WELCOME ADDRESS
Atty. Dominador D. Buhain
President, Philippine Educational Publishers Association
During the Induction of the Incoming Officers of PEPA
December 7, 1999 at the Manila Hotel
Guests, Ladies and Gentlemen,
May I at the outset express my deepest and sincerest gratitude to the members for having once more entrusted to me the signal honor and privilege to serve this prestigious association as its president towards the new millennium.
It is a period that will usher in heightened global competition, a new era in information technology and the age of fast and vast development in the electronic world. It is a time to be calculating but resolute in our determination and in our decision as we tackle the multifarious concerns of the modern business climate. It is also a time to be heard and a challenge for this association to continue its lead role in the growth and development of the book publishing industry in our country.
I am grateful that some friends in government are here with us to witness the renewal of our commitment to provide the most effective and most economical tools for achieving educational growth, for imparting information and for recording, preserving and disseminating the nation’s cultural heritage.
For so long, the government has failed to provide the support and attention to the book publishing industry, which is and shall remain to be a vital cog in the intellectual development of the Filipino citizenry and in the economic upliftment of our people. It is only now that we see a shimmer of hope because the policy makers in the government are aware and cognizant of the true status of this industry compared to those of other countries.
Please allow me in my capacity as PEPA president and as governor of the National Book Development Board to cite a few urgent concerns that need to deaddressed with a degree of determination and with finality because they touch on the very growth of the industry:
A clear delineation of the respective roles of DECS and the NBDB
The private stakeholders cannot be left in the dark – not knowing as to which is the lead government agency they have to deal with insofar as books are concerned. To date, DECS continuous to play a major role despite the fact that in the Senate hearings, in the law itself – RA 8047 and in the Executive Order 119 adopting the National Book Policy, the National Book Development Board is expected to be the dominant agency.
The private industry can ill-afford to contend with two conflicting policies or directions or even guidelines. In the matter of textbooks for basic education in the public schools, for example, the NBDB has been espousing the school based selection and ordering while DECS insists on bidding. The NBDB is into registration and accreditation of book publishers and so is the DECS. What happens if NBDB accredits a publishers, while DECS does not or vice versa?
The law creating the National Book Development Board provides for adequate representation from the private sector in its governing board. These representative presumably represent the industry and therefore their voices and views must somehow be given weight, not only because of their publishing and technical expertise, but more so because they represent the stakeholders. This is the spirit and intent of the law.
Dura lexsedlex. The law may be harsh but that is the law.
The introduction of House Bill No. 7250 proposing the creation of a Textbook Development Board and the abolition of the NBDB.
A bill proposing the creation of a Textbook Development Board and at the same time proposing the abolition of the National Book Development Board has been filed in the House of Representative. It is House Bill No. 7250 and its main sponsor is the Honorable Dante V. Liban. This bill, if passed into law, will bring back government monopoly and may cause the eventual demise of private book publishing in the Philippines.
Let us recall that the former Instructional Materials Development Center in its 20 years of existence or operation published no more than five hundred (500) titles in two decades. It explains why the Philippines is at the tail-end in the book production. With our level of intellectual capacity and the facility for communicating and writing even in foreign languages, the situation can only be described as a national shame.
The abolition of the NBDB will not necessarily bring down the prices of textbooks. We know that the only products under price control at the moment are the government textbooks. The people in DECS have set the prices – , which we suppose, they believe to be reasonable given the changing economic factors. Why then blame RA 8047 for what DECS has determine to be fair?
We therefore reiterate our request to the Honorable Dante Liban to withdraw the resolution. Archiving it may only result into its resurrection by future Congress. RA 8047 or the NBDB Law, and more specifically the National Book Policy, provides adequate guarantees for development of the industry. This law has nobler intention than the proposed House Bill 7250 which is limited to textbooks. We support for a bigger budgetary allocation to the Book Board for it to speedily put in place the necessary infrastructure for continued book development.
Review the fiscal and non-fiscal Incentives under EO 226 on the Omnibus Investment Code
In 1995 when RA 8047 was yet being crafted, there were about 20 or so number of fiscal and non-fiscal incentives under the Omnibus Investment Code. Now, only five (5) of these incentives are available to the industry and these five are not even applicable because of the stringent conditions that have to be complied with or satisfied before anyone can enjoy any of the five – (5) remaining incentives.
With the fast – obsolescence of existing printing machines and emergence of new electronic printing presses, there is a need for us to update our facilities with the state-of-the-art technology. Tax-free importation of capital equipment has been delisted. We can only hope that the government extends support to the industry to enable it to produce quality and economical prints.
While RA 8047 provides for the tax and duty free importation of raw materials used in book publishing to enