books from the book fair

Book fairs are bibliophiles' heaven, and the 31st Manila International Book Fair held last September 15-19 was not an exception. Latest pay was burning a hole in my pocket, so I immediately went to the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex.

The fair did not disappoint me. It showcased even more books, magazines and booths by at least 150 local and foreign exhibitors. I visited first the NHI booth for their cheap books and then headed to the Bookmark booth. Alas! Some of the books I had been dying to buy were on sale, and there were new publications as well. Without hesitation, I grabbed as many books as I can and ended up purchasing the hard-to-find ones, not to mention expensive.

I ended up buying the following books, all Filipiniana, if you can call it as such:


(1) Angels in Stone Augustinian Churches in the Philippines - This book chronicles the achievement of the Augustinians who arrived in 1565 in building towns and constructing majestic churches. The book focuses on 162 churches around Luzon and the Visayas, notably the four churches cited for preservation by the UNESCO World Heritage List: Paoay Church in Ilocos Norte, Sta. Maria Church in Ilocos Sur, Miagao Church in Iloilo, and the San Agustin Church in Intramuros.

Published by Bookmark
400 pp
Php500


(2) San Agustin: Art & History (1571-2000) - The book is a history and guide to one of the most enduring monuments of Manila. The book is divided into two sections. The first discusses the history of the church and monastery and the second is a detailed "walking tour" of the San Agustin church monastery-museum complex. San Agustin features photos (in color and other archival photos), maps and a 400-year comprehensive chronology of the Church, the monastery, and the museum.


Published by Bookmark
165 pp
Php250


(3) Philippine Picture Postcards 1900-1920 - This is the first publication devoted to views of life in the country, how Filipinos looked and lived. The author has acquired over 2,000 postcards that are included in the book.


Published by Bookmark
119 pp
Php300

(4) Virgin of Penafrancia: Mother of Bicol - This book is a photo-documentary on the celebrated devotion to the Virgin Mary under the title of Penafrancia. Texts, using archival documents and oral interviews, are combined with vintage and contemporary photographs to give a comprehensive picture of the history, rites and people that make the devotion a truly living tradition for the Bicolano.

Published by Bookmark
93 pp
Php100

(5) Remembering World War II in the Philippines, Volume 1 - This book contains the lectures delivered on February 2005, marking the anniversary of the Battle for Manila (February 1945). It echoes the sentiments of survivors, civilians, soldiers and guerillas.


Published by the National Historical Institute
128 pp
Php80

(6) History from the People (Volume 1 ed by Digna Apilado . Covered in this volume are local histories from Abra, Ilocos Norte, Ilocos Sur, La Union and Pangasinan.) - Proceedings of the 1998 Centennial Regional Seminar-Workshop Series on Oral and Local History. Each volume is intended to show the variety and richness of the Filipino historical heritage from Luzon to Visayas and Mindanao.


Published by the National Historical Institute
124 pp
Php125


(7) Historical Markers Metro Manila - List of historical markers installed within Metro Manila. Divided into buildings and structures, churches, and other places of piety; institutions (educational, charitable, etc); military sites; monuments and historical landmarks; personages and sites.


Published by the National Historical Institute
278 pp
Php120


(8) Frailocracy in the Philippines - The greatest propagandist of the Filipino race writes about the Spanish friar “government” in the Philippines. Originally published in 1979.


Published by the National Historical Institute
75 pp
Php70


(9) Cebu: A Place for all seasons - A handy, informative and colorful book on Cebu.


Published by Bookmark
143 pp
Php100

(10) History of books and libraries in the Philippines, 1521-1900 - A study of the sources and chronology of events pertaining to Philippine library history from the sixteenth to the end of the nineteenth century.


Published by The National Commission for Culture and the Arts
248 pp
Php100

More books!!

