTHOLOGY
The Manila We Knew, edited by Erlinda Enriquez Panlilio. Anvil.
Philippine Speculative Fiction, Volume 2, edited by Dean Francis Alfar. Kestrel IMC.

ALFONSO T. ONGPIN AWARD FOR BEST BOOK ON ART
Ani: The Life and Art of Hermogena Borja Lungay, Boholano Painter, by Marjorie Evasco. UST Publishing House.
Brushstrokes from the Heart: ArtPetron, The First Five Years, by Alice G. Guillermo. Petron Corporation.
Fabian de la Rosa and His Times, by Luciano P.R. Santiago, Ana P. Labrador, Macario Ofilada Mina, and Santiago Albano Pilar, edited by Ana P. Labrador. Vargas Museum and Filipiniana. net.

BIOGRAPHY / AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Abe: A Frank Sketch of E. Aguilar Cruz, by Nick Joaquin. Holy Angel University.
Ballerina of the People, by Lisa Macuja-Elizalde, Angela Blardony Ureta, and Susan A. De Guzman. Ballet Manila Foundation.
Beyond the Great Wall: A Family Journal, by Mario I. Miclat. Anvil.
Joaquin, Nick. Ed Angara: Seer of Sea & Sierra. University of the Philippines Press.
Kapitan: Geny Lopez and the Making of ABS-CBN, by Raul Rodrigo. ABS-CBN Publishing.
Masay: The Untold Story of a Japanese Woman’s Heroic Compassion towards her Fellowmen circa World War II, Philippine Arena, by Celia Hernando Tobia-Bulan. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
Myself, Elsewhere, by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil. Nakpil Publishing.
Trailblazing: The Quest for Energy Self-Reliance, by Geronimo Z. Velasco. Anvil.

BANGKO SENTRAL NG PILIPINAS AWARD FOR BEST BOOK ON BUSINESS & ECONOMICS
Coconut: The Philippines’ Money Tree, by Renato M. Labadan. RM Labadan and Associates and University Research and Resource Development.
The Path to the Success of Cooperatives, by Eugenio V. Mendoza and Eulogio T. Castillo. University of the Philippines Press.

CHILDREN’S LITERATURE
Bad Kings, by Gilda Cordero Fernando. Anvil.
The Cat Painter, by Becky Bravo. Adarna House.
Hale, Hale, Hoy!: Mga Laro, Kanta, Tugma, at Bugtong ng Batang Filipino! Adarna House.
Halikpon: A Retelling of an Ancient Ifugao Chant and Pumbakhayon: An Origin Myth of the Ifugao Hudhud by Mae Astrid Tobias. National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Inang Bayan’s New Clothes / Mga Bag-ong Sinina ni Inahang Nasod, by Tony Perez and Agnes S. Caballa. Anvil.

COOKBOOKS AND FOOD
The Governor-General’s Kitchen: Philippine Culinary Vignettes and Period Recipes, 1521-1935, by Felice Prudente Sta. Maria. Anvil.
Potluck, Hidalgo Bonding: A Family Heritage Cookbook, edited by Jaime C. Laya and Adelaida Lim. Anvil.

DRAMA
Halik sa Kampilan; Dulang Kambayoka, by Frank G. Rivera. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
Mga Premyadong Dula, by Lito Casaje. De La Salle University Press.

EDITING
Anticipating Filipinas: Reading Bienvenido Lumbera as Critic, edited by Charlie S. Veric. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
Great Scott!: The New Day William Henry Scott Reader, edited by Bezalie Bautista Uc-Kung. New Day.

EDUCATION
Daughters True: 100 Years of Scholastican Education, 1906-2006, edited by Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz, Paulynn Paredes Sicam, Karina Africa Bolasco, and Ma. Ceres P. Doyo. St. Scholastica’s College.

ESSAY
(Im)Personal: Gabay sa Panulat at Pagmamanunulat, by Rene O. Villanueva. Anvil.
The King of Nothing to Do: Essays on Nothing and Everything, by Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak. Milflores.
The Knowing is in the Writing: Notes on the Practice of Fiction, by Jose Y. Dalisay Jr. University of the Philippines Press.
Science Solitaire: Essays on Science, Nature, and Becoming Human, by Maria Isabel Garcia. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
They Have Jesus: The Stories of the Children of Hapag, by Joey A. Velasco. Kenosis.

JUAN C. LAYA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL IN A PHILIPPINE LANGUAGE
(H)istoryador( a), by Victor Emmanuel Carmelo D. Nadera Jr. University of the Philippines Press.
Ang Sandali ng mga Mata, by Alvin B. Yapan. Ateneo de Manila University Press.

JUAN C. LAYA AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE
Banyaga: A Song of War, by Charlson Ong. Anvil.
The Jupiter Effect, by Katrina Tuvera. Anvil.
Salamanca, by Dean Francis Alfar. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Samboangan: The Cult of War, by A. R. Enriquez. University of the Philippines Press.
Women in the House, by Erma M. Cuizon. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.

