ASEAN Book Publisher Association Annual General Meeting, Manila, August 29, 2007
PHILIPPINE PUBLISHING IN 2006: COUNTRY REPORT
By Atty. Dominador D. Buhain
President Emeritus
Philippine Educational Publishers Association
Book Production
The pace of book production in the Philippines in 2006 is as usual in the past 10 years or so, as may be seen in Table 1. Book publishing has not shown much dynamism since 1996, although if one states that there was a 152% growth between 1996 (3,770 titles) and 2006 (5,713 titles), some quantitative progress is apparent. But the reality is clearly static when one cites the total 11-year production at 55,782 (equivalent to one-year book production of Italy) or an average annual production of 5,201 titles in the last 10 years.
The true volume of book production is really unknown. The National Library, which is the legal depository and registration center for copyright materials as well as the agency that administers the International Standard Numbering Systems for books (ISBN), and serials (ISSN), is the source of statistical information on book production. Since the start universal bibliographic control under UNESCO auspices in the 1970s, the National Library’s Bibliographic Service Division (BSD) has based the data on annual book production on the ISBNs is issued by it. Before 1970, the basis had between the number of published books deposited upon registration of copyright materials by private authors/publishers or deposited under the Legal Deposit Law (Presidential Decree 812) by government offices at all levels including municipalities and provinces and government-owned or controlled corporations. These legal requirements are still in effect and implemented, respectively, by the National Library’s Copyright Office or the Publications and Special Services Division (PSSD) under the Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines (Republic Act 8293) enacted 10 years ago and the Government Publication Division under PD 812. Fees for copyright services generated in income of P1,588,100.00 from copyright payments, recordals, certified true copies and certification. Compliance with the ISBN system is free. Thus, in 2006, the National Library issued a total of 5,713 ISBNs and assigned 280 ISBNs and 18 publishers’ prefixes, for a total of 336 registered authors and publishers. Of these ISBN issuances, The On the other hand, the Copyright Office received 7,538 applications, issued 7,541 copyright certificates, and arranged and shelved 8,300 books (some titles are duplicated) and copyright deposits. Some 2,560 Philippine imprints or Filipiniana materials were classified for inclusion in the Philippine National Bibliography, which the National Library mandated by law to compile.
Starting in November 2005, the National Library also started issuing International Standard Music Numbers (ISMNs). In 2006, 14 ISMNs and 1 publisher prefix were issued under the system.
In comparison with comprehensive book industry data being reported by ABPA countries such as Thailand and Vietnam, the Philippines still needs to develop and maintain a comprehensive database on Philippine publishing. Since its establishment, the National Book Development Board (NBDB) has endeavored to do this industry profiling as a tool for the implementation of the National Book Policy but it is seriously hampered by many factors of which the least is serious financial constraints. Any planning by government or the private sector can only provide a solid foundation for development if buttressed by reliable and consistent information.
The prospects are here for a thriving and profitable book industry. Education is a passion for Filipinos who look at it as a panacea for poverty and other ills of underdevelopment. Government proclaims all-out support and pulls no stops even to huge financial loans in seemingly futile attempts to raise the quality of education. Even the educational publishing industry, which comprises at least 80 percent of book production has to contend with problems that emanate from governmental intrusion into business affairs. Requirements of foreign developmental loans force a widely open educational materials market to the detriment of Filipino publishers and printers. Only this week, the Department of Education announced that foreign printers including ironically those from other ASEAN countries won all biddings for the printing of billions of pesos worth of textbooks for Philippine public schools, and that no Philippine publisher or printer won any bids. It is no wonder that the Philippine printing industry is considered by some to be in its death throes.
Scholarly publishing by university and academic presses and by professional associations and organizations.
Challenges and Opportunities
- An importing Economy. Even before the decade of the World Trade Organization and resultant globalization woes, the Philippines as a former colony of the United State has been at the negative end of a seriously imbalanced export-import trade in books (see Table 1). In fact, the entire Philippine economy is propped up by imported dollars sent home by overseas Filipino workers.
- Paucity of data on the book trade in the Philippines. Book statistics based on ISBN assignment, with no data for meaningful analysis of book information. The NBDB, industry stakeholders, and the library profession should cooperate to establish a reliable, consistent and comprehensive database.
- Largely a school educational market – marketing and sales of textbook are quite different from marketing and general reading matter. Government control of educational publishing for 90 percent of the textbook market (public schools enrolment) runs counter to National Book Policy.
- No reading or book buying culture –
- Promotion of reading habit among children and youth
- Production of more and better quality children’s books
- Controlling competition from publishers of books in English by publishing vernacular materials in Filipino languages for countrywide market. The most popular segment of current Philippine book market is the romance little literature in the national language, which is patronized by little-schooled adults and high school drop-outs. In contrast, college degree holders do not read general books and scarcely read professional literature.
- Translation of foreign best sellers chosen for Philippine market
- Poor economic conditions. Books are too expensive, leading to rampant photocopying that violates copyright. Support the Philippine Reprographic Rights Organization to protect copyright and promote authorship and publishing.
- Support individual and institutional markets for books – more funding for school, academic and research libraries and the public library network.
- Promotion of trade books/general books very limited – some news items on book launches; no book reviewing culture and no book reviews except in academic publications which generally appear months or years late.
Legislative Measures
Some bills have been introduced in Congress to help in the enforcement of copying laws and otherwise assist the industry, including the following:
- Senate Bill No. 1914: AN ACT PROVIDING FOR THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK AND MECHANISMS FOR THE CREATION, OPERATION, ADMINISTRATION, AND COORDINATION OF THE PHILIPPINE BOOK PUBLISHING INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT CENTER, OTHERWISE KNOWN AS THE `BOOK CITY’, CREATING FOR THE PURPOSE, THE BOOK PUBLISHING ENTERPRISE ZONE AUTHORITY (BPEZA) AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES;
- Senate Bill No. 2182: AN ACT DECLARING IT UNLAWFUL TO ILLEGALLY REPRODUCE COPYRIGHTED BOOKS AND PRINTED MATERIALS THROUGH PHOTOCOPYING, DUPLICATING, PRINTING OR SIMILAR MEANS WITHOUT THE WRITTEN CONSENT OF THE COPYRIGHTED OWNER WHETHER THE PUBLISHER OR THE AUTHOR OR BOTH
- Senate Bill No. 78: AN ACT CREATING A NATIONAL BOOK DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND TO SUPPORT FILIPINO AUTHORSHIP;
- Senate Bill No. 1992: AN ACT ADOPTING A RETAIL PRICE MAINTENANCE AND UNIFORM DISCOUNTING SCHEME IN BOOK TRADE WITH THE END VIEW OF INSURING AFFORDABLE, ACCESSIBLE AND QUALITY-LADEN TEXTBOOKS AND OTHER RELATED EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS TO BE USED BY PRIVATE AND PUBLIC SCHOOLS