But last year’s harvest is more varied in that readers can have a look into the khutba (sermons) in mosques, find out how the Manobo justice system works, or how the Mansakas go about their daily life, their spiritual beliefs, tribal leadership, farming, legends; even think Science with no less than Agusan-born Jurgenne Honculada-Primavera, one of TIME’s Environmental Heroes of 2008, editing the Proceedings of the 1st scientific conference on the Agusan Marsh held a year earlier.
And there’s a book on terrorism written by an American West Point graduate who lived three years in Mindanao and who used “fictional friends, classmates from West Point” for an “adventure ‘fiction’ wrapped around what is a very serious present-day situation in the Philippines.” (see separate story)
Two books published a year earlier won awards in 2008: “Mga Piling Dulaang Mindanao: Unang Aklat” (Selected Mindanao plays: Book 1), edited by Arthur P. Casanova and published by the UST Publishing House in 2007 but released in early 2008, won the National Book Award for Best Anthology from the Manila Critics Circle and the National Book Development Board while “Fixing Society: The inside world of Fixers in the Philippines,” by Ronnie V. Amorado, published by the Ateneo de Davao University’s Research and Publications Office in 2007 is the 2008 recipient of the “Outstanding Book Award” of the National Academy of Science and Technology.
Three books are in Cebuano: Satur Apoyon’s “Ang Gakit ni Noebong, ug Ubang Mga Sugilanon;” Era Umpan Colmo Espana’s “Pooviyan woy Gantangan. Balaod ug Paghusay sa mga Obo Monuvu sa Apo Sandawa” and Datu Aguido Sucnaan, Sr. and Datu Rudy T. Onlos’ “Babatokan ng mga tipanud (Istorya sa mga unang tao).”
“Pooviyan” is Manobo while “Babatokan” is Mansaka.
Among the books in last year’s harvest are a selection of columns written for MindaViews, the opinion section of MindaNews: “Fly on the Wall 2,” the second volume of Gail Ilagan’s “Wayward and Fanciful” columns and “Surgeons Do Not Cry,” a compilation of surgeon Jose “Ting” Tiongco’s “Child of the Sun” columns.
H. Marcos C. Mordeno, one of the editors at MindaNews edited “Keepers of Dreams: Stories and Images of the Bukidnon Tribe” while another MindaNews editor, Bobby Timonera did the photography for “Dar-ul Salam: A Vision of Peace for Mindanao” and “Rise Mindanao! Stories of Peacebuilding and Development from The Land of Promise.”
Published in the United States, the book, “Rebels of Mindanao” by West Point 1964 graduate Tom Anthony, according to the Midwest Book Review, “tells the story of Thomas Thornton, a retired covert operative, or so he thought. Urged to pull one last mission, he agrees, and must somehow push a group of tribesmen to stop a bloody civil war on the island of Mindanao, which could lead to harm to all of the island’s citizens.”
MindaNews recorded only 30 books and journals in 2007 compared with 12 in 2006; 32 in 2005; 29 in 2004; 19 in 2003; 18 in 2002; eight in 2001 and seven in 2000.
With 36 more in 2008, that’s a total of 191 books and journals published from 2000 to 2008, as listed by MindaNews. There could be more.
Here’s the (initial) list for 2008 as compiled by MindaNews.
PEACE
- Dar-ul Salam: A Vision of Peace for Mindanao. Pressia Arifin-Cabo, Joel Dizon and Khomenie Mantawel. Photography by Bobby Timonera. Kadtuntaya Foundation Inc. (KFI) and Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst (DED) German Development Service. 2008
- Interfaith dialogue and education toward a culture of peace: A response to the Mindanao conflict: Mindanao community-based institute on peace education conference. Gerard James Y. Ebal, ed. Zamboanga City: Ateneo Research Center – Publication Desk, Ateneo de Zamboanga University. 2008
- Selected Khutba: A guide to social development for the Muslim communities in the Philippines. Nash Maulana, ed. Davao City: Local Governance Support Program in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao. 2008
- Rise Mindanao! Stories of Peacebuilding and Development from The Land of Promise. Nicole van Zurk (a VSO dutch volunteer). Photographs by Bobby Timonera. VSO PEACE Mindanao, Iligan City. 2008
- Making the Difference. Kapamagogpa, Inc. Iligan City. 2008
- Living peace: Stories of hope & collective action towards building a culture of peace in Mindanao. Madonna T. Virola and Marides V. Virola. Gail T. Ilagan, ed. Davao City: GoP-UN ACT for Peace Programme. 2008
- Pieces for Peace: The MOA and the Mindanao Conflict. Preface by Atty. Nasser A. Marohomsalic. Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy. Magbassa Kita Foundation. Konrad Adenauer Stiftung. 2008
- Islamic Model for Peace Education. Preface by Ms Amina Rasul. Philippine Council for Islam and Democracy. The Asia Foundation. Magbassa Kita Foundation. Mandaluyong City, Philippines. 2008
- Iqra. Santanina Rasul [story of her involvement in literacy juxtaposed with first hand account of the history of armed conflict between Moro (MNLF) and state]. Magbassa Kita Foundation, Inc. 2008.
