Spanish children’s book on dictators which includes Ferdinand Marcos is now translated into Filipino

As soon as Adarna House learned that Filipino strongman Ferdinand Marcos was included in the Spanish children’s book Asi es la Dictadura, it quickly phoned its publishers to inquire if they could bring the book to the Philippines.

 

A year later, and Ito Ang Diktadura is here, with Marcos still in the book’s pages. He is among the 24 dictators in the inside book covers, illustrated in such a way to be children-friendly. It was among the five books launched on Independence Day at Gateway Gallery in Cubao.

“We believe it is an important book to bring here,” Asa Almario Montenejo, the VP for Operations of Adarna House tells GMA News Online. “So we don’t forget our past.”

From Spanish, Adarna had the book translated into English, before translating it into Filipino. The illustrations from the Spanish edition were retained.

The book was first published in 1977. Then, there were about 40 countries under a dictatorship, including the Philippines.

The book was already in its second version when it turned viral in the Philippines, prompting Adarna House to pick it up and translate it.

Adarna is a popular children’s book publisher that offers books in Filipino. In 2015, they started translating books into our language.

Ito Ang Diktadura is available in bookstores for P149.—LA, GMA News