(1) The Philippines Through European Lenses: Late 19th Century Photographs From The Meerkamp Van Embden Collection by Otto van den Muijzenberg --- This book contains photographs of the Philippines during the nineteenth century which was made by P.K.A. Meerkamp van Embden, a Dutch businessman who later served as honorary consul of the Netherlands from 1889 to 1927. The years covered by his photographs witnessed the increasing integration of the Philippines into the world economy, the 1896 Revolution and the violent change of sovereignty from Spanish to American. The photographs are thus significant as a Dutchman’s perspective on a watershed period in Philippine history. The subjects are varied: the people, streets and homes of Ermita, where Meerkamp resided; the abaca trade; Romblon and Cebu. An added bonus are photographs of the peoples of the Cordillera by Dr. Alexander Schadenberg. The text that ties together the ensemble was written by Dr. Otto van den Muijzenberg, a Dutch anthropologist who has spent years doing fieldwork in the Philippines and has a deep knowledge of its culture and history.


Published by Ateneo Press
368 pp
Fully Booked, Greenbelt 5 (P500)


(2) The Titanic Experience: The Legend of the Unsinkable Ship by Beau Riffenburgh --- I am a big fan of the ship itself. I also have the books of Walter Lord. The Titanic Experience contains photographs, facsimile items of the Titanic memorabilia and first hand accounts from the survivors, providing an insight into life aboard the ship.

Published by Carlton
70 pp
Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street (gift)

books! from the book fair

Here are all the books/pamphlets that i bought during the fair, all of them deal with our architectural heritage and i must say informative, not a waste of money at all!

(1) Arkitektura: An Essay on Philippine Ethnic Architecture by Ma. Corazon C. Hila
----- This essay discusses the tradition of ethnic architecture among the cultural communities and lowland groups. Stressed throughout the text is ethnic architecture's underlying philosophy of symbiosis with the environment and sensitivity to the needs of the dwellers and the community.


Published by Cultural Center of the Philippines
47 pp
29th Manila International Book Fair (P67)

(2) Arkitektura: An Essay on the Spanish Influence on Philippine Architecture by Regalado Trota Jose
----- This essay discusses the Spanish colonial influences in Philippine town-planning and architecture from the nuclear fuerza to the pueblo-barrio complex, from the bahay kubo to the bahay na bato, from the visita to catedral, from the sabungan to the factory.


Published by Cultural Center of the Philippines
47 pp
29th Manila International Book Fair (P67)

(3) Arkitektura: An Essay on the American Colonial and Contemporary Traditions in Philippine Architecture by Rodrigo D. Perez II
----- This essay describes the schools, hospitals, government buildings as well as domestic architecture of the American period. It then moves on to describe the architecture built by Filipino architects after WWII and ends with the discussion of the characteristics of architecture which might be considered Filipino.


Published by Cultural Center of the Philippines
26 pp
29th Manila International Book Fair (P67)

(4) Fortress of Empire: Spanish Colonial Fortifications of the Philippines 1565-1898 by Rene B. Javellana
----- While focusing on the architecture of fortifications and documenting the architectural initiative of the military and of local communities, this book situates the initiative in the social and historical forces that constrained people to make the Philippines a fortified archipelago.


Published by Bookmark, Inc.
209 pp, Softbound
29th Manila International Book Fair (P250)

(5) The Imperial Tapestry: American Colonial Architecture in the Philippines by Norma I. Alarcon, FUAP
----- The Philippines, together with Cuba and Puerto Rico, evolved a common architecture during their American colonial occupation. Gradually assimilating influences of American architecture, the Philippine landscape today shows the influence of both the Spanish and the American.


Published by University of Sto. Tomas Publishing House
214 pp, Softbound
29th Manila International Book Fair (P640)

(6) Endangered Fil-Hispanic Architecture: Papers from the International Congress on Fil-Hispanic Architecture by Instituto Cervantes
----- This book is a selection of the papers read at the 1st International Congress on Fil-Hispanic Architecture. This publication calls for attention over the precarious state in which a substantial part of the heritage of the Filipino people is found. Its value goes beyond national limits and current generations.


Published by Instituto Cervantes
270 pp
29th Manila International Book Fair (P400)

(7) Lugar: Essays on Philippine Architecture by Augusto F. Villalon
----- This collection of essays takes an inward look at how Philippine architecture expresses the culture that created it, and journeys through history to investigate the cultural influences that have indelibly marked Filipino architecture.


