Librarians' Licensure Examination 2010: Results

Congratulations to the new librarians!

The passing rate for the Librarians' Licensure Examination is 27 percent (191 out of 699), down from 30 percent in 2009.

Below are the list of the Top 10, as well as the list of all successful examinees. Both were taken from ABS-CBNnews.com.

UPDATED 19 November 2010 to include the table detailing the passing rates for all the schools (pdf) represented at the exam. The file is from the official website of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC). For trends during the past three years, see "The Best and the Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2009."

Top 10

ANGELINE MAY ISLA ODILAO 87.80
ALDIANE JOY BASALE AMBIT 87.05
NICOLO LORENZO TAPANG CERVANTES 86.30
MARY JANE CORTEZ MORANDARTE 86.25
IMELDA ROJAS BRAZAL 85.75
BIANCA REI TAMAYO BAYLAS 85.60
JOHANNA JAYNE SEE TACUS 85.50
IVY HONEYLOU GO CACHO 85.30
KRISTI MA FEVIE VILLAPANDO MACASAET 85.10
KELVIN BERNARDO SAMSON 84.75

Successful Examinees

ABRIGO, RYAN JOSEPH MIRANDA
ABYADO, EMMA TABACLA
AGALDANG, ROMELIN DENNISE BERNARDEZ
ALBANIA, PAMELA SALINAS
ALVARADO, CYRENE DE GUZMAN
AMAN, ERVIN JAYNAR
AMANTE, KRIZ MAE PALENZUELA
AMBIT, ALDIANE JOY BASALE
AMPOLOQUIO, ERNA SANCHEZ
ANIAG, MICHAEL LORENZO
ARANZANSO, BELINDA REPE
ARQUERO, MARICEL BUENO
ASILO, DIANA ABIGAIL ESCOBER
ASUMBRA, JENNIFER TUAZON
ATUEL, ANTHONY NERVES
BACAY, FLORENCE RENEE RUBIO
BACUS, SYLVIAN CRISTOBAL
BAGTAS, RYASMIN GAIL CRUZ
BAGUIOS, JERRY RIVERA
BAHIAN, MAGNOLIA ANGEL SEPADA
BAJO, RODERICK JABAT
BALICO, AISA REDONDIEZ
BALOCO, LORELIE AMIGO
BANAAG, LEA RINIA
BARASI, ANALYN GAMBOA
BARRO, JESSECA BERNAL
BAYLAS, BIANCA REI TAMAYO
BELMONTE, ABEL ANGELES
BERDIN, JANICE FLORES
BERTIZ, REA BASCO
BILUAN, DONNA LYN SAPAL
BOLANTE, LENI ANTUERPIA
BRAZA, HAYDEE BRETAÑA
BRAZAL, IMELDA ROJAS
BUENAVENTURA, GRACE ANN FERNANDO
BUYOCAN, KAREN MALITAH
CABILLON, CHARMANE BLASON
CABUGAO, MICHAEL REY CLEMENTE
CACANANTA, EVELYN ASPURIA
CACHO, IVY HONEYLOU GO
CADIZ, NIÑO MAR ANGELO RIGOR
CANTILERO, JERRY BARAL
CAO, DANILYN BALLESTEROS
CAPELA, MARIEGLO CIUBAL
CATAN, ROSE JASMIN BUMONGCAG
CERVANTES, NICOLO LORENZO TAPANG
CHAVEZ, PEACHIE ROSHELE TABOR
CODAMOS, JOVIE POKKIS
CRISOSTOMO, JOHN LEE GAVINO
CRUZ, HEHERSON CRUZ
CRUZ, JONATHAN ADRIANO
CRUZADO, REDEN MAGRAMO
CUARTEROS, ALMA MELAD
CUIZON, VANIZA CODO
DAGURO, HAIDEE LOU DACANAY
DAVID, MA LARA PATRICIA ARELLANO
DE GUZMAN, MA GRACIA RAE LUBIANO
DE LOS SANTOS, CHERYL SY
DE TORRES, CONNIE BAGSIT
DEL CAMPO, ROY RABINO
DELA VEGA-JUAN, MAGANA ALIX
DIJOS, SHENALY WATIMAR
DIONISIO, MELANIE FERNANDO
DIZON, EDITHA JACOSALEM
DOMINGO, JOSELITO DELA CRUZ
ELNAR, LEOREINA LOU SABATER
ESCOBER, LOVELYN BO
ESPEDIDO, RUBY ANTONNEITTE PAGLINAWAN
ESPINO, ARRIANE CRUZ
ESTRELLA, JENALYN MAGRACIA
EVA, MARK ANTHONY ESTRADA
FELIZARDO, GLENDA FIESTADA
FERNANDEZ, EMMELOU JOY OGATIS
FERNANDEZ, RENALYN SALUSOG
FERNANDO, JOSE TOMASITO NATIVIDAD
FLORO, MARTIN FELARCA
