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MJ Awarded 2013 PBBY-Salanga Prize 7/25/2013 This year’s PBBY-Salanga Prize Winner is our very own MJ! His winning story, Ngumiti si Andoy , is inspired by the Philippine national hero Andres Bonifacio. MJ received his award at the Cultural Centre of the Philippines on 16th July, marking the 30th National Children’s Book Day in the Philippines. Photo：Sarah Diaz 1. How was your big day, MJ? It was a great day,meeting a lot of writers and illustrators for children, as well as publishers. The best part was getting to buy newly launched books because most of them are not yet available in bookstores. 2. The title of your winning story is Ngumiti si Andoy. Can you tell us more about your book? Ngumiti si Andoy is about the encounter of a boy with a moving and talking statue of Andres B. Andres B. shares to the boy a piece of his life. As Andres B. narrates his life, he is saddened because he misses his siblings and his wife. To make Andres B. happy, the boy volunteers to draw Andres B.’s loved ones. The boy’s gift makes Andres B. smile. 3. Being a Salanga entry, and Bonifacio themed at that, can you describe the preparations you made for writing the story? I revisited some books about Andres B.’s life and works. Realising that there are a lot of unverified biographies about Andres B., I selected which information to include and speculated on some. Many facts about Andres B.’s life in the story are not integral (though important) and may easily be changed as contentions and new studies may arise. (For instance, most sources say that Andres B. was orphaned by the age of 19, but some say 14 and in between.) 4. Is Andres Bonifacio a personal hero of yours? Andres B. is one of my heroes. Emilio Jacinto, one of his close friends, is my favourite though. I like them both because they managed to become writers while fighting for our freedom, among other roles. MJ delivers his acceptance speech, with the illustration of his story in the background. 5. What other stories or poetry have you published? I rarely write stories and have never published one. I mostly write poetry and some of my poems are anthologised in online and print collections. Most of them are written for children. I have yet to publish my own poetry collection/book. 6. Where do you see yourself ten years from now in Philippine Children's Literature? I hope to continue in fostering Philippine Children’s Literature by writing stories and poems, reading books by Filipinos, promoting literacy, and studying it. My main goal, though, is to publish or help in publishing more poetry books for children since there are only a few of them. MJ with Dominic Agsaway, winner of PBBY Alcala Illustrator's Prize. Photo： Dominic Agsaway 7. What is your message to aspiring writers out there? It is not enough to just write. Study the field you are entering, basically, know what has already been and what should be written. Michael Jude Tumamac：How I Spent My Summer Vacation 7/1/2013 Classes started almost a month ago here in the Philippines. For sure, teachers asked their students to write or share in class how they spent their summer vacation. Expected answers to this question would be hitting the beach, visiting relatives in the province, reading books for leisure, watching TV programs and movies, and even sleeping. I could also describe my summer with those activities, and it would have been typical if I hadn’t committed my summer vacation to Sambat Trust. Three-Hour Trips Committing my vacation to Sambat Trust meant I needed to take three-hour trips to Tanauan City from Quezon City almost every other day for a month, starting from the third week of April until the second week of May. This also meant that six hours of my day were already lost on trips alone. The to-and-fro trip was actually twice the time I spent each day in Tanauan City. The frequent trips, however, did not discourage me because it was the only chance to see the six faces waiting for my arrival at Ms. Wilma de Rojas’ garage every 1 o’clock in the afternoon. My sessions with the six Sambat Trust scholars, who were incoming Grade 6 and 7, usually started with a review of the past meeting and a little sharing of things they did in the previous day. Our first session deviated from this routine as I first gauged their reading abilities after learning a few things about them. We then read picture books for the first two weeks and a novel for the last weeks. To enrich their reading skills, I let them do activities such as creating character profiles, making timelines, comparing characters, sketching scenes, etc. Reading the novel Tall Story posed challenges for all of us. It took us seven sessions to finish it. One challenge was unlocking cultural nuances presented in the novel. Another was understanding some words. Despite these, we enjoyed following Bernado and Amandolina Hipolito’s journey, whether in San Mateo or in London. They also had fun doing the post-reading activities, especially the one where they needed to make paper models of the characters based on the book’s description. We usually ended our reading sessions with the distribution of books they should read before the next meeting. Except for a few times that