SHORT FICTION
Maligayang Pagdating sa Sitio Catacutan: Mga Kuwentong Kasisindakan, Aklat 1 / Malagim ang Gabi sa Sitio Catacutan: Mga Kuwentong Kasisindakan, Aklat 2, by Tony Perez. Anvil.
Pagluwas, by Zosimo Quibilan Jr. University of the Philippines Press.
Taguan-Pung, Koleksyon ng Dagling Kathang Di Pambata at Manwal ng mga Napapagal: Kopi Teybol Dedbol Buk, by Eros S. Atalia. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
Ten: Coming Home and Nine More Short Stories, by Albina Peczon Fernandez. Holy Angel University.

FILM
Mythopoeic Poe: Understanding the Masa as Audience through the Films of Fernando Poe Jr., by Alfonso B. Deza. Great Books Publishing.
Postmodern Filming of Literature: Sources, Contexts and Adaptations, by Joyce L. Arriola. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.

CULTURAL STUDIES
Hiligaynon Mythological Stories and Folktales: Analysis and Translation, by Amorita C. Rabuco. University of San Agustin Publishing House.
Interactive Vernacular [and] National Literature: Magdalena G. Jalandoni’s Juanita Cruz as Constituent of Filipino National Literature, by Lucila V. Hosillos. University of the Philippines Press.
Kasaysayan at Pag-unlad ng Dulaang Pambata sa Pilipinas, by Arthur P. Casanova. UST Publishing House.
Mula sa mga Pakpak ng Entablado: Poetika ng Dulaang Kababaihan, by Joi Barrios. University of the Philippines Press.
Treading Through: 45 Years of Philippine Dance, by Basilio Esteban S. Villaruz. University of the Philippines Press and Philippine Folklife Museum Foundation.
Writing Literary History: Mode of Economic Production and Twentieth Century Waray Poetry, by Jose Duke S. Bagulaya. University of the Philippines Press.

POETRY
Apokripos, by Jerry B. Gracio. University of the Philippines Press.
Gagamba sa Uhay: Kalipunan ng mga Haiku, by Rogelio G. Mangahas. C&E Publishing.
Kung ang Tula ay Pwedeng Pambili ng Lalaki: Mga Tula, by John Iremil E. Teodoro. Igbaong Imprints.
Pag-aabang sa Kundiman: Isang Talambuhay, by Edgar Calabia Samar. Ateneo de Manila University.

SCIENCES
Contribution to Philippine Agricultural Modernization: Selected Papers of Fulbright-Philippin e Agriculture Scholars, Volume 1, edited by Liborio S. Cabanilla, Mario G. Andrada, and Liberty O. Inciong. Fulbright-Philippin e Agriculture Alumni Association.
A Guide to Families of Common Flowering Plants in the Philippines, by Irma Remo Castro. University of the Philippines Press.
Introduction to Complementary and Alternative Medicine (C.A.M.), by Victoriano Y. Lim. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
Philippine Agriculture, Food Security, and APEC, edited by Liborio S. Cabanilla. Philippine APEC Study Center Network and Philippine Institute for Development Studies.

SOCIAL SCIENCES
Adios, Patria Adorada: The Filipino as Ilustrado, the Ilustrado as Filipino, by Alfredo Roces. De La Salle University Press.
Archaeology and Culture in Southeast Asia: Unraveling the Nusantao, by Wilhelm G. Solheim II. University of the Philippines Press.
The Blood of Government: Race, Empire, the United States, and the Philippines, by Paul A. Kramer. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
A Dictionary of Cebuano Arts, edited by Erlinda K. Alburo. University of San Carlos Cebuano Studies Center and Toyota Foundation.
Engaging Society: The Sociologist in a War Zone, by John J. Carroll, S.J. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
How to Win an Election: Lessons from the Experts, edited by Chay Florentino Hofileña. Ateneo School of Government-Center for Social Policy.
The I-Stories: The Philippine Revolution and the Filipino-American War as Told by Its Eyewitnesses and Participants, edited by Augusto V. De Viana. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
In the Name of Civil Society: From Free Election Movements to People Power in the Philippines, by Eva-Lotta E. Hedman. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Kuwentong Bayan: Noong Panahon ng Hapon, Everyday Life in a Time of War, by Thelma B. Kintanar, Clemen C. Aquino, Patricia B. Arinto, and Ma. Luisa T. Camagay. University of the Philippines Press.
Pestilence in the Philippines: A Social History of the Filipino People, 1571-1800, by Luis Camara Dery. New Day.
Romblomanon Dictionary, edited by Leonard E. Newell. Linguistic Society of the Philippines.
Stringing the Past: An Archaeological Understanding of Early Southeast Asian Glass Bead Trade, by Jun G. Cayron. University of the Philippines Press.
Unknown Aspects of the Philippine Revolution, by Jose S. Arcilla S.J. St Pauls Philippines.

SPORTS
Advanced Badminton Techniques: Whether You’re a Beginner or the Best, Your Bible to Better Badminton, by Valentin Oreta and Vip Malixi. University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
Pacific Storm: Dispatches on Pacquiao of the Philippines, by Recah Trinidad. Anvil / Inquirer.

THEOLOGY & RELIGION
God Talk: Renewing Language about God in the Roman Catholic Tradition, by Andrew Gonzalez FSC. De La Salle University Press.
God Was Not in the Wind: An Evolutionary Understanding of Popular Religion in the Philippines, by Jimmy A. Belita, C.M. Adamson University Press.