FOMEGAS, IRISH MAY TUMAPANG
FRAGATA, RONNIE BAWAS
FRONDOSO, THERESA MAE LABISTE
FRUEL, GILBERTO EUGENIO
GABO, CHRISTIAN CLARK IAN BLANCO
GAJES, HONEYLYN CALUB
GALANG, APRIL ARCILLA
GANIPES, BRODERICK TAO-EY
GARAIS, ANGELA CARIÑO
GARCIA, JOANNARIE CAPISTRANO
GARCIA, RAFAEL LAYOC
GENON, RONILO JR BESINAN
GEVERO, VENNA JANE DENOY
GLORIANI, JUDY ANN CAYSON
GONZAGA, SHEILA MAE PAGBILAO
GUILLERMO, RYAN GIL EDPALINA
HABAN, KLARIBEL PERALTA
HALCON, ALVIN ESCALDERON
HERNANDEZ, MA CHRISTINE SIDERIA
HERNANDO, RONIE SALMORIN
HERRERA, GEEMEE CAMILLE NUYLAN
IBASCO, MELANIE DIALOGO
IBUYAT, JUVY CALLEJAS
ICO, MILDRED SANTA ANA
IGNACIO, DAPHNE DUTERTE
IMPERIO, FLORIDA MAGANA
JIMENEZ, GISELLE MACAHILIG
JUAYANG, CHING BEE BORRO
JUNSAN, ARIANNE LIGAYA
LAROMBE, MARIA CARINA ALPARITA
LATIYAN, RHODORA BATUNA
LEIDA, LUNA MAY DEFENSOR
LEJANO, VERONICA JANE BALUGO
LEONCIO, JENNIFER RAMOS
LINDAYAO, JENNILYN ESTORQUE
LIWADEN, DELNA CARAMTO
LLAMAS, RECHY SUMALILENG
LOPEZ, ISABEL DINAH GARCIA
LUBATON, SWEET BONNIEBE MACEDA
LUZURIAGA, MA ROSELLE SUPERLATIVO
MABALOT, ADALIA LAGRIMAS
MACARASIG, OPALYN DIMAYUGA
MACASAET, KRISTI MA FEVIE VILLAPANDO
MALANOG, GINA LIMSAN
MAMA, ABUBAKAR SARANGANI
MANALO, CHARMAINE ANCELLA BAJETA
MANTALA, LIZA LORAINE BALANAY
MARIANO, RANDOLF DIONISIO
MATTI, LADY BERNICE GUSTILO
MEDINA, VIRGILIO JR GUINTO
MELGAR, SHERRYL ANNE JIM ARCABAL
MELU, ANGELICA GARAY
MERCURIO, HAZEL CRUZ
MIGUEL, JUNELITA MANGALI
MIJARES, RISA OPERIO
MIRANDA, CAROLYN DACILLO
MORANDARTE, MARY JANE CORTEZ
NARIO, ELVISA ESTRELLADO
NERI, CAROLYN TAMAYO
ODILAO, ANGELINE MAY ISLA
OJALDON, ERWIN ROY TALEON
OLIVERIO, ORLANDO JR LLABAN
OMONES, ANGELICUM REYES
OREGANO, LORELIE AMALLA
ORNILLO, MICHELLE PULA
ORUGA, VENUS BOYER
OSMA, MARIA AIMEE MARIBOJOC
PANOTES, JULIUS EDEJER
PASCO, SHARON GABITAN
PASTRANA, LEILANI PACIS
PEREZ, JENNIFER TOLEDO
PEREZ, KAREN JOAN BOMPAT
PLANAS, FE REMEDIO
POMAY, SARAH JANE BOMBANE
PONCE, VINAMAR AQUE
PROTACIO, EMMANUEL KRISTOFFER ROSIL
QUEROBINES, CATHERINE CALOGCOG
RAMIREZ, CRISELDA ANNE BAUTISTA
RAMOS, EUGENE GUTIERREZ
RAMOS, JEREMY CO
REAS, WITTY MAE DELA CRUZ
REQUINTA, LOURDES REBULANAN
RETAZO, MELODY ANINO
REYES, CECIL TENCHAVEZ
REYES, GAECELLE ESGUERRA
REYES, JULIUS ROMIL ONRADA
RICAFORT, MARISA CASTRO
RICO, MARIE PAZ GANIBAN
RIMANDO, RUVILYN TAMANG
RIVERA, CHRISTIAN JASPER BARROGO
SAMSON, KELVIN BERNARDO
SAMULDE, JOENECIO KALI
SANTILLAN, KAREN YANES
SAQUILABON, MARIA TERESA RUMAGUIRA
SEBIANO, JERLIE BOLISLIS
SEÑA, ROXANNE NICOLE
SIAZON, MELISSA ANNE AQUINO
SIBAYAN, CARL BRYAN WIDWIDAN
SIGOT, SHAILA SIANO
SOMERBANG, HELEN MOG-AW
SUPAN, RAEL BARTOLOME
TACUS, JOHANNA JAYNE SEE
TADINA, MARLINE PEÑAFLORIDA
TAGACAY, MARY JANE RAMIREZ
TAGLE, ALGEAN BAGHARI
TEJANO, ROSEVILLA ALINSUNORIN
TOLENTINO, CHIARA RICA TAYAWA
TUQUIB, RODELIA MERINA
UMADHAY, DARYL JUSTIN PEREZ
UMADHAY, VINCENT BRYAN LAVILLES
VELASCO, FREDERICK GERONA
VERDE, CONCORDIA BAUTISTA
VILLADORES, MC NIÑO RABAGO
VILLAPANDO, LYVIA ALMANZA
ZANORIA, EVELYN BUHAYAN