I gave them homework activities to process the book they would read, I let them read the take-home books for leisure. A portion of the following session would then be allotted for sharing their reading experiences. The last time they shared their reading experiences was on May 15, also our last day. Birthday for Books My commitment to Sambat Trust, however, did not end with the reading sessions. I also signed up for Birthday for Books 2013 , a campaign through JustGiving.com that aims to raise funds for the cause of Sambat Trust. Participating in this campaign means asking your family and friends to donate to Sambat Trust instead of having them send you gifts and cards. So, on May 24, my 23rd birthday, I asked my co-teachers at the Raya School (a progressive elementary school in Quezon City) to donate to Sambat Trust. I am thankful to our school director Ani Almario for relaying the campaign to my co-teachers. She also facilitated in passing around a box where they could put their monetary contributions. Most of my co-teachers, however, opted to give books that the foundation could use in filling up the libraries of the beneficiary schools in Tanauan City. The books included Filipino and foreign titles, fiction and nonfiction – all for children. One month on, I’m still collecting book donations from them. Others even expressed their intention of participating in future activities of Sambat Trust. Some also said they would love to take a look at the beneficiaries. It has been a month since I last visited Tanauan City. For sure, my summer students are now busy studying, acing their reading classes. I have to go back, not just to see once again their faces and to deliver the funds and books my co-teachers donated, but also to continue my commitment to Sambat Trust’s cause. I am truly blessed being involved in Sambat Trust. My experiences with them have enriched my growth as a person for others. By Cindy Bajema：You Can’t Stop the Librarian in Action 4/22/2013 So how do you start a library? Well, it helps when you have a librarian. Sambat Trust is fortunate to have that and more in Zarah Gagatiga. We all know the stereotype of “the librarian”, often pictured as an elderly, severe looking, pinched nose, glasses wearing, fearful creature who glares and says, “Shhhhhush!” Zarah is none of these. Instead she is a smiling, bubbly, and powerful advocate for libraries - and the life changing opportunities that they represent. Trained as a school librarian, a position that she fulfills full-time at an IB school outside of Manila, she also works hard as an advocate through many organizations, serving on boards and conducting workshops for students, librarians and teachers in an effort to improve the standards of education in the Philippines and beyond. Zarah Gagatiga waits to cross the street as a Jeepney passes by in Tanauan City, Batangas. She generally takes public transportation to the various projects she works with, a journey that can take from 1-2 hours. For Zarah, a library is not just about the books. It is a process that starts with meeting teachers and administrators from the selected schools. During these meetings she stresses the importance in getting the local community involved, building a library is not just a process of installing books, it is also about building a space. The space needs to be prepared and feel welcoming, there should be adequate and appropriate shelving, but there also needs to be a level of comfort that is inviting – and this is something that the community needs to create! Once the space is ready and the school has received some training in using the library as a resource, then the books start to arrive. Staff at Trapiche School near Tanauan City, Batangas, unpack library books donated by Sambat Trust for their new library. Zarah helps them to realize that the environment of the library is important. You have to make a home for the books! As more and more books are unpacked for the Trapiche library, the staff become visibly excited. When she comes to a newly opened library she always reads a story to the students there, but she is not just reading a book -She is transporting her audience (children and adult) to an experience outside their own. -She is demonstrating how libraries can be used as a lively resource for learning and personal growth [not just warehouses with librarian-custodians] -She is giving a positive and inspiring example to teachers who are often overworked and underappreciated. Zarah’s passion for storytelling is captivating to these students attending the opening of the Trapiche School library. Zarah hands a book she’s just finished reading to a grateful teacher at the opening of the Ambulong School library. Her storytelling is a means of demonstrating to the teachers how they can use books to engage their students and expand their teaching skills. Zarah’s gifted storytelling has both students and teachers fully engaged at the library opening for Ambulong School in Batangas. So what motivates Zarah? I think it would be fair to say that she loves books. She loves stories and is inspired herself by their transformative gifts. Her work with Sambat Trust brings her to Batangas at least twice a month, usually making the 1-2 hour