TRANSLATION
The Colonial Odyssey of Leyte, 1521-1914, by Manuel Artigas y Cuerva, translated by Rolando O. Borrinaga and Cantius J. Kobak. New Day.
Fort, by and translated by B. S. Medina Jr. FEU Publications.
Gagamba sa Uhay: Kalipunan ng mga Haiku, by Rogelio G. Mangahas, translated by Marne L. Kilates. C&E Publishing.
Juanita Cruz: A Novel, by Magdalena Gonzaga Jalandoni, translated by Ofelia Ledesma Jalandoni. University of the Philippines Press.
Monografias de los Pueblos de la Isla de Pan-ay: Monographs of the Towns in Panay, by Juan Fernandez, O.S.A., translated by Jose G. Espinosa Jr. University of San Agustin Publishing House.

BEST DESIGN
Ani: The Life and Art of Hermogena Borja Lungay, Boholano Painter, by Marjorie Evasco, designed by Leo Abaya. UST Publishing House.
Brushstrokes from the Heart: ArtPetron, The First Five Years, by Alice G. Guillermo. Petron Corporation.
The Governor-General’s Kitchen: Philippine Culinary Vignettes and Period Recipes, 1521-1935, by Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, designed by Guillermo Ramos. Anvil.
Halikpon: A Retelling of an Ancient Ifugao Chant and Pumbakhayon: An Origin Myth of the Ifugao Hudhud, by Mae Astrid Tobias, designed by Rex Flores. National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

CITATIONS
Sawikaan series:
Sawikaan 2006: Mga Salita ng Taon, edited by Galileo S. Zafra and Roberto T. Añonuevo. University of the Philippines Press, 2007.
Sawikaan 2005: Mga Salita ng Taon, edited by Galileo S. Zafra and Michael M. Coroza. University of the Philippines Press, 2006.
Sawikaan 2004: Mga Salita ng Taon, edited by Galileo S. Zafra and Romulo P. Baquiran Jr. University of the Philippines Press, 2005. [NBA winner, 2005]

Ayala Foundation – for children’s books on paintings:
Juan Luna: Patriot and Painter, by Carla C. Pacis
The Boy Who Lost a Father and Found the Sun: The Life of Maestro Fernando Amorsolo, by Rene Villanueva
Fernando Zobel: The Man Who Painted Ideas, by Maria Elena Paterno

Sy Yinchow, for a lifetime of translating Philippine literature into Chinese

Seminar/Workshop on Writing, Illustrating & Storytelling

I am inviting all interested people to attend the UP Reading Department sponsored seminar/workshop on writing, illustrating and storytelling for children. Details of the event are as follows:

“A Day with Weavers of Magic”
Writing, Illustrating, and Telling Stories for Children
September 22, 2007(Saturday - Whole Day 8.00 a.m. to 4.00 p.m.)
Benitez Theater
College of Education
UP Diliman

Seminar/Workshop Fee: Php 500.00

Goal: To develop love for reading among the young
Objectives:
To appreciate children’s literature by being familiar with
* the process behind the creation of children’s storybooks
* different ways of storytelling that may be used in the classroom

Weavers of Magic:
“Tito Dok” Luis Gatmaitan
Award-winning writer of children’s books
Member, Kwentista ng mga Tsikiting (KUTING)

Ruben “Totet” De Jesus
Award-winning illustrator of children’s books
President, Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY)
Member, Ilustrador ng Kabataan (INK)
Faculty, College of Fine Arts (UP Diliman)

Ace Elgar
Vice President, Kwentista ng mga Tsikiting (KUTING)
Member, ALITAPTAP Storytellers
Teacher, Ateneo Grade School

Zarah Gagatiga
President, Kwentista ng mga Tsikiting (KUTING)
Member, ALITAPTAP Storytellers
Head Librarian, Xavier Grade School

Contact person : Teacher Portia Padilla, UP Reading Department
09178581124 / portia_padilla@yahoo.com

Library & Librarian Workshops and Seminars Galore

When it rains workshops and seminars, it pours!

FROM PNU-LISSA:
PNU-LISAA, Inc. welcomes participants to the Seminar -Workshop on LIBRARY CUSTOMER CARE this coming August 14 and 15 at the PNU Library Conference Room. With the following sessions namely:

SESSION # 1 PROFESSIONAL CARE ACROSS ALL SERVICES
SESSION # 2 MARKETING BRANDS AND LIBRARY CUSTOMER CARE MODELS
SESSION # 3 LIBRARY CUSTOMER CARE AS AN INSTITUTIONAL MARKETING TOOL
SESSION # 4 ENRICHING THE CUSTOMER'S LIBRARY EXPERIENCE

Contact Person is Mr. Roderick Ramos of PNU University Library. Email him via this address - pnureferencelib@yahoo.com

FROM ALITAPTAP STORYTELLERS PHILIPPINES

The Third Inter-College Storytelling Competition 2007
--------------------------------------------------------------
The National Library and Alitaptap Storytellers Philippines in cooperation with Vibal Publication and Hero Channel invite all college students to The Third Inter-College Storytelling Competition 2007 with the theme "Pag Binasa ni Tatay, Mga Kuwento'y Nabubuhay"

SCHEDULES:
Registration Period: August 1- 18, 2007
Orientation/Workshop: August 12 and 18
8:00am-5:00pm

Elimination Round: August 25, 2007, Saturday
8:00am-5:00pm

Final Round: August 26, 2007, Sunday
1:00pm-5:00pm
Venue: National Library Auditorium,
Kalaw Avenue , Manila


The contest is open to all college students enrolled during the competition period or students who have graduated within the year 2007.

