Malditang Librarian

The Life-changing Manga of Tidying up: a magical story by Mari Kondo, illustrated by Yuko Uramoto and translated by Cathy Hirano. Published by Ten Speed Press, California, 2017. Mari Kondo got famous with her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (2011). She is known for her decluttering method of only keeping things that 'spark joy'. Last year, she got even more attention with the success of her Netflix series Tidying Up with Mari Kon do. I have read the book around 2014, years before the Netflix series.  I liked its simple language and practical tips. I have once tried to declutter using her method, and while I remember that it felt great, I'm still an hoarder and not just a naturally tidy person. I am trying to be, though! I used to be a book hoarder. Over the years,  I also got rid of a lot of books. Now, I try to keep fewer physical books. I now have a more minimal bookshelf than what I had years ago. Kondo's method is pretty simple, and the the...

The Artist's works on the 4th floor, Henry Luce III Library of CPU Renowned ceramic artist Nelfa Querubin-Tompkins launched her latest book, The Winding Road to Change: a memoir , last February 21 at Central Philippine University, Jaro, Iloilo City. She was born in Concepcion, Iloilo and is currently based in the United States. The book is an autobiography detailing her life, art, religion, and how she used her art to help others. At a young age, she started getting interested in clay as an art medium. The Artist during the book launch. Source . The book is available at the University's Student Service Enterprise for 150 pesos. The artist is one of the leading names in contemporary ceramics. Her art is shown in exhibits and collections in the country and all over the world. She had received the Cultural Center of the Philippines 13 Artists Award for her contribution to Philippine contemporary art in 1980. In Iloilo City, you can find her ceramic works in the ...

Globe Telecom, BPI Foundation Inc. (BPIFI), and YGOAL Inc. joined hands to promote financial education, and digital literacy and responsibility in public schools nationwide. The partnership is being carried out through the inclusion of Globe’s Digital Thumbprint Program (DTP) in the learning packages for teachers and students under the BPI Senior High School Acceleration Program for Employment and Entrepreneurship (BPI SHAPE) and BPI Manny and Me programs, with YGOAL as program implementor. “As the leading telecommunications company in the country with a strong foothold on corporate social responsibility and education programs, we believe that Globe Telecom is the ideal partner in expanding the digital responsibility content of the BPI SHAPE and BPI Manny and Me programs to further empower and educate our teachers and students,” said JR Demecais, YGOAL President and CEO. YGOAL is a social enterprise providing consultancy service focused on co-creating solutions for organi...

Mga Laragway halin sa Paraiso  ("Photographs from Paradise") is Jose Edison Tondares’s collection of Kinaray-a poetry with translations to English.  Published by the Kasingkasing Press,  Mga Laragway halin sa Paraiso is the most recent literary output of significance from Antique, receiving praise from top literary figures of Western Visayas.  Tondares is a pioneer advocate and writer of Philippine Literature in Kinaray-a. The book is introduced by Dr. Genevieve L. Asenjo, Chair of the Literature Department, College of Liberal Arts of the De La Salle University.  In her introduction, Asenjo says: “The archipelago is in Photographs from paradise – the world, rivers, fields, desert, roads, steps of the bamboo stairs, room ‘that opens doors to sunrise.’ Here are the seasons: the edge of spring, long Christmases, month of the indigenous peoples, the coming of monsoons, dreaming and remembering the skin… Kinaray-a is Tondares’s touchstone, giving us these pi...

Winners for the second Bantugan sa Panulatan Kinaray-a on its 2nd year Bantugan sa Panulatan Kinaray-a (BPK) , an Antique-based international literary writing contest in Kinaray-a concludes its second season with an awards ceremony this 26 February 2020 at St. Anthony’s College in San Jose de Buenavista, Antique.  This season’s contest has five categories namely, poetry, short story, short story for children, novelette, and nursery rhymes.  The winners will receive a plaque and prizes in cash and kind. The Bantugan Second Season winners include: Poetry 1st prize: Nestor E. Cancan, Jr. from Fujairah, United Arab Emirates 2nd prize: Dreamrose C. Barcebal from San Jose, Antique 3rd prize: Anne Franceine Jean B. Corillo Honorable Mention: Argie A. Train Short Story 2nd prize: Alyssa Jude M. Montalban from Cabatuan, Iloilo (Second Prize, Short Story) 3rd prize: Ritchel L. Leonida from Lambunao, Iloilo (Third Prize, Short Story). Nursery Rhymes 1st ...

Manila, Philippines, February 23, 2020 - Parents and teachers now have a new tool to educate children on the harrowing impacts of plastic pollution as Greenpeace Philippines, in partnership with Adarna House, launched a new children’s book titled “Bayan ng Basura.” The picturebook is designed to make children understand how endless production of single-use packaging threatens marine creatures and local communities. Greenpeace Campaigner Virginia Benosa-Llorin said the book project is part of the organization’s efforts to include the story of plastics in school curricula, as well as enable parents to support movements against the plastic crisis in the country by first encouraging children to opt for reusables instead of single-use packaging. “The Philippines generates nearly 200 million pieces of sachets and 48 million plastic bags on a daily basis, produced by corporations that refuse to end the throwaway culture despite the public clamor for sustainable reuse and refill...