Performance of Schools in Alphabetical Order

Read More...

Summary only...

Outstanding Librarian 2010:Fe E. Abelardo

Fe E. Abelardo
Retired Chief Librarian
National Library of the Philippines

The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Fe E. Abelardo on 18 June 2010. The citation reads:

For showing exemplary dedication, competence and integrity in the conduct of her profession having served for thirty four (34) years and having rose from the ranks to Chief Librarian until her retirement from the National Library of the Philippines; for contributing significantly to the advancement of the profession and for her significant involvement in various professional organizations that pioneered the passage of Republic Act Nos. 6966 and 9246 otherwise known as "The Philippine Librarianship Act"; for continuously honing her expertise and professional competence through attendance in seminars, training and conferences here and abroad including services rendered in the National Libraries of Nigeria, Singapore and San Diego, California, USA to benefit the country; and for her meaningful contribution and selfless involvement to the various outreach projects of the Association including bringing books and updating library facilities in Mindanao which earned her the PLAI Cirilo B. Perez Award.

Thanks to Lilia Echiverri for providing the citation. The photo is from Fe Abelardo's Facebook album, and is used with her permission.


Category: Librarians—Awardees

Read More...

Summary only...

LOL: Lit Out Loud!

LOL: Lit Out Loud!
The 1st Manila International Literary Festival

In celebration of the 14th Philippine Book Development Month, the National Book Development Board, in partnership with the Filipinas Heritage Library, National Book Store and Philippine Airlines, will present the 1st Manila International Literary Festival.

In a three-day festival, LOL: Literature Out Loud will bring together a large community of writers and readers, students and teachers, as they face traditional and emerging concerns in literature. Together with local and international writers, publishing experts, teachers of literature, as well as followers of various genres of writing, the NBDB hopes to create a continuous dialogue on literature and reading.

Among the foreign writers who will attend the festival are Vikas Swarup, whose novel Q&A has been adapted into the Oscar award-winning movie Slumdog Millionaire; Christopher Cheng, who has published critically acclaimed books of fiction and nonfiction for young adults and children; Andy Mulligan, author of young adult novel Trash; literary agents Mita Kapur (also the author of the F-Word) and Jayapriya Vasudevan; and David Parker, the chair of the Man Asian Literary Prize.

The festival will begin with a keynote speech from Jose Y. Dalisay Jr., award-winning novelist. The many local writers also joing us include National Artists for Literature Virgilio S. Almario and Bienvenido Lumbera, Cristina Pantoja Hidalgo, Gemino H. Abad, Alfred Yuson, Resil Mojares, Marjorie Evasco, Ricky de Ungria, J. Neil Garcia, Isagani Cruz, Merlie Alunan, Criselda Yabes, Susan Lara, Angelo Lacuesta, Jr., Ralph Semino Galan, Tara FT Sering, and many more acclaimed Filipino writers will join the Festival.