For registration and details, please contact
Phone nos. 0917.539.2630
Email us at alitaptap_storytellers@yahoo.com

FROM FDSEI

HOW DIFFICULT CAN IT BE: HELPING CHILDREN WITH SPECIFIC LEARNING DISABILITY
The root cause of a Learning Disability is unknown. There are several hypotheses as to the cause; nevertheless, it is common for a person to have a learning disability. It is estimated that around 15% of all Americans have some sort of learning disability. However, rarely is the severity of the learning disability debilitating to the person. Through proper training and acknowledgement of the disability one can still live a fruitful life.

Resource Speaker: Ms. Lolita D. Serrano
President, Resources for Educational & Allied Consultancy Habitat, Inc.
President, Sharing Our Caring Foundation, Inc.
SPED Consultant for over 18 years

WHEN: August 19, 2007 (Sunday)
TIME: 8:00 am – 4:30 pm
VENUE: Conference room Annex, Las Pinas Doctors Hospital , 8009 J.P. Aguilar. Avenue.Pulang Lupa II, Las. Pinas City , across Southville International School

Seminar fee: P 1,500 (includes handouts, lunch and 2 snacks)
10% discount for FDSEI members and those who will pay before August 13, 2007
5% discount for those who will pay before August 16, 2007
*You can pay thru any Allied Bank branch;
FDSEI current account # 3531-00100-5
8009 J.P. Aguilar. Avenue.Pulang Lupa II, Las. Pinas City

The official website is here.

If you're free in the afternoon of the 30th of August, 3.30 to 4.30, you might want to hear what's new with today's kids' and teens' reading habits. Spread the news! See you there.

And if you're a reader of this blog, don't hesitate to say "hi" or to introduce yourself. I'll be glad to meet you in person.

"Childreen, Teens and Reading In The Time Of IT" (Powerbooks and Read Or Die)

Below is the press release of Read Or Die's panel for parents, teachers and librarians on August 30, 2007. Please send to friends and people you know who might be interested. See you at the Book Fair.

Zarah Grace Gagatiga will be presenting studies and surveys about the reading habits of children as well as activities they do in their leisure time. Parents, teachers, librarians and care givers can see how much media and IT influences children's and teens' environment and way of living. The talk will be an open discussion/workshop type in order for the participants to actively discuss implications and ways of forming kids into better readers and users of information and technology.

Zarah Grace Gagatiga is the head librarian of Xavier School and is an active member of KUTING (Kuwentista Ng Mga Tsikiting, a writers' group for children's literature) and the Philippine Board On Books For Young People (PBBY). She blogs at http://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com.

August 30, 2007 (3:30 - 4:30 PM)
Function Room A
Manila International Book Fair
World Trade Center, Pasay City

Philippine Publishers’ Roster of 2007 Children’s Books

Ah yes, life goes on after Hary Potter.

While readers and fans of the HP series were agog over JK Rowling's final HP installment, PBBY (Philippine Board on Books for Young People) was just as glad to have presented new titles from chidlren's book publishers last July 17, 2007. Below is the list. Titles shall be available in the upcoming Manila International Book Fair this August 29, 2007 to September 2, 2007.

Publisher

Adarna House

Sampu Pataas, Sampu Pababa
Lola Puti
Dalawang Bayani ng Bansa
Can We Drink the Ocean
Tight Times (by the 2007 PBBY Salanga and Alcala Prize winners)
Ready for School Series

Anvil

Ang Pitong Tanga
Ang Kapatid ng Tatlong Marya
Ang Sultan Saif
Anting-Anting
Ang Palasyo ng mga Duwende
Children of Two Seasons

Bookmark

Khan: A Teacher of Everything
The Boy Monk in an Orange Robe
The Saint of the Gutters
Of Rubber Shoes and the Saddest Baby
Yuan Long Ping Story
Vietnam’s Son
Dancing in Cloud Gate
Green Clothes for the Yellow Dragon
A Different Kind of Policewoman


Canvas

Ang Batang Maraming Bawal
Sol: A Legend About the Sun

Lampara

Alamat ng Atis
Alamat ng Butiki
Alamat ng Mangga
Alamat ng Guyabano
Alamat ng Pating
Alamat ng Papaya
Ang Batang Natutong Magtipid
Ang Batang Natutong Maging Matapang
The Ugly Duckling
The Monkey and the Turtle
The Thirsty Crow
The Boy Who Cried Wolf
David and Goliath
Frog on the Moon

NCCA

Pumbakhayon
Halikpon

OMF Literature

What Beetle Can Do
Teo’s Cockatoo1
David and His New Classmate
Aruy! Magang-maga ang mga Tonsil ni JM!

