It’s a sumptuous book buffet at the SMX Convention Center at the Mall of Asia in Pasay City where the 29th Manila International Book Fair is being held.
Writer Nelson Navarro and I were happy to get “good buys.” With 20 to 30 percent discounts, it made for a satisfying afternoon.
Nelson was able to find a rare copy of Eusebius Julius Halsema’s biography published by New Day Publishing. Yes, he is the Halsema of the highway going to Baguio City. An engineer, Halsema was the pre-war mayor of Baguio City.
I got several items from Anvil that covered the whole political spectrum from “Right” to “Left”. One is a slim (155 pages) book that tackles a heavy topic: “Before Gringo: History of the Philippine Military (1830 to 1972)” by Honolulu-based Donald Berlin, who worked for many years at the Defense Intelligence Agency in Washington D.C.
The foreword by Patricio N. Abinales said Berlin’s book takes issue with the popular concept that the politicization of the military began only under Marcos.
“Combining a meticulous analysis of archival data, newspaper reports, and dissertations, Berlin tracks the history of civilian-military relations since independence, showing the extent to which the AFP, or at least its senior staff, played partisan politics to lobby, defend, and promote the institution’s interests. The AFP had been in and out of the barracks as early as the first decade of the New Republic, and what Marcos did was simply to continue the practice of using it as an active collaborator. Gringo et. al. were therefore not the original but mere heirs to an earlier process,” Abinales said.
A recent publication of Anvil is Raul E. Segovia’s political memoir, “Inside the Mass Movement.” As education reporter, I had the privilege of covering Segovia in the mid 80’s, who was then with the Alliance for Concerned Teachers.
Browsing through Segovia’s memoir, the stuff looks heavy. Elmer Ordoñez, who wrote the foreword, said Segovia “does not mince words about breakthroughs and shortcomings of the mass movements; he tries to grapple with the so-called split in the Left, particularly in its effects on the NGOs and the people’s organizations he was involved with in the open mass movement.
“The ideological, political and organizational schisms of the Left have not affected him as much as it has a few others who already have come out with books that appear to have axes to grind. Raul has remained whole from the experience beginning with his active involvement and leadership in the mass movement during the martial law period, starting with the formation of the Citizens Alliance for Consumer Protection that spawned scores of other groups in struggles continuing the present.”
Having seen the power of “mass movements” in 1986 and 2001 and frustrated why despite the widespread discontent with Gloria Arroyo, there is no gathering of a “critical mass” to stop her destruction of the country and its democratic institutions, I was curious how Segovia sees mass movement in the age of modern technology.
He only says: “The spread of the modern information technology has indeed revolutionized the mass movement.” He also says IT is an effective tool in globalizing popular issues. “It directly connects deeper causes of local problems to their structural roots in dominant economies to the west. The Filipino activist who reads and plays with his PC is expert in linking with foreign sources.”
He observes that “it is usually the young militant activist who is nimble in the use of the IT in the service of the mass movement more than his carping, captious elders who could only dream recklessly of the revolution when angered by the government.”
He ends with the same question that is in everybody’s mind: “While the youth sends his political text, his elders could only wonder: What next?”
The Book Fair is until tomorrow, Sept. 16.
IT indeed is serving our nymphets and jologs an outlet for their desires and angers of the world and particularly the Philippines. With what is left of the little allowance they conquer their enemies, outrun their foes, contact their secret agents, take their digital snoops, fly their FX@s or just relax and boil their tetosterone on the uncovered rejects of beauty pageants. With all these on their fingertips, why would they still go to the streets and bark.
Books, good books are a way to enlightenment.
Very inspiring and enlightening for strength and wisdom…..share it
Me: Why are we constantly unhappy?
God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are
worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That’s
why you are not happy.
Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty…
God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be
purified without fire.Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With
that experience their life becomes better, not bitter.
Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?
God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test
first and the lessons afterwards.
Me: But still, why should we go through such tests? Why can’t we be free
from problems?
God: Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to
Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance,
not when you are free from problems.
Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don’t know where we are
heading…
God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look
inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes
provide sight. Heart provides insight.
Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the
right direction. What should I do?
God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure
as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing
you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.
Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to
go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
Me: What surprises you about people?
God: When they suffer they ask, “why me?” When they prosper, they never ask
“Why me?” Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be
on the side of the truth.
Me: Sometimes I ask, “Who am I, why am I here?” I can’t get the answer.
God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be.
Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a
process of discovery, but a process of creation.
Me: How can I get the best out of life?
God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence.
Prepare for the future without fear.
Yes. I appreciate the bookfair. I got all my favorite books especially the Das Capital of Karl Marxs. Including all religious books. My only problem is the location, wala kasi akong sasakyan kaya nahirapan ako. Malayo ang aking nilakad mula sa babaan ng PUJ. Anyway it doesnt matter anymore coz I enjoy the activities. Sana mayroong part II. Salamat sa mga organizer mga brilliant sila.
More power!
Polly, sumakit ang mga balikat ko sa kakabitbit ng mga napamili. Dapat next time, maglagay sila ng baggage counter where you can leave your purchases while you go to other booths.
There were Fx rides. Didn’t you get your ride from the terminal?
Nakakatuwa ang mga children’s books, 30 pesos, 50 pesos.
Dati, mahilig akong magbasa, cover-to-cover walang babaan, jingle lang ang pahinga. Lalo na kung technical books. Nung nag-450 na ang reading lens ko, itinigil ko na. Wala pang 10 mins. akong nagbabasa inaantok na ako. Pero its a good habit na naipamana ko sa mga anak ko. Kung hindi nasunog ang bahay namin malaki-laki na sana ang library ko.
Mayroon pa bang kopya ng libro ni Justice Jose Campos? Yung available sa newsbreak? Saan mabibili yon?