Scheduled are several break-out sessions, with topics ranging from literary criticism to publishing will be discussed. The last afternoon of the festival will be dedicated to book and poetry readings, book signings, and book launches. Click on the image below to see the schedule.


LOL: Lit Out Loud! is also done in partnership with the Manila Bulletin, Filipinas Heritage Library, the Ayala Land, Inc., the Book Development Association of the Philippines, Central Books, Man Asian Literary Prize, Vibal Foundation, Random House, Simon and Schuster, and Siyahi Literary Agency.

To register, call 892-1801; for details, call 926-8238.

Read More...

Summary only...

FO: Shih-lu, 1593

The Biblioteca Nacional de España has digitized the only known copy of the Shih-lu, and—with a little prodding from this blogger—made it freely available online. The entire book may be downloaded here: Shih-lu (pdf). To see its bibliographic record, click here: Shih-lu.

Note that, like most books in Chinese, the Shih-lu may be described by those not from China as having been printed back-to-front. This means, concretely, that the Shih-lu's first page is not found at the beginning of the file, but toward the end, specifically page 155. A brief history of this book follows below.

On 20 June 1593, the governor of las Islas Filipinas wrote the following to the king of Spain:

Señor:—En nombre de V. Mag, e dado licencia para que por esta vez, por la gran neçesidad que avia, se ymprimiessen las Doctrinas Xpianas que con esta van, la vna en lengua tagala, que es la natural y mejor destas yslas, y la otra en la china...

[Sire, in the name of Your Majesty, I have for this once, because of the existing great need, granted a license for the printing of the Doctrinas Christianas, herewith enclosed—one in the Tagalog language, which is the native and best of these islands, and the other in Chinese…]

Much more has been written since then about the first two books printed in the Philippines in 1593, but most either refer to just one book—usually the Doctrina Christiana in Spanish, romanized Tagalog and baybayin—or, contrary to the evidence in the governor's letter, even three! Many of the authors apparently had not read Piet van der Loon's "The Manila incunabula and early Hokkien studies" (Asia Major [1966] 12, 1-43), which clearly lays out his reasons for concluding that the third "first book" was actually printed later, perhaps in 1605.

But one of the most problematic assumptions of many who write about the first Philippine imprints, at least to me, is that the Shih-lu was merely a translation of the Spanish-Tagalog Doctrina Christiana. Now that the Shih-lu is available online, and its contents can easily be compared and contrasted with the Doctrina Christiana, even someone with no knowledge of Chinese, Spanish or Tagalog will see right away that the two are very different books.

Special thanks to Lourdes Alonso and Cristina Guillen of the Biblioteca Nacional de España for their effort in making the Shih-lu freely available online, and to Francis Navarro for his assistance in Madrid.

Read More...

Summary only...

History of the Filipino People and Martial Law

Below are the link to my article, which was published recently in Philippine Studies 58:3 (2010), 313–348, as well as the abstract and acknowledgments.

History of the Filipino People and Martial Law: A Forgotten Chapter in the History of a History Book, 1960–2010
Vernon R. Totanes

Abstract:

In 1960 a mimeographed history textbook, which was considered groundbreaking for looking at Philippine history from a Filipino perspective, was introduced at the University of the Philippines. By 1967, when its second edition entitled History of the Filipino People was published in hardcover and paperback, it had replaced prescribed texts in other universities. Fifty years after the first edition came out, its eighth edition remains required reading for many college students. Using archival documents, this article traces the untold story of a forgotten chapter in this book and argues that the study of a book’s history illumines the influence of political realities and personal relationships on the publication of history books.

Acknowledgments:

I would like to thank Ambeth R. Ocampo, who suggested that I look into the history of History of the Filipino People; Salvacion M. Arlante, who granted access to the Teodoro A. Agoncillo Papers, as well as facilitated introductions to resource persons; Teodoro V. Agoncillo III and Bernardita R. Churchill, who not only answered my questions and welcomed me into their homes, but also generously shared books and documents; Milagros C. Guerrero, Antonio C. Hila, Oscar L. Evangelista, and Caroline Garcia, who provided useful background information; Elvira B. Lapuz, Grace B. Tabiendo, Klit Pabalan, and Janssen Cusi, who facilitated my research; Cynthia Kutka, who just happened to have a hard-to-find copy of the Agoncillo-Guerrero third edition (R. P. Garcia) and gave it to me; and all those who offered suggestions and asked questions that helped improve the manuscript, especially my adviser Patricia L. Fleming, Christine V. Lao, Vyva Victoria M. Aguirre, Tarleton Gillespie, and the two anonymous readers. All errors, however, are mine alone.