Tahanan

500 Words and Pictures
Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang
Melampus and the Snakes
Odysseus and the Cyclops
The Trojan Horse
Long Ago and Far Away

Vibal

Why Do Squids Squirt Ink?
Lazybug: A Love Fable
Aliguyon at Pumbakhayon
His Friend, Eric
Mga Laruang Papel
Amansinaya
Nobody’s Hat
Pipo the Clown
Pagpagayuk
Naglakbay si Tulalang sa Araw at Buwan
Pipo the Clown
Ang Hardineron Tipaklong

The Life and Love of Severus Snape

This is another Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows SPOLIER. Don't say I didn't warn you.

I've always known from book 1, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, that there is something more to Severus Snape other than his hatred for James Potter. He was an enigma since. By the 6th book, I had a hunch that he was Dumbledore's mole. In the 7th and last installment, I was surprised to know his motivtaion to succumb into Dumbledore's plans and orders.

And I thought that Remus Lupin's character was so romantic.

Snape was the uber lover of Lily Evans. Sadly, his pasison for the Dark Arts cost him his own loss. But then, Lily's son lived. Redemption came seventeen years after.

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows : In Memoriam

WARNING! If you have not read the book yet, please, do not scroll any further. This post contains spoilers.

I got my copy of the 7th Harry Potter book from the Scholastic warehouse in Pasig City on Saturday, July 21, 2007. I was there as early as 7.30 a.m. I was far away from the hub of activities that littered bookstores in celebration of its world wide release. There was a different feel of getting the book in the warehouse. Besides, I really didn't feel like sharing it yet with friends who are, like me, Potterrites. I wanted to relish the last book all to myself in peace and quiet. And I did. That is why I'm giving it a second reading.

For the mean time, please, allow me to grieve for these fallen warriors of wizarding Britain.

Alastor "Mad-Eye" Moody.Your toughness and "constant vigilance" will always be remembered.




Fred Weasley. I wonder what your funeral would have been like. There would have been tears of, course, but there would have been more laughter.




Remus Lupin. I fell for you the first time you appeared in shabby, tatered clothes, sleeping in a compartment at Hogwarts Express. You were one of the best teachers Harry Potter ever had at Hogwarts.




Nymphadora Tonks Lupin. Just when motherhood is going to give you one of life's best gifts, you died with your hsuband in battle. I will miss the pink bubble gum hair, the clumsiness and the passion you had for seeking what you think Lupin deserves.




Dobby, Free Elf. For the many rescue operations you lent Harry, you are one of his heroes!




Hedwig, the Owl. Fly free to an uncaged land.

Book Review : Harry Potter & the Deathly Hallows

One more day. Just one more day of waiting and I wll have my copy of the last Harry Potter book. I am beyond excited!

To ease up the thrill and anxiety of finally reading the final series, I've searched online for news of the book. I fotunately found an advanced book review in the Herald Tribune . In another news, it is said that this angered Rowling. Oh, what can she do? She has, after all, created a cult following by creating Harry Potter.

Harry Potter Phenomenon

I'm swept far and away by the Harry Potter mania that besieged the online world, as well as the real one. My personal blog, The Coffee Goddess, is ranked 23rd in Pinoy Tob Blogs because of my spoiler posts on the seventh Harry Potter book. I didn't quite expect it, really.



It was not my intention to ride on the book's popularity simply because, I'm a fan. And fans do that - rant and rave and rage over what they are so avid about.

Anyhoo, I've written a review of the movie which will find a published space in the school website this week or the next. Below is the full article.

The Movie Only a Potterite Would Love
By Zarah Gagatiga, GS LRC Coordinator

“What movie did we just watch?”

Such were the words of my dear clueless hubby as soon as the credits of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix rolled up the silver screen. I was pretty pleased to have seen it on its first showing day, but he did not share my delight. For the next ten minutes, he ranted out loud while I raved inside. The fifth Harry Potter film fell short of his expectations. I had a hunch all along that it is not a movie that will stand on its own.

I’m a fan of JK Rowling and her created universe so the angst ridden scenes of Dan Radcliffe, the gloom and the doom that bathed the movie from start to finish, and the exciting but short lived battle of the wizards were visual companions that connected me once again with the book. For one who has read the HP series many times over, the experience is utter satisfaction. This is where my hubby and I draw the line.

There were scenes in the movie that needed no explanation because I was fully aware of its dramatic and fictional background. On the other hand, the ones that director David Yates emphasized and tweaked a bit made me see perspectives I didn’t find in the book.

For example, Luna Lovegood is to me, only another quirky character that Rowling used for texturing. It was a barefoot Luna in the forbidden forest and her red sneakers tied to an archway that did me in. Seeing her come alive in the movie made me realize how essential she was for Harry to cope with the trauma of Cedric Diggory’s death and that of Sirius Black’s too. Sure, he has good friends like Ron and Hermione, but neither has first hand experience with death. This is very telling of what it is like in real life. Our peers may share our deepest sorrows, they may offer support and give us space to overcome the painful process of accepting a loss, but we all need to see one who’s been there and done that. Luna lends this to Harry. Rowling used her as a literary and artistic device to prepare Harry for whatever life will bring him in the next installments.

Another example is Dumbledore’s anxiety that evaded me in the book. I’ve always taken the Hogwarts Headmaster as calm and collected; always in control and larger than life. In the movie, I felt his greatness as well as his vulnerability.