Florence Pugh as Dani Ardor in Midsommar (2019) When we think of horror, we think of darkness - unknown things haunting at night or strange things creeping in the dark. The horror film Midsommar (2019), written and directed by Ari Aster, is the opposite. Everything is bathed in stark light and saturated color in the clarity of a high noon sun. The Swedish commune which turned out to be a sinister pagan cult is all smiles, with bright clothes and faces, creating frightening normalcy and even a sense of delight and happiness at their brutal practices. This dissonance, the killing and the sacrifices portrayed in such bright color and pastel madness, makes it scary. Dani Ardor (Florence Pugh) is a student in America. Christian, her boyfriend, is growing distant. Christian's friends in graduate school don't seem to like Dani very much and are urging him to dump her. Then there's an accident - Dani's bipolar sister kills herself and both their parents. A reluctant C...

Iloilo City - Just recently, DepEd stated that there are 42,000 'frustrated' level readers in Iloilo. These students are from kinder to high school, though the majority of those with very poor reading comprehension are those between grades 1 to 6. (Read more:  42,000 learners in Iloilo have very poor reading literacy -DepEd ) Jason Gonzales, Iloilo Provincial Board Member and chairperson of the Regional Education Council for Panay Island, said that one factor that contributes to low literacy could be early exposure to gadgets such as smart phones. He cited research that exposure to mobile phones and television at an early age could affect brain development in young children. He said that the government is not solely to blame for this problem, but how a child was brought up at home. Parents should also regulate their children's use of mobile phones, he also said. DepEd is also taking steps to remedy this situation. Schools Division of Iloilo is holding remedial read...

Globe Director for Citizenship and Advocacy Marketing Miguel Bermundo talks about Globe’s efforts to fight abuse and exploitation of children during a panel discussion at Plan International’s Safer Internet Day celebration In celebration of Safer Internet Day, Globe Telecom joined civic groups Child Rights Network and Plan International in creating awareness on, and stopping online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines. Miguel Bermundo, Director for Globe Citizenship and Advocacy Marketing, talked about three major efforts of the company to keep the children safe during the media launch of Child Rights Network #ShutDownOSEC (Online Sexual Exploitation of Children) campaign, and Plan International’s Safer Internet Day activities attended by hundreds of students, parents and other stakeholders with the topic  “Building Resilient Online Community Against Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children.” "These days, many children turn to the internet when they sea...

Sen. Binay with her book in Big Bad Wolf (source: Nancy Binay official Facebook page) Senator Nancy Binay has a new book out, Charcoal Confessions: 46 Home-Brewed Tips vs. Online Bullying , published by ABS-CBN books. This book is about cyberbullying, her experience with it and her advice for those dealing with online hate. Binay stated that social media also has a negative effect on this generation. It can help in communication and building relationships, but it can also be an unhealthy obsession, according to her. The book describes her own experience with online bashers and how she dealt with it in a positive way. “After three heat-intensive years of being the center of online hate, there are many personal realizations that somehow led me to understand the feelings of those who have been bullied in social media and the painful experiences they’ve been through,” she said. ( Source ) Sen. Binay had a book signing last February 17 in the Big Bad Wolf book sale in World Tr...

Key areas in the city to be powered with KapitWiFi and GoWiFi access Globe continues its journey of accelerating the Philippine digital transformation through sealing another landmark partnership with one of the country’s economic powerhouses, Iloilo City. The milestone alliance was formalized through a recent courtesy visit of Globe leaders at the City Hall of Iloilo. The ceremony was led by Globe President and CEO Ernest Cu and Iloilo City Mayor Hon. Jerry Treñas in the presence of other Globe executives and Iloilo City local government officials.  With a formal partnership in place, the telco giant will be powering key locations in the city with its KapitWiFi and GoWiFi services. KapitWiFi is Globe's most affordable community WiFi service which allows customers to simply connect to a hotspot, purchase a promo, and enjoy surfing in a snap.  The new product promises affordability with no monthly fees and device cashouts, and availability to all mobile users regardle...

Iloilo City - According to Roel Bermejo, superintendent of Iloilo Schools Division, around 42,000 (out of the estimated 500,000 total population) of students from kinder to high school in Iloilo have very poor reading literacy. Most of those with very poor reading comprehension skills are students who are between grades 1 to 6. They are classified as "frustrated readers" in the Philippine Informal Reading Inventory Manual, Department of Education's tool for reading assessment. According to the manual, there are three reading levels: independent, instructional, and frustration level. The independent level is the highest, where the student has excellent reading comprehension. The instructional level means that readers still need guidance from teachers. The "frustration readers" are those who find reading difficult. Bermejo cited possible factors for this issue. Some of these students could have undetected learning disabilities or special needs. Another re...

