Happy Mother's Day!

Socorro C. Ramos, the founder of National Bookstore, is probably the closest to a celebrity mom that Filipino librarians will ever have. True, she is not a librarian, but she has made different kinds of books available to many Filipinos. And, perhaps, librarians can learn from her experience: that library users are customers; that if a customer looks for something, make sure you also offer a related item; and that librarians should be sensitive to the needs of their customers. See the in-depth interview with "National treasure Socorro C. Ramos" (Part I and Part II) by the Playtime Staff (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 6 March 2005).

These are the Mother's Day articles on the front pages of the most widely-read Filipino broadsheets:

• "Things this 'good, Godly' mother taught her sons" by Blanche Rivera (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 8 May 2005) features the mother of DILG secretary Angelo Reyes;
• "Villar has Mother’s Day gift to unwed moms" by Marvin Sy (Philippine Star, 8 May 2005) focuses on the legislation that senators have introduced to benefit Filipino mothers;
• "Mothers at center of observance of Mother’s Day" by Brenda Piquero (Manila Bulletin, 8 May 2005) includes a history of the development of the observance of Mother's Day.

There is no data on Filipino mothers similar to the U.S. Census Bureau's Facts for Features but the National Statistical Coordination Board does have data on marriages from 1983-2001. But this is not really useful because not all those who get married become mothers, and not all mothers get married.

For more on the history of Mother's Day, see the following:

• Mother's Day: History of the Celebration
• The Origin of Mother's Day in The United States
• A Mothers Day Tribute

And if you're still looking for a gift for your wife and/or mother, check out these stories:

• 10 Tips for Delighting Your Wife on Mother's Day
• What NOT to give this Mother's Day