Michael Gambon as a remorseful Dumblodore touched me to the core. He regret protecting Harry too much from the evils that Voldermort could wage. No matter how powerful a wizard he is, he could only do so much for the boy who lived. As a parent, I often find myself in the same predicament. There are battles that my own children will fight in their lifetime. Their joys and pains are mine to bear too. I, however, need to let them go and see how they can pick themselves up when they fall in facing their own Death Eaters and Umbridges of this world. Indeed, love moves us to do great things. It likewise renders us helpless and weak.

Then, there is Ginny Weasley. Yates deftly portrayed a hopeful Ginny, wistfully looking at the object of her childhood romance. She stays there at the background though, waiting and giving Harry and herself all the time to find themselves and be. It is so Jane Austen and I love it!

This sense of control and restraint presented by Yates through Ginny is a stab at youth’s tendency to be impulsive and reckless. It is during the teenage years when tensions between opposites – good and evil, conformity and rebellion, dependence and autonomy, to name a few, clash with in the teenager’s psyche. Oh, the growing pains that goes with adolescence. Harry struggles and this was made palpable in the movie. Yates extended this aspect of growing up by offering us a glimpse of how Ginny was managing all this time.

On the technical aspect, I wished for a snappy plot development and a lengthier battle of the wizards in the end. A professional dancer choreographed the manner in which wizards and witches brandish a wand to cast spells, hexes, jinxes and curses. Those scenes ended as soon as it begun.

The attempt at black comedy was obvious with Imelda Staunton as vehicle. She was an effective embellishment. The rest of the British actors were fantastic as usual, but their thespic talents did not offer salvation for a boring and dragging middle part. The scriptwriters, however, could have spent more time enunciating the importance of Harry knowing the prophecy. This is a key plot that carries Harry and friends till the sixth book. And if my guess is right, readers will hear and know more of it until the seventh book.

If you have not seen the movie yet, I encourage you to read the book first or, read the book after seeing the movie. Otherwise, you’ll end up asking the same question like my hubby. Worse, you might fall asleep on your way to Hogwarts.

Butch Dalisay @ National Chidlren's Book Day 2007

The National Children's Book Day was held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines yesterday, July 17, 2007. The usual ceremony of awarding the Salanga and Alcala prizes were, of course, the highlight of the day. New titles of books by eight publishing houses were presented to the interest and delight of the audience. There were more than twenty titles released and some will be launched in 2007, so people in the industry are happy about this continued, if not, rapid growth of children's book publishing today.

It was Butch Dalisay who graced the occasion. Sharing his reading experiences as a child, he attributed a well stocked library and a very good reading program to his life long love for books and reading.

He remembers with fondness, the Rizal Provincial Library, the public library that satiated his reading appetite. That library is still alive today and can be found in a relatively new building in Pasig City's local government area.

With books and reading, Mr. Dalisay saw a world that is bigger and grander than his own. This prompted him to know more, to learn more and to become more of the boy he used to be. He is continuously learning, even to this day when he has received all possible literary award in the country and overseas.

At the end of his speech, he encouraged schools and libraries for more reading contests other than talent and sports contest that seem to be all too popular to the growing Filipino child. For writers and publishers, stories that matter and help readers become better Filipinos. What exactly is "Filipino" means so much in this day and age. Indeed, this is a far greater challenge.

Reading Idols

As a way of celebrating National Children's Book Day on Tuesday, July 17, 2007, our GS LRC launched an activity that would promote and model the reading habit among our students. Dubbed as the READING IDOL, we would feature members of the school community and their reading habits.

The first to take center stage is none other than our school director, Fr. Johnny Go SJ. His reading habits and choice of reading materials are as dynamic as his personality. Read the full interview from our school website here.

Perks of the Job

Who ever said that being a school librarian is uneventful? Think again. With these perks, I'm glad I'm here in this profession!

Free movie pass. Ateneo Law School is sponsoring a special, private screening of Harry Potter and The Order of the Phoenix on Saturday, July 14, 2007 at Greenbelt 3. Show starts at 11.30 a.m.

Harry Potter Party invite on July 14, 2007 at McDonald's Greenbelt. There will be games, activities and lots of book readings and discussions on the six books and the coming 7th Harry Potter on July 21, 2007.

Bookmark to use for the 7th Harry Potter book. Where are the Horcruxes? Who ends up with whom? Is Snape really evil? Will Harry die? Burning questions that need answers!

Harry Potter sticker. Hmm...Where to stick? On my mew Mac Notebook?

National Conference on Children's Literature for Children

The UP Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas, in cooperation with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), will be sponsoring the first-ever Pambansang Kumperensiya sa Panitikang Pambata (National Conference on Literature for Children) with the theme "Tungo sa Gintong Panahon ng Panitikang Pambata" (Towards the Golden Age of Literature for Children) on July 25-27, 2007 at the Claro M. Recto Hall, Faculty Center, UP Diliman.

The national conference will feature paper presentations by both established and young literary critics, creative writers, and visual artists for children led by renowned UP scholar Dr. Rosario Torres-Yu. Topics include interpretation and interpellation of Filipino aesthetics, historical and regional narratologies, educational and informational praxes, the culture of reading, media, diaspora, sexual politics, folklore, ethnography, peace talks, and poverty and revolution, – all in relation to literary production for children.

