TOPAZ HORIZON

I know we seem to be shopping a lot lately but remember we did sell our truck a couple of months back. Even though it was a good energy-efficient pick-up truck with cheap car insurance, we decided to let it go since we walk to work anyway. Besides, with the global credit crunch, let us shop (wisely!) so that the ailing economy will recover!
So a few weeks ago, I saw these exquisite Chinese porcelain garden stools in Dimensione High Street. I promptly fell in love with them. Now, I live in an apartment with no gardens whatsoever so I didn't buy any. But I kept thinking of them so Vince and I finally went back last week. Vince kinda balked at the price but even then he told me to get a pair since one stool would look lonely. I said, "Nah, let's just get one. We just bought two overpriced chairs."


So we looked over all of the pretty porcelain stools. I couldn't decide between the yellow and the pink. Vince said, "I think we should get the yellow one. And I really still think you should get a pair." After much agony from me and much exasperated impatience from Vince, I finally decided to get the blue one with pink flowers. Here it is at home...

Hmmm. Methinks I should've gotten the yellow one. And Vince is (again!) right--one stool, no matter how pretty, looks terribly lonely. Well, I'll just go get the yellow one then! (Although I quite like the pink one, too...)

For me, the thought of a future without books is equivalent to a big dose of appetite suppressants since in the few days after I wrote my last post, I could hardly eat from worry and sadness. However, I am now happy to report that many Filipinos have mobilized protests against this new policy and rained complaints on the Departments of Finance and Customs. This country is indeed great!

Also, Robin Hemley, Director of the Non-Fiction Writing Program in the University of Iowa and the man who started this all with his report on "The Great Book Blockade of 2009", mentioned my very own post about the issue in his website! Thanks, Kae, for telling me about this. I was surprised and quite honored! It definitely put me on a good mood to cook all weekend!

Now, remember--the fight ain't over yet! Do your part, Pinoy, and make books part of our future!

There's a new atrocity our government is imposing on us Filipinos. Taxes will be levied on all imported books--1% for educational books and 5% for non-educational books. That's on top of the 12% VAT we're already paying. The hugely popular Twilight Saga of Stephenie Meyer whetted the appetites of our customs officials and they promptly decided they can make crazy money from each of the tens of thousands of Twilight books that Filipinos devour.

There's an international treaty that says books--educational or not--should be imported in all nations tax-free. Our government has decided to go against the treaty so that (if you're rich) they can squeeze more money from us and (if you're poor) keep our brains empty at the same time. It's a brilliant maneuver of an extremely corrupt government. It's also stunning in its stupidity.

Now, Vince and I love books. We read and write the way people eat and drink. Books are not a hobby; books are our life. And if we have one mission in life, it's that we want every person in the entire Philippines to build personal libraries the way we are slowly and joyfully doing. Each Filipino home should have at least one room filled with beloved books, to be read over and over again and be passed down to children.


With this new customs policy, this dream will never come true. What will remain true is the enduring ignorance of the Filipino masses. This breaks my heart. Because I came from a poor family, but books opened my mind and fed my soul, they made me dream, and made it possible for me to get out of the poverty and make my dreams come true. Books can do that--textbooks and otherwise! How can the next generation have a chance if our government makes it impossible for them to read?

Please write about this in your blog. Please write to the following:

• the media, especially TV and radio, so that they can bring attention to this matter
• Customs Undersecretary Espele Sales, the woman who decided that books should be taxed (I cannot find any mention of her on government pages, though)
• Bureau of Customs Commissioner Napoleon Morales, e-mail: BOCCommissioner@customs.gov.ph
• National Book Development Board (their purpose stated here), e-mail: helpdesk@nbdb.gov.ph
• Secretary of Education Jesli A. Lapus, contact here
• National Commission for Culture and the Arts Vilma Labrador, e-mail: oc@ncca.gov.ph
• National Commission for Culture and the Arts Commissioner Ambeth Ocampo, e-mail: info@ncca.gov.phThis e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

I don't know who else to write to and how to do it most effectively but if we need to write to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo herself, then let's do so!

To learn more, please read columnist Manuel L. Quezon III's article and University of Iowa Non-Fiction Writing Program Director Robin Hemley's report.

UPDATE: Correction--Espela Sales is the Undersecretary of Finance. I am ashamed to say we share the same last name!