Published by Bookmark, Inc.
474 pp, Hardbound
29th Manila International Book Fair (P750)

(8) Balangkas: A Resource Book on the Care of Built Heritage in the Philippines by National Commission for Culture and the Arts
----- This resource book was written by a group of volunteers in response to the growing interest in heritage concern. The format consists of questions and answers.


Published by National Commission for Culture and the Arts
70 pp
29th Manila International Book Fair (P92)

(9) Pangasinan 1572-1800 by Rosario Mendoza Cortes
----- The purpose of this book is to uncover the beginnings of the Pangasinanes as a people and to trace their development under Spanish rule. This book concentrates only on the period from the Spanish conquest of the province in 1572 to the close of the 18th century.


Published by New Day Publishers
276 pp
29th Manila International Book Fair (P107)

(10) Pangasinan 1801-1900: The Beginnings of Modernization by Rosario Mendoza Cortes
----- Confined to the social, political, and material progress of the province in the 19th century, it closes with the Pangasinenses' roles in the revolutionary period, and in the war against the imposition of American hegemony.


Published by New Day Publishers
175 pp
29th Manila International Book Fair (P128)

(11) The Pampangans by John A. Larkin
----- This book covers 360 years, roughly from 1561 to 1921. It is concentrated with Pampangan society.


Published by New Day Publishers
342 pp
29th Manila International Book Fair (P120)

(12) Dreaming of a National Audio-Visual Archive: Two Essays by Clodualdo Del Mundo, Jr.
----- The two essays provide a foundation for understanding the audio-visual archiving situation in the country.


Published by Cultural Center of the Philippines
28 pp
Free pamphlet

29th Manila International Book Fair

The 29th Manila International Book Fair was held at the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia Complex last September 12-16, 2008. I only had plans to visit the book fair for a day, but ended up visiting the fair 3 times, and purchasing lots of old/new books, and not to mention they were discounted!


The fair not only showcased books, books and more books, but there were also events like book launchings, book reading sessions, etc. More than 300 exhibitors participated in the bookfair, from National Bookstore, National Historical Insitute, to UST/Ateneo/UP publishers, and others.

books, books, and more books

books that I now have in my "filipiniana library".

(1) In & Around Intramuros: An Interactive Guide by Rene B. Javellana
----- In & Around Intramuros is designed as an interactive guide to the walled city of Manila. it presents an option of five itineraries, with brief notes about the history, urban plan, buildings and sites, and other important features of the walled city.

published by Jesuit Communications Foundation, Ateneo de Manila University
153 pp.
Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street (P200)

(2) Ciudad Murada - A Walk Through Historic Intramuros by Jose Victor Z. Torres
----- Ciudad Murada is a highly interesting and entertaining guide to landmarks -both extant and vanished- and to the history of Manila's Intramuros. (Dr. Jaime C. Laya)

Jointly published by the Intramuros Administration and Vibal Publishing House
87 pp
Fully Booked Bonifacio High Street (P283)

(3) By Sword and Fire - The Destruction of Manila in World War II 3 February - 3 March 1945 by Alfonso J. Aluit
----- The crucial 29 days of Manila from 3 February to 3 March 1945 are presented here in a journal form, a day-to-day account pieced together from the sources the author examined.


Reprinted and exclusively distributedby Bookmark, Inc
468 pp
Fully Booked Powerplant (P150)

(4) Daluyan: A Historical Dictionary of the Streets of Manila
----- A listing of the streets of Manila, their history and origin. It reflects the bits and pieces of the history of Manila that are seldom told. Complete with location map and some illustrations.


National Historical Institute
128 pp
National Historical Institute Ermita (P200)

(5) Sugar Is Sweet - The Story of Nicholas Loney by Demy P. Sonza
----- The story of the development of the sugar industry in the islands of Iloilo and Negros.


National Historical Institute
361 pp
National Historical Institute Ermita (P100)

(6) The Miagao Church - Historical Landmark
----- A scholarly work in the historico-cultural significance of Miagao Church, one of the historical landmarks nominated by our country for inclusion in the world heritage list.


National Historical Institute
86 pp
National Historical Institute Ermita (P160)