trip by public transport. Once there she networks with local individuals and organizations to lend their support to the work of Sambat Trust, she trains teachers to be creative with their limited resources, and evaluates schools to help them understand how to create and use a library. She recognizes and honors the struggles of her teacher colleagues and does her best to support them in their own quest for learning – knowing that the spark of excitement that they experience is something that they will pass on to their students. Zarah Gagatiga climbs into a tricycle as part of her almost two hour trip to visit Sambat. Zarah takes a moment to catch her breath after the Trapiche Library Opening event. Working for months with schools to prepare them for receiving a library is just the beginning. Zarah and other Sambat Trust volunteers will continue to work with the teachers in the area to show them how to expand their own knowledge and be creative in their teaching. In Zarah’s own words, “I love books and I want to share this love to others. Being involved in Sambat Trust's projects help me manifest this goal. It is always a joy to see kids reading. Some say, it's a passive activity, but a child reading is an active learner. Notice the reaction a child has when reading. With an open book, the child is actively engaged with the creators of the book. The fun part is for the child to express and share his reading experience with another, maybe a teacher, a parent or a friend. I know I can do book donations on my own, and conduct trainings through different organizations. However, Sambat Trust's school library initiatives begin at the grass roots. It's not a big NGO or charity. It's the little NGO/charity that could. It's inspiring to see community leaders, school leaders and parents pool their resources and work together to build a school library. It's amazing to see the wonder in kids' faces and the joy in teachers' eyes when they open a box of books delivered to their school. They're so happy! To see people happy, makes me happy.” I once heard it said that her name was a good one for a superhero, “Zarah Gagatiga!” Somehow this image has always stayed with me and so aptly demonstrates what this small but mighty woman is capable of. Whether it’s storytelling, networking, or training teachers in how to use libraries and stories as a resource, her infectious enthusiasm, passion and dedication will have you fully engaged in whatever she is sharing with you. Zarah has everything she needs gathered and ready to go. She’s off to face another day of inspiring and educating others of the transformative power of books. Interview with the Authors of “Tales from the 7,000 Isles” 2/11/2013 A book showcasing Philippine folktales was released recently by Scholastic Inc. Entitled “Tales from the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories”, the book is authored by Sambat Trust’s very own library consultant Zarah Gagatiga and New Orleans-based writer Dianne de las Casas. Zarah is an experienced librarian, teacher-trainer, writer, blogger, storyteller and reading clinician, and currently the head of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY). Dianne, on the other hand, is an award-winning author and storyteller and founder of the Picture Book Month, an international literacy advocacy. Zarah and Dianne gladly answered some of our questions about their book. What is the story of the conception of creating a book of Philippine folktales? Zarah : It was my co-author's idea. Dianne had been dreaming of collecting folk stories from the Philippines for over a decade. In 2009, a week after Ondoy, she sent me an email asking if I'd be willing to partner with her on a book project. I said yes, of course. October 2009, we drafted a proposal. She sent it to ABC-CLIO and by the month's end, Barbara Ittner, the editor gave it the green light. Dianne : I am Fil-Am and very proud of my heritage. I see my Filipina mom every week (when I am not traveling) and the Filipino culture has always been an important part of my life. Many years ago, I conceived the title "Tales of the 7,000 Isles." I wrote it in my journal and saved the idea. Then one day, Barbara Ittner, an acquisitions editor for Libraries Unlimited (my publisher for my professional development books), asked me to do a volume of Filipino Folktales for their World Folklore series. At the time, I was busy working on other book projects so I thanked her and said I would consider it. Zarah and I had been friends for many years and I really respected her work as a librarian, a writer, and a storyteller. I knew this book needed a native Filipino author so I asked Zarah to co-author with me. When I told Barbara and submitted my book proposal, she was so happy. I am very proud of how the book turned out. It is a celebration of the Filipino culture and Pinoy way of life. What can we expect from “Tales from the 7,000 Isles”? Zarah : Apart from stories, we thought of putting in Filipino games, crafts and food in the collection. So, in “Tales from the 7,000 Isles”, there are three chapters dedicated for these items. Initially we wanted line drawings in the book, but photos would give more color to the book's design and packaging. The