Keynote speech will be delivered by critic and National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario. The said conference will also feature workshop talks by illustrator Jose Miguel Tejido, Adarna House publisher Ani Rosa Almario, and renowned writer for children Prof. Rene O. Villanueva. For inquiries about conference fees, reservations and the like, contact Dr. Eugene Y. Evasco (eugene.evasco@gmail.com) and/or Prof. Will P. Ortiz ( bilogangbuwan@gmail.com). You may also contact 9244899.

The State of Philippine Children's Literature

There is this article in PCIJ on the state of children's literature in the country. Read it here. I'm very much aware of how dismal it is. The landscape and environment has not changed in the past ten years.

I'd rather dwell on the many ways and initiatives that organizations and civic groups put up every year for the development of children's literature.

I hope someone from PBBY gets to invite the writer of the article. There is hope. Then, maybe, she would write of better things about the industry.

NCBD 2007: 'Basa tayo 'Tay!

PBBY Secretariat, Ani Almario, sent the invites for the 24th National Children's Book Day celebration. This year's theme, 'Basa tayo 'Tay!, focus on the role of fathers in developing the reading habit. Celebrity fathers like Paolo Abrera and Nolo Silayan will tell stories for the kids and the kids at heart on NCBD. Multi-awarded writer Jose "Butch" Dalisay will be the guest speaker.

The NCBD event will start at 10.00 am on July 17, 2007 at the Main Lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, Roxas Boulevard, Manila.

Spoiler on Harry Potter 7

What has become of Harry? This is a possible spoiler, so don't say I didn't warn you!

Click here.

First Encounters @ the Library

Library Orientation classes for primary grades won't happen until the last week of June. Librarians are all busy team planning with Reading teachers in their assigned grade levels and there is one more Mediashoppe cum LRC Orientation for new teachers at the Early Education Library on Friday, June 22, 2007. The grade one students, however, had their first encounter with the library during the first week of school. Their class advisers brought them up to the "big" library as part of their school wide orientation program.

Since it was their first days in a big school environment, some of them could not help but get lost.

One grade one boy was looking for the bookstore to buy a school textbook. He went up the library instead. He did this several times even though he was told and guided to where the bookstore was. One teacher who has a son in grade one was frantic last Thursday since she could not find her son during dismissal. It turned out that her son was at the library reading with much bigger boys in the primary section. The school's Assistant Principal had to guide one first grader to where the books are so that he can read and enjoy a cooler place at lunch break.

In our supervision time at lunch break, the first graders are the noisiest and rowdiest. There are fighting, games of hiding and seek, running about, jumping and rolling down the mini-amphitheater we all call the Storytelling Area. Boys would report stealing and grabbing of books. They also ask the most questions.

For these boys, the library is but another area for play and recreation. Rules and regulations do apply, but the implementation of such requires patience, compassion and a firm but caring voice when communicating with them.

I remember in first grade, I had Ms. Oliva, my first school librarian in my old parochial school in Pateros. She was plump, cheerful and always smiling. I would go to the library at recess to read. When I had my first borrower's card, I brought home a Dick and Jane book which I finished reading in no time. It stayed in my cabinet for days and weeks until my mother discovered it sleeping among my old toys. She had to pay the library a good amount of overdue fees. That's when she started borrowing books from IS Manila. Soon, I was reading Maurice Sendak, Dr. Seuss, Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey, Ezra Jack Keats and Eve Bunting. I never borrowed again from my school library until sixth grade when being small and dusky excluded me from my more prettier classmates. It was the peak of my awakening from books, reading and literature.

When my mother brought me to see the Children's Media Center of IS Manila, I met my first library fairy in the person of Neni Sta. Romana Cruz. She does not know this yet, but I adored her the first time I saw her emerging out from a room. She had sad raccoon eyes but her smile was gentle and welcoming. There was an aura about her that drew me in. That's when I acknowledged how I wanted to be like her - to be surrounded with books in a room so free and beautiful; to be reading and writing for life; to be with children; to be forever young.

By second grade, I was already reading chapter books. Frog and Toad are Friends by Anita and Arnold Lobel; Greek Myths and Norse Legends; Scary stories and comic books. I had my first dinosaur book and at eight years old (I started school early) I considered myself a dinosaur expert. I wanted to be an archaeologist to find out dinosaur fossils in the Philippines. By third grade, I knew how to use a dictionary and an encyclopedia. Nancy Drew and the Bobsey Twins became my heroes at fourth grade. I laughed with Ramona and Beezus and solved mysteries with Encyclopedia Brown in fifth grade. Between the two Hardy boys, I had my heart set on Frank Hardy. I was a reading geek at 11 years old that when I discovered a few good classmates who were also readers, I didn't see myself as too strange at all. Only a little. And then, I stopped reading. I didn't know why, I guess I just wanted to rest for a while.

My mother intervened again. She brought me to work every summer. At that time, she was assigned at the Middle School Library of IS Manila. There began my new reading adventure as a teenager. That of course is anotehr story.

I do not know how far the reach of our influence can impact the lives of our grade one students. Most of them may only remember their library as a cool place, where the aircon is always on; a hangout venue with friends; a waiting area till the fetcher arrives; a place to sleep; an area for play and games. I do know that we're doing our best. We're doing our share to raise boys who are fully alive, endowed with the passion for justice and the skills for development.

