Publishing house donates children’s books to mark its 35th anniversary

Children from­ several daycare centers and schools in the provinces will be receiving boxes of children's storybooks – for free – as part of Adarna Publishing House's 35th anniversary.
 

The publishing house presented the 35 sets of books to representatives from their partner charities and non-government organizations on Feb. 27 at a luncheon at Victorino's along Timog Avenue. Those charities and NGOs will be distributing the books to selected schools in other regions.

The sets each contain 10 Big Books, 10 Storybooks, Aklat Adarna volumes 1 to 5, 9 Board Books, and Ready for School Concept Books.
 

The books, many of them award-winning, were chosen on the basis of frequent usage at daycare centers as well as for being deemed representative of Adarna products. Every age and learning experience in childhood has been covered in each set.
 

Furthering the cause of literacy
 

Adarna grew out of a project of the Nutrition Center of the Philippines that aimed to meet the challenges of creating a literary and cultural space for Filipino children's literature.
 

“We wanted to produce books that would speak to the Filipino child, that would get the Filipino child reading and learning, that would provide a world that the Filipino child knew,” President Lyn Almario said.
 

She added, “There are a lot of children who have never seen a book until the moment they are presented with one when our partners distribute them. Access and affordability are key.”
 

Almario explained that, “We as a publisher are very Luzon- and NCR-centric. That's why we really value our partners, because they take us to new frontiers we'd otherwise never known.”
 

To the partners, she said, “We would not be here today if not for you.”
 

The partners were chosen on the basis of how well they furthered Adarna's literacy advocacy. They are:
 

'Let them be loved'
 

“Adarna has gifted us with classic books that have become important sources for Filipino values,” said National Book Development Board chairwoman Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz.
 

“In its 35 years of publishing excellence, Adarna created books that are not meant to sit idly on a bookshelf. They create dynamic stories meant to be shared and experienced by a community of readers. They have helped inspire and maintain a cultural readership, for which the Philippine book industry worked so hard,” she said.
 

Sta. Romana went on to say that she is frustrated with adults who talk about promoting a love of reading, the reading habit, and empowering children with the gift of reading, but then forget that this cannot be done if children don't have any books at hand.
 

“I encourage the recipients to please allow the young readers to enjoy these books immediately. So please – do not keep the books neatly shelved and locked away. They're meant to be creased and loved and meant to show signs of much usage. Do wear them out because Adarna will replace them,” she concluded, the last remark engendering laughs from the audience.
 

In a separate interview with the press, Sta. Romana revealed that there are some librarians who go to great lengths to preserve the books – some even wrap each page in plastic. She said that this is an indicator that there is a shortage of books and that there should be allowances for maintaining books.
 

Meanwhile, publishing house president Lyn Almario said that Adarna has been holding workshops for and with librarians on how to care for books and the correct attitude in their appreciation and use. A sample module they give is on the selection of age-appropriate books, for example.
 

“It's not enough to sell books – dapat ipinaloob mo sila sa isang program para mamomonitor at evaluate mo sila at some point,” she said.
 

Looking to the future
 

With the ASEAN Economic Integration coming up later in the year, Adarna has many challenges to meet head-on. One of them is figuring out the market trends in a world that is pre-dominantly Muslim.
 

However, publishing houses in Singapore and Malaysia, among ohters, have shown interest in Philippine books. Sta. Romana said, “Our neighbors are interested in our history, Jose Rizal, and our illustrations for children. The art in our storybooks have really impressed them and they want to translate the works.”
 

Locally, Adarna's newest venture is coming up with books for young adults, the first of which is the Janus Silang series by Edgar Samar. It expects to fill a niche for young adult books in Filipino being taught in the classroom.
 

Adarna also has the “What Filipino Kids Should Know” series on cultural literacy, the first of which is the book on local architecture. Almario said this series is a big hit with Filipinos living abroad. 

“We hope to open kids' minds and hearts to what is Filipino,” she added. —  LBG/GMA News