Read More...

Summary only...

Closed

It's been a month since my fifth anniversary post, when I hinted that there may not be a sixth anniversary for this blog. Well, I'm still not sure what the future holds, but I've decided that I really need to shut down this blog and concentrate on writing my dissertation. True, I haven't been blogging much anyway, but there's always that nagging feeling that I should be blogging more or that there are certain things that I just have to blog about. And of course, there's also the occasional comment that just requires a reply. Not anymore. Unless and until I feel that I've written enough chapters to ensure that I can submit my dissertation by December 2010, this blog will remain the way it is now. If you really need to get in touch with me, send me an email at vondottotanesatgmaildotcom (you should know what to do with this, of course). Ciao!

Read More...

Summary only...

Five Years of Filipino Librarian

From "Mabuhay!," 18 February 2005:

This blog is for all Filipino librarians--whether working in the Philippines or elsewhere.

I am not really a blogger but I thought of setting up this blog as a way of establishing a presence for Filipino librarians on the Internet.

This blog will not be about me. Initially, I see it as a means to share information that I think will benefit Filipino librarians. And once I gain enough blogging experience, maybe we (yes, you and I) can think of other things that we can do with this blog.

Finally, just to make things clear, I do not claim to be the Filipino Librarian.

That was my first post as a blogger. I have written about this post many times (see Six Months, One Year, Two Years, Three Years, and Four Years), so take a look at those posts if you'd like to read about my thoughts on what this blog has accomplished since that first post. For this anniversary, I'd like to reflect on how my profession has changed in the last five years in the context of my own posts. Thus, I have selected a few posts—and more than just a few series of posts—that reveal my own interests and even biases:

"Librarians as Leaders" was one of my very first serious posts on the state of libraries in the Philippines—and it wasn't even written specifically for this blog! Since then, I've written so much more about the topic that it now has its own label: "Leadership."

"Sex in the Library" grew out of a discussion I had with another librarian on how and why it's important to market libraries, and not just wait for people to accidentally wander into the library. And no, it's not about sex, but the post kept getting so many hits, I eventually blogged about other sex-related stuff, too, and labeled them—what else?—"Sex" =)

"Licensed Librarians" was the fourth post on this blog partly because I wanted to emphasize that Filipino librarians are also required to pass board exams. Since then I've shared tips about passing the board exam, as well as annual results, but I'd like to think that people have been paying attention to my posts about who can take the exam (1 2 3 4 5), trends in the passing rate and, most recently, "The Best and the Worst LIS Schools." Label: "Licensed Librarians."

I'd also like to think that my tribute to the "Outstanding Librarians of the Year" has helped the profession. But I still wonder why the identities of these awardees were not known to more people before I blogged about them. To see who they are, check out "Librarians: Awardees."

And then there's the label "Talumpati," which is where you can find the most viewed and commented posts on this blog. Like some of my other posts, I started reproducing talumpati (speeches) because I noticed that one post that had the word "talumpati" kept getting a lot of hits. The same is true of the label "Buwan ng Wika" (Language Month). Sometimes I wonder if I've helped more students with their homework than the librarians who were my initial target readers.

"Filipiniana Online," my seventh post ever, was no accident. I can only hope that I've helped more than just students or librarians find these posts about websites that are not always easy to find. Label: "Filipiniana Online."

After five years of blogging about my profession, I am not entirely sure that there is really much that has changed. It seems to me that there is more that can be done in terms of leadership training, marketing libraries and promoting the profession. But frankly, if it's not obvious yet from the way my posts on this blog have dwindled over the past years, I'm getting a little tired of pushing things that I'm not really sure anyone else cares about. So thanks for visiting on my blog's fifth anniversary—and reading all the way to the end—but to be perfectly honest, I don't know if there's going to be a sixth anniversary. Ciao!

Read More...

Summary only...

The Best and the Worst LIS Schools, 2007-2009

There are many ways of determining the "best" and the "worst." For this unofficial ranking, the best and worst library and information science (LIS) schools in the Philippines may be identified using the aggregate passing rates for each school whose graduates took the Librarians' Licensure Examination for the first time in 2007, 2008 and 2009, the only years for which detailed results per school are available. Only schools with examinees for all three years are included in the tables below. The schools are divided into three groups: those with 31 or more examinees, those with 11 to 30, and those with 10 or less.