inclusion of several spreads for photos was part of the proposal. Dianne and I decided to take pictures, to document the process of collecting and writing the stories. Along the way, we met Yumi Pitargue whose hobby is photography. How we met is another story. She took fantastic photos of our trip to Sagada in May 2010. Yumi and I had a walking tour of Manila, Intramuros, Fort Santiago, China Town, Ongpin in October 2010 for more photo selections. She also has a portfolio where we chose pictures for specific stories. Bernadette Solina-Wolf's jeepney art work was chosen as book cover. For Sambat Trust：Zarah at the opening of Trapiche Elementary School Library How did you collect the stories and select which ones to include in the book? Dianne: Zarah and I decided to divide the book into different regions of the Philippines as well as different genres of stories. There are trickster tales, pour quoi stories, and even scary stories from all over the Philippines. We then embarked on travels around the Philippines and took lots of pictures. Yumi Pitargue also lent us her photography expertise. Some of the stories were collected orally, others were researched from print versions, and still others were stories we had heard as children. We wanted a mixture of tales that told the story of a country. I think we achieved that goal. Zarah : I was fortunate to be involved in teacher trainings, storytelling workshops, library accreditations in the provinces where I make a conscious effort to ask for stories about the town, the province and the people. You would be amazed at the plurality of the Philippines. These stories and experiences I wrote down in notebooks. Some travels ended as post in my blog. Many refuse to take accountability as informants for the folk stories so I had to do research, a lot! Dianne and I also read MANY tales! 3-5 version of one tale, then we wrote our own version. I had to look for the first source of many of the stories. This led me to go to libraries in Baguio, Bicol and the National Library, as well as academic libraries in Manila. My network in the library profession proved useful. Friends from KUTING helped too by reading and rereading the retellings. The annotations and bibliography covers five to ten pages, if I'm not mistaken. As for selecting stories, Dianne and I decided to choose pour quoi tales, enchantment, humor and horror stories, the basic folk literature subgenres. The stories that Dianne and I heard from our childhood by parents, grandparents and relatives made it to the collection too. What was the feeling in writing this book? Did you have an unforgettable experience? Dianne : I am very proud of what we accomplished. Through our book, I think Zarah and I leave a legacy for the children of the Filipino heritage. It is a book that can be used in the classroom. It is a book that every library in the Philippines should own. It is a book that can be passed on from generation to generation. Traveling the mountains to Sagada, trekking through the rice terraces, going deep caving, and sailing through the islands of Bohol were some of the most unforgettable life experiences I have ever had. I will never look at a bowl of rice the same. In Sagada, I had a bowl of red rice after I had just hiked miles through the rice terraces and swam in the waterfalls with the sweetest Igorot boys. For me, that bowl of rice told a story. It became sacred. Zarah: It was like finishing a thesis. This book is my first, so, that in itself is unforgettable. However, many people, family, friends and colleagues helped in making the book what it is. Dianne with her picture books How was working with each other? Zarah: Working with Dianne was an adventure! She is a phenomenal woman! She was my beacon of light while working on the book project for two years. Dianne: Zarah was really instrumental in collecting the majority of the tales. The book was definitely a team effort. I could not have done this book alone, and this book would not be "on the shelves" without her. She is the easiest person to work with. We made a good team, emailing, Dropboxing, chatting, and Skyping back and forth as we put the book together. She never minded the editing and revisions. Thank goodness for the Internet! She is such a valued team player, always working to promote the book, even when I can't be there in the Philippines to help. I just adore sweet and smart Zarah! Where is the book available? How can we purchase it? Dianne: The book is available through online book retailers. It is also available through Scholastic Book Fairs Philippines. They are our local distributor in the Philippines. Zarah: “Tales From the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories” is distributed by Scholastic Philippines. You may get in touch with Belle for orders at this contact number: 09175948033. Ushering in 2013 with Gratitude 1/27/2013 2012 was an auspicious year for us at Sambat Trust. Three school libraries were launched one after the other: Pantay Bata Elementary School Library in February 2012; Trapiche Elementary School Library in August 2012; and Ambulong Elementary School Library in October 2012. During the launch, authors came and shared their inspiring stories to teachers and students. Candy