CANVAS Book Launch : Ang Batang Maraming Bawal

CANVAS will be launching Don Gonzalez's first book, Ang Batang Maraming Bawal at the Ayala Museum on Monday, June 18, 2007 at 6.30 p.m. Don won the 3rd Romeo Forbes Writing for Children contest in 2005. He is a probee member of KUTING.

In Tune to Web 2.0

Xavier School has a spankingly new website. The GS LRC is mentioned in an article on one outreach activity with the St. John the Baptist Catholic School. Click here.

Library Video Clips

The times, they are changing.

Instead of looking over for videos in the AV section for my grade two class this afternoon, I went to YOU Tube for video clips about the school library. These are some of my finds.

GS LRC Mediashoppe 2007

Can you guess how many books the GS LRC have in its collection? This was the question that greeted GS teachers last June 1, 2007, Friday for their annual Mediashoppe at the Storytelling Area of the GS LRC. Given by the GS LRC to collaborate with teachers in the development of learning resources, this year's Mediashoppe was the most, if not successful, organized Mediashoppe yet.

The program began with an orientation of basic library services and programs for the sake of the new hires. Junior and senior teachers are already familiar with the GS LRC's features, but a quick walk through on the LRC's services was a big help to remind them that a department that supports their instructional needs exist in the community. What was new for everyone, newbie and seasoned teachers alike, was the DOORS Project of Mrs. Chit Olivares, Reference Librarian.


The Directory of Online Resources (DOORS) is a project initiated by Mrs. Olivares to enrich the print and non-print collection of the library with online resources. Using FURL, she was able to build a list of useful sites for teachers who can use them in the different content areas. Another relevant information provided by the Mediashoppe was the presentation of the ITS-AV Integrated Office by Ms. Garce Aromin, ITS Coordinator. Beginning this school year, reservations of equipment, facilities and tech support will be provided by the ITS. The GS LRC will concentrate on content and knowledge management of the AV collection. In this structure, it is foreseen that more resources will be utilized by the community.

Teachers were able to select and review learning resources possible for acquisition this school year. With their MLAs present, it can be truly said that the administrators are involved in this process of building the library's collection. They also got to view new titles of materials, journals and books available for their perusal.

It was Mr. Ronald Briones of the GS Science department who got the correct estimate on the volume of the LRC's collection. Without the hard work of Mrs. Jane Diaz, Readers Servcies Librarian, who put the Mediashoppe together, and the support of Mrs. Jane Natividad, GS Principal, it would not have been possible for the GS LRC and the GS teachers from the different departments to have a fun and fruitful morning of collaborative work.

Love Your Books

June is National Book Development Month. Filipinas Heritage Library and the National Book Development Board has prepared a slew of activities for the reading Pinoy.

From June 27 to July 1, a literary exhibit at the Glorietta Park that features places in the metro that have inspired our writers to create their literary master pieces is up for display. Tickets cost Php 500.00.

Aside from this, poetry readings, storytelling sessions, book illustration contests and theatrical presentations make it to the week long calendar of the National Book Development Month. Call 8921801 for details.

Misplaced Librarian

There were many insights and issues that surfaced from my seminar-workshop with public and barangay librarians yesterday at the Filipinas Heritage Library. Public librarians, kin to school librarians, have their share of problems, concerns and what-nots. For many, funding and budget is not the number one challenge in meeting the objectives of library services, but, staff training and the availability of enough manpower to sustain the energy of the library. This was articulated by almost three fourth of the participants.

Although it was never identified what kind of training they needed the most, I have an inkling that the skills and competencies they must learn are those on library management, communication skills and the ability to integrate a variety of disciplines that will eventually lead to succesfull plans and programs for the public library. In this case, librarians must be given enough exposure to travel and bench mark with other librarians in the provincial and international settings. Those who are still in the academe earning the degree necesitate an interdisciplinary learning experience in their study of Library and Information Science.

Last I heard, teachers of LIS are revising and improving curriculum to give focus and direction to students. There may be students who would like to focus on IT development; public service; media and communications; education and training; etc. but with a foundation on LIS.

When job related issues began sprouting during the discussion, I was earnest to hear them out. I was interested to find out the paradigms and schools of thought these librarians subscribe to. Often, their comments and questions reflect their personal and professional philosophy.

One librarian was given the task as tour guide. And yes, it was a very uncomfortable task. Not the librarian's fault since she was trained to procure, organize, manage and circulate the library's collection. Then again, the role of a librarian has changed radicaly over the years that to maintain that set of tasks limits the moral, cultural and intellectual growth of the community. Public librarains have a special role in elevating literacy. And there are many kinds of literacy. Is the public librarian trained and prepared for this change. Is the public librarian equiped to handle emerging kinds of literacy for people of different age groups and demographics?

There are many librarians I know who did not take LIS courses but were lucky enough to learn and get units of LIS. Most pursue a graduate degree even. Some are quite succesful though their bachelor's degree is non-LIS. But what happens if the table is turned? What can the librarain do if he or she is expected to be teacher, curator, manager, events planner, PR officer, editor, web developer, even computer technician? Will he/she rely on God given wit and talent or learn new things to integrate with the old knowledge?