LLE 2007-2009: Best & Worst LIS Schools

Note that the schools have been divided into groups arbitrarily, and that no school has actually been designated as "best" or "worst." This will be left to the reader to judge. The following observations, however, are offered as a way of demonstrating the need to divide the schools into groups—and its drawbacks—and the ways in which the tables may be used:

• Only two schools had more than 100 examinees: UP with 129, and PUP with 123. The former's passing rate is 95 percent, while the latter's is 45 percent.
• National Teacher's College, with 32 examinees, and Mindanao State University, with 30, are not in the same group, but one has a 6 percent passing rate, while the other's is 73 percent.
• All of Saint Louis University's 12 examinees passed. In contrast, not one of the 17 graduates from University of Northern Philippines-Vigan made it.
• Six schools were represented from 2007-2009, but all their examinees were repeaters, and that's why their names are on the list but no data is provided.

Why am I doing this? There is very little information available to students regarding the quality of LIS schools, and it is my hope that this effort of mine can provoke more detailed studies. Plus, if even one prospective LIS student looks at these tables and decides to go to one school, instead of another, then the time I've spent on this would have been worth it.

The data used for this post came from the following files: 2007, 2008 and 2009. Below is an alphabetical list of all the schools, with passing rates for first timers, repeaters and overall performance:Librarians' Licensure Exam 2007-2009

Read More...

Summary only...

Unlicensed Librarians and R.A. 9246

A discussion on the violation of certain provisions of Republic Act No. 9246 (pdf; R.A. 9246), specifically the continued employment of unlicensed librarians in the Philippines, is now on its third week at the Filipino Librarians Googlegroup (1 2 3 4). Some have suggested that there are certain situations where violating the law is justified, but the appointment of non-librarians to head a library, despite the presence of qualified, licensed librarians, is indefensible. And then there are the unlicensed librarians who have been "OICs," supposedly a temporary designation, for almost two decades.

It is not clear, however, whether these emails are being read by those can do something about the concerns raised. But it is also important to remember that it is not just somebody else's responsibility to make sure the law is followed; it is also our responsibility. Why do I say this? Zarah Gagatiga has already pointed out that, "The librarian MUST have a license. The employer MUST hire a licensed librarian." But what if they DON'T? Do we just wait for the powers-that-be to put things right? Below are the relevant sections of R.A. 9246 and my comments, followed by suggestions on what licensed librarians can do to uphold the law:

SECTION 26. Illegal Practice of Librarianship. – A person who does not have a valid Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card or a temporary/ special permit from the Commission shall not practice or offer to practice librarianship in the Philippines or assume any position, which involve performing the function of a librarian as provided under Section 5 of this Act.

The "person" referred to in Section 26 is, in essence, someone who is working as a librarian illegally. Note, too, that there are no exceptions granted for certain kinds of librarians (e.g., special librarians). Everyone working as a librarian in the Philippines is covered by this law. The only exceptions, I suppose, are those whose employers are not covered by Philippine laws, like some international agencies.

SECTION 31. Employment of Librarians. – Only qualified and licensed librarians shall be employed as librarians in all government libraries. Local government units shall be given a period of three (3) years from the approval of this Act to comply with this provision.

The emphasis in Section 31 on government libraries does not imply that the law applies only to librarians working for the government. All this is means is that the government, as the single, largest employer of librarians, was singled out for special attention.

SECTION 32. Penal Provisions. – Any person who practices or offers to practice any function of a librarian as provided for under Section 5 of this Act who is not registered and has not been issued by the Commission a Certificate of Registration and Professional Identification Card, or a temporary license/permit or who violates any of the provisions of this Act, its Implementing Rules and Regulations, shall, upon conviction, be penalized by a fine of not less than Thirty thousand pesos (P30,000.00) nor more than One hundred thousand pesos (P100,000.00), or imprisonment of not less than one (1) month nor more than three (3) years at the discretion of the court.

The most important phrase here is, to me, "upon conviction." Thus, a case has to be filed against the librarian. But I do wonder why the employer goes unpunished. Shouldn't the employer be liable as well?

There are, of course, certain realities that must be acknowledged, such as the fact that no one is really enforcing the law. Academic and school librarians are in a better position because accrediting agencies mark down universities and schools for non-compliance with the law, but all other kinds of libraries, including the public libraries funded by local governments, can ignore R.A. 9246 if they so desire. Have cases been filed against unlicensed librarians? Have any been convicted? If so, please let me know.