Gourlay had an author visit in Pantay Bata Elementary School, while Russell Molina graced the inauguration at Trapiche Elementary School. In October Sambat Trust founder, Anthony Mariano, was in town to personally attend the turn-over ceremonies at Ambulong Elementary School. A new partnership was forged with local organization, TUPAD, and this enabled Sambat Trust to extend its reach to more children in need of books and educational materials. Teacher trainings and educational sessions with scholars were done year round by teacher-writer, MJ Tumamac and reading clinician, Cynthia Villafranca. Computers donated by Hoshirou Nakamura of Japan were installed in Sambat Elementary School last September 2012. Striking a partnership and collaboration with First Asia Institute, training on computer literacy to teachers is scheduled this summer of 2013. By December 2012, Sambat Trust received a plaque of recognition for its literacy projects and activities by the Department of Education, District of Tanauan City, Batangas. This award is indeed a feather in Sambat Trust’s cap and the team shares this with the people and organizations who have helped Sambat Trust establish eight libraries in the past five years. Thank you very much to the Barangay Captains and LGUs, Parent Teacher Associations, School Principals and Supervisors! Maraming, maraming salamat po sa mga book donors at partners! You made our mission possible! The local team of Sambat Trust and its founders, the Mariano family, are inspired and motivated to continue the mission of supporting literacy and education in the Philippines. May 2013 be another successful year, not only for Sambat Trust, but for the students and learning communities it has identified to support and uplift through the library project and scholarship program. Ambulong Library Opening: Storytelling by Zarah Gagatiga 1/10/2013 Do you remember our Second Birthday Campaign for Ambulong Primary School? Here's Zarah at the library opening enjoying stories with the children! Thank you for your amazing support in 2012! 12/20/2012 Ambulong Elementary School Library Launch 12/16/2012 “Today is a happy day for bookworms like me,” said Ms. Melodessa Verola, the interim principal of Ambulong Elementary School, to welcome the attendees of the school’s library launch on October 20, 2012. In the new library：Children mesmerized by Zarah Gagatiga’s storytelling. It was really a blissful day, not only for bookworms, but for the other stakeholders of the eighth library established by Sambat Trust. The event was attended by the school’s faculty, staff and members of the parents-teachers association; the barangay officials; supervisors from the district and division level; members of the Tanauan United for Progress and Development (TUPAD); Sambat Trust founder Anthony Mariano, coordinator Zarah Gagatiga, and photographer Cindy Bajema; and, of course, the school’s students. There was a formal program to ceremonially turn over the library by Sambat Trust to the school. In the program, several speeches of gratitude were delivered from both the donors and the beneficiaries. Working as a Community The establishment of Ambulong Elementary School Library exemplifies the saying, “It takes a village to educate the child.” That is because, besides the school, the community around it contributed to the realization of the library installment. Firstly, the school administration coordinated with Sambat Trust to include the school in the list of the organization’s beneficiaries. Then the teachers and students cleaned the library, oriented future users and created rules of use. The barangay officials and parents assisted in restoring shelves and repainting the room. The school library now functions not only as a library for the utility of the school but also for the community members who want to read and borrow books. Promises and Wishes Sambat Trust will continue to support the school. Zarah Gagatiga confirmed that the organization will donate more books, local and foreign. She promised also to provide training sessions for the continuing education of the teachers, especially in the area of storytelling. For the students, she vowed to bring in writers and storytellers to share and tell stories in the future. Storytelling To end the launch, Zarah Gagatiga told the students a lot of stories in various ways in the new library. One was “The Mother Cat” which was done using kamishibai or Japanese flash cards. The others were “Si Dindo Pundido” presented in a picture book, a story about recycling things by tearing paper, a story about two friends using fingers, and a story about a child handkerchief. The children asked for more stories but there was no more time. So, Zarah Gagatiga promised to return to their school, maybe with a guest, to tell them more stories. Well, it was really a happy day for the students and for everyone who will benefit from the new school library! Surely, they will be encouraged to become readers and to become leaders as well in their community. Honolulu Marathon 2012: Running for Children's Books 11/18/2012 Would you like to show your support? You can sponsor Anthony here: www.justgiving.com/Anthony-Mariano
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