Mr. Christian George Francisco Acevedo in Sydney Opera House, Australia (2019) Today's guest in # Humans of the Library is very special and a good friend of mine. If you're a librarian in Western Visayas, you must know him: Christian George F. Acevedo, RL, MLIS. He is the current Head Librarian of Capiz State University. Though he also wears many other hats than his work as a librarian. As he describes himself, he is also a "college instructor, cultural worker, heritage advocate, museum volunteer, writer, and blogger." Christian has been my classmate in some of my LIS subjects when I was taking my Bachelor's degree. He was studying his Master's degree in Library and Information Science then and had to take a few undergraduate classes as a requirement for those who have no educational background in LIS. I can't recall how exactly we became friends, but his magnetic and happy personality can draw anyone in. Class reports and presentations can be borin...

If you are a librarian in the Philippines and are looking for work, you've surely heard of the popular Facebook group Simply Hired Librarian . It has over 3,000 members as of this writing, and that includes me. Even if I had a regular library job, I always browsed the group for interesting job postings. It's not just for me, but also in case I know someone looking for work. When I am looking for jobs, it is also the first place I check. I like that the group is managed by librarians just like you and me, and who'd like to help others get a job. It is not only useful for job seekers, but organizations that need librarians can also find candidates here. There was also one time that I helped a school look for a librarian, and this group connected me to potential applicants. While it is for job postings, the group has also grown into a community of librarians. Have you ever wondered who's behind it? Simply Hired Librarian was an idea by Mr. Carl Joseph Burlat, RL. ...

Call for sellers for an Art fair for women small press publishers and individual creators: Gandang-Ganda sa Sariling Gawa! (GGSSG!) is an annual all-women art fair organized by Gantala Press and conceptualized with the Cultural Center of the Philippines Intertextual Division. First held in 2018, the event calls for women creators to come together for a day to sell and showcase their works such as books, zines, stickers, illustrations, and comics. The phrase “Gandang-Ganda sa Sariling Gawa”—finding one’s own work beautiful—is what the event is all about, giving women artists the avenue to celebrate themselves and one another, and furthering the conversation on the importance of spaces for women creators in the country. GGSSG! was brought to Davao City in September 2019 with the help of Balud Art Network, Better Living Through Xeroxography, University of the Philippines-Mindanao, Ateneo de Davao University, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. We are excited to ...

Our 2nd #HumansoftheLibrary guest: Jolo Van Clyde Abatayo, LIS instructor, writer, and librarian This is the second entry on the new #Humans of the Library series in this blog, where we will feature a Filipino working in the library field in the Philippines. I hope that this will also shed light on the different people from all walks of life who work on different sides of the library profession. Want to be featured or know someone? Feel free to comment! Our second guest may be familiar with any social-media-savvy librarian. He is Mr. Jolo Van Clyde S. Abatayo, RL. He is the librarian behind LibrarJuan's Domain   blog and Facebook page . His page about librarianship, which is both fun and informative, has over 3,000 followers and likes. I knew of his blog as I'm always on the lookout for library-related content to share on my own page. I'm always glad to see other librarians who also blog. A professional librarian since 2016, he graduated his BLIS from Southern Chr...

I've been curious about the South Korean film Parasite  (2019) . I've seen a lot of positive reactions but I only downloaded the movie after it was nominated in several awards for the 2020 Oscar's or the 92nd Academy Awards. The movie did win not just one but four awards, including Best Picture, Best Foreign Language Film, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Director for Bong Joon Ho. Once I heard the news, I decided to watch the film. I carefully avoided spoilers to let the movie surprise me. From the promo pictures, I had the impression that the movie would be horror. After I watched it, it's hard to pin on one genre or label. The film begins with Ki-woo, a young man living in his basement apartment with his poor family: his sister, and their parents. We first see the siblings complaining that they can no longer leech off some upper neighbor's WiFi connection. They try to earn money by doing odd jobs like folding pizza boxes but things don't work out. ...

I am introducing a new series on my blog, "Humans of the Library" where I will feature Filipinos in the Library field. I hope that this will also shed light on the different people from all walks of life who work in the library profession. Mr. Luis G. Asuncion, RL, MLIS Our first 'Human of the Library' guest is Luis G. Asuncion, RL, MLIS, a librarian, and writer from the city of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, Philippines. He graduated his Library and Information Science degree from Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila. He has been working as a librarian for 22 years. I knew Mr. Asuncion when he sent me a link to one of his blog entries. He also writes about a variety of topics including librarianship on his Hubpages site [link] . Here are some of his essays that Filipino librarians may find interesting: Librarian and the Coffee , Librarians are the master of all Information , and Why there are only few Filipino Library and Informatio...

We are all stories. I must find a new fairy tale, a new image of woman, or rebuild the one I have found within myself. -Pearl E. Gregor, Authoring Self Authoring Self is the second book of Pearl E. Gregor's series, Dreams along the Way. It follows I, the Woman, planted the Tree . You can read my review of the book in this blog [link] . The first book was the author's autobiography with a focus on dreams. The 'dream biography' combines the events of her life, her struggle with clinical depression, and her search for healing that led her to study dreams. In the second book, the author is getting further on her journey with dreams. I also feel like this is going deeper than the first book. About the Author (from Amazon) Pearl E. Gregor was born and raised in northern Alberta, Canda. She became an educator, administrator, provincial government consultant and along the way, a radical feminist. She came to writing late in life. At age 43, in a desperate search to hea...