The following are my suggestions for those who wish to see R.A. 9246 implemented properly:

1. Verify whether someone working as a librarian is licensed or unlicensed. The Board for Librarians, the National Library, the Civil Service Commission, and the Philippine Librarians Association are supposed to have "up-to-date, complete and properly organized" lists of all licensed librarians in the Philippines.
2. Write a letter to the person, with copies to the person's employer, the Board for Librarians and the Philippine Librarians Association (and, if applicable, the National Library and/or the Civil Service Commission), indicating all the pertinent details and exactly how the provisions of R.A. 9246 have been violated, pointing out that the person's continued employment is punishable by law. Make sure you keep copies of all correspondence, and ask recipients to sign for any letters you give them.
3. If your letters are ignored or you are discriminated against or fired (because the person was your boss, for instance), file a case against the person at all appropriate agencies.
4. If filing a case, or even writing letters to the person or agencies concerned, is not an option, send letters to local and national newspapers laying out how the law is being violated. While this may be done anonymously, it is perhaps best that you identify yourself.

All these are, of course, easier said than done. But all we really need is one, high-profile case, preferably involving a well-known employer, that can then be used to show others who are violating the law that librarians are serious about policing their ranks.

Read More...

Summary only...

When will the Cebu City Public Library Re-open?

In December 2008, an announcement was made that Cebu City's Rizal Memorial Library would be closed for good. Pressure from Friends of the Cebu City Public Library, with the help of media exposure, led to the welcome news that the building would be renovated for three to six months and the library restored. The renovation, however, has still not been completed, even though a report indicated that "Acting" Mayor Michael Rama wanted the library fully renovated before the end of the year.

I do not know what the situation in Cebu is like, but based on what I've read (see articles below), it seems that there is more to this than meets the eye. Maybe someone can provide answers to the following questions:

• The mayor and vice mayor do not seem to be talking to each other, as shown by conflicting pronouncements made in newspaper articles. Is the library's renovation getting caught in an election-related matter?
• The supplementary budget has been approved, but has it been released? If the funds have been released, why is the renovation taking so long? Or is this delay related to the upcoming election as well?
• Library associations and librarians in North America go crazy with press releases and blog posts when library closures are announced. But except for Mindanao Librarian, not a word has been heard (or at least, I haven't found anything online) from the Philippine Librarians Association or the Cebu Librarians Association. If even librarians don't think a library closure is worth fighting, does that mean it's time to close the library?

I know that I should have written about this earlier, but I'm writing about it now. And I hope that Filipino librarians in the Philippines, especially those in Cebu, will take it from here. At the very least, I hope someone can answer my questions above.

The following are the articles that I found online:

City library to close (Cebu Daily News, 30 Dec 2008)
Will closing library start trend? (CDN, 3 Jan 2009)
Rama ‘won’t eject public library’ (CDN, 5 Feb 2009)
Anniversary Issue (CDN, 8 Feb 2009)
Save Cebu City Library! (Freeman, 12 Feb 2009)
No plan to close city’s public library--Tomas (CDN, 27 March 2009)
Cebu City Library marks 90 years April 17 (CDN, 5 April 2009)
City seeks temporary home for Rizal Library (Sun.Star Cebu, 25 May 2009)
Funding for library complete (CDN, 15 Jun 2009)

Read More...

Summary only...

Coming Soon: 5 Years of Filipino Librarian

On 18 February 2010, this blog will be five years old. My very first post was "Mabuhay!" I plan to revisit some old posts and perhaps make good on some promises that I never fulfilled. I'm thinking of holding a contest for the readers of this blog with a prize of US$100, but I can't think of an appropriate contest. Any ideas?

Read More...

Summary only...

PLAI Congress 2009: Observations from an American Librarian

The 2009 Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI) National Congress was held last 25-27 November 2009 at Heritage Hotel Manila. There are lots of photos at PLAI-STRLC (1 2 3 4) and The Multiplying Gorilla (1 2 3), but very little commentary. Fortunately, another librarian was taking notes. If anyone else would like to write a guest post for this blog about the PLAI Congress or any other library-related topic, send me an email at von-dot-totanes-at-gmail-dot-com.