- Building Peace in Aceh, Mindanao and Southern Thailand. Proceedings of the Consolidation for Peace Seminar 2. Penang, Malaysia: Research and Education for Peace, Universiti Sains Malaysia. 2008
- Pooviyan woy Gantangan. Balaod ug Paghusay sa mga Obo Monuvu sa Apo Sandawa. Era Umpan Colmo Espana. Mindanawon Initiatives for Cultural Dialogue. Davao City. 2008
HISTORY
- Babatokan ng mga tipanud (Istorya sa mga unang tao). Datu Aguido Sucnaan, Sr. and Datu Rudy T. Onlos. Tagum City: Tagum City Federation of Barangay Tribal Council, Inc. City Government of Tagum. 2008
- People of the Middle Ground: A Century of Conflict and Central Mindanao, 1880-1980. Ronald K. Edgerton. Ateneo de Manila University Press. 2008
- Ordinary Men, Extraordinary Lives: The Alexian
Brothers in the Philippines. Melotte de Castro. Christine Diaz. Research and Publications Office, Ateneo de Davao University. 2008
- Tausug & the Sulu Sultanate. Asreemoro. Kuala Lumpur: Saba Islamic Media. 2008
- The Moro Reader: History and Contemporary Struggles of the Bangsamoro People. Bobby M. Tuazon, ed. Quezon City: Policy Study Publication and Advocacy (PSPA) Center for People Empowerment in Governance (CenPEG). 2008
PRIMER
- Federalizing the Philippines: A Primer. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel. Philippine Normal University Press. 2008
ANTHOLOGY
- Fire & Faith in Writing. Proceedings from the 14th Iligan National Writers Workshop. Edited by Christine Godinez-Ortega. 2008. Iligan. Published by MSU-IIT OVCRE. Iligan City. 2008
- Davao Harvest 2. Ricardo M. de Ungria and Tita Lacambra Ayala, eds. National Commission on Culture and the Arts through the Davao Writers Guild. Davao City. 2008
- Keepers of Dreams: Stories and Images of the Bukidnon Tribe. H. Marcos C. Mordeno, ed. Kitanglad Integrated NGOs, Inc. Malaybalay City, Bukidnon. 2008
NOVELS
- Ang Gakit ni Noebong, ug Ubang Mga Sugilanon by Satur P. Apoyon. National Commission on Culture and the Arts through the Davao Writers Guild. Davao City. 2008
- Rebels of Mindanao. Tom Anthony. Beaufort Books. 2008
ESSAYS
- Fly On The Wall 2. Gail Ilagan. CSI Printing Press. Davao City. 2008
- Surgeons Do Not Cry. Ting Tiongco. University of the Philippines Press. Quezon City. 2008
- The joys of dislocation: Mindanao, Nation and Region. Patricio N. Abinales. Anvil Publications, Pasig City. 2008
THEATER/DANCE
- Making Theater: The craft of the Stage. Steven Patrick C. Fernandez. IPAG. 2007 released in 2008.
- Mga Piling Dulang Mindanao: Unang Aklat. Arthur P. Casanova, ed. UST Publishing House. 2007 but released 2008. (Winner of 2008 National Book Award on Anthology).
- Philippine Neo-Ethnic Choreography: A Creative Process. Agnes Locsin. 2008
CHILDREN’S BOOKS
- Ang Batang Makulay. (set of 3 coloring books on Pinoy games, Filipino values and Children’s rights). Illustrated by Kublai. ABS-CBN’s Bantay Bata and Research and Publication Office, Ateneo de Davao University. 2008
SCIENCE
- Proceedings of the 1st scientific conference on the Agusan Marsh. Butuan City, Agusan del Norte, Philippines, 21-23 May 2007. Jurgenne H. Primavera, ed. UNESCO Jakarta Office: Philippine Council for Aquatic and Marine Research and Development. 2008
JOURNALS
- Research Journal of the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences. Gail Tan Ilagan, ed. Ateneo de Davao University. Davao City. 2008
- Tambara: Ateneo de Davao University journal vol. 25. Albert E. Alejo, SJ, M. Isabel S. Actub and Gail Tan Ilagan, eds. Davao City: Ateneo de Davao University. 2008
- Tambara 25-year index of articles (1984-2008). Albert E. Alejo, SJ, M. Isabel S. Actub and Gail Tan Ilagan, eds. 2008. Davao City: Ateneo de Davao University. 2008
- Mindanao Nursing Journal, maiden issue. Dr
. Marleonie Bauyot, ed. San Pedro College. Davao City. 2008
- Educational Research Journal. Vol. 1. Heidi K. Gloria, ed. Philippine Association of Graduate Education in Region 11. 2008 (Carolyn O. Arguillas/MindaNews)