OBSERVATIONS FROM AN AMERICAN LIBRARIAN
by John Hickok

I was delighted to attend the 2009 PLAI Congress. As a U.S. Librarian, I have attended many library conferences, but this was my first time to attend a PLAI conference. I am no stranger to Philippine libraries, as I first began researching libraries in the Philippines in 2005 with a research grant, and have made return visits, plus kept continued ties with many Philippine libraries, since. Also, as chair of the American Library Association International Relations Roundtable Orientation Committee, it was my pleasure to bring brochures and flyers from ALA, on paper/poster opportunities available to Philippine librarians.

The 3-day PLAI congress was most informative. The theme was environmental sustainability thru libraries, and a variety of experts on environmental topics presented, including ways of "going green" by Prof. Antonio Oposa of UP, and legal issues of sustainability for libraries, by Atty. Noel Ramiscal, also of UP. Aside from the program, the congress's venue (meals, location, etc.) were very nice at the Heritage Hotel Manila.

No conference is without a few challenges, of course. One was several late or absent speakers. Another was practical application to libraries. I spoke with several librarians attending, and asked them how they were enjoying it. They said "It's good... there was lots of good information on pollution, waste, etc... but we know that. We want more SPECIFIC suggestions on what, exactly, libraries should do." I was impressed with their motivation and interest. Environmental issues are ones that U.S. libraries struggle with as well.

As I continue my cross-cultural, comparative research on Philippine libraries and libraries of other Asian countries, I'll be sure and share my findings through this blog. My heartfelt appreciation to the organizers of the PLAI Congress for their hospitality in welcoming me, and to the many wonderful librarians I met and reunited with. Philippine hospitality is absolutely amazing! Thank you all! Maraming salamat po!

Read More...

Summary only...

In My Life: 1999-2009

Writing this chronological account has helped me realize that I was literally and figuratively “all over the place” from 1999 to 2009, but I'm thankful that I’ve finally found my “corner of the sky.” I don’t know if anyone else can learn anything from my experience, but this is my blog and I’m doing it for the record =)

At the beginning of 1999, I was still an assistant manager at Bank of the Philippine Islands with my own car. But after four years of working at a bank (including going through a merger!), I resigned, gave up the car, and eventually made my way to Arvisu House, a Jesuit prenovitiate, where I discerned whether my future lay in religious life. After it became clear in 2000 that the Jesuits and I were better off as friends (as opposed to “married” LOL!), I left for Cebu to teach Religion and Business English at Sacred Heart School for Boys (see "Introducing Gen X to the Bible"). At the end of SY 2000-2001, I returned to Manila and drifted from the Social Security System (as a consultant) to Loyola School of Theology (as a part-time graduate student and assistant editor) to Parlance (as a supervisor), until I decided to go back to school full-time for a master’s degree in library and information science (MLIS) at the University of the Philippines (instead of an MBA at AIM) toward the end of 2002. I finished my MLIS, began working at Asian Development Bank (as a records assistant) and obtained my librarian’s license in 2004 (see "Librarians: Already... But Not Yet").

In 2005, I started blogging (see "Mabuhay"), received a travel grant to attend a librarian’s conference in Toronto (see "Librarians as Leaders"), wrote an investigative report for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (see "By Vernon R. Totanes"), and got hired to teach Research and Library Management at UP’s then-Institute of Library and Information Science (see "Gainfully Employed"). I submitted my application to do my PhD at University of Toronto while I was an assistant professor at UP, and by the end of SY 2005-2006 I learned that I had been accepted (see "PhD - Information Studies"). On the way to Toronto, I wrote some more for PCIJ (see "Edsa 20/20: One Year Later") and was given another travel grant (see "Open Access in the Third World"). From 2006 to 2009, I travelled back and forth between Toronto and Manila to attend classes and do research. Perhaps the most significant event in my life during this period that was not directly related to my profession as a librarian or my status as a PhD student was my stint as a game-show contestant on "Kapamilya Deal or No Deal."

After I obtained my librarian’s license, it occurred to me that I was not drifting anymore, especially because it was then that I began to receive invitations to lecture as a librarian and blogger, and present papers at refereed conferences. I even got a few things published along the way (see "A Day in the Life"). Since 2005, I have delivered presentations in Manila, Singapore, Toronto (I just realized that I've never blogged about my presentations in this city!), Vancouver, Oxford, Hanoi, and at Library of Congress in Washington, DC. I hope there will be a few more before I graduate—finally?—in 2011. I have no idea what the future holds, but based on my own previous experience (i.e., from corporate to religious to academic, with lots more in between), I am confident that it will all work out in the end =)

Happy New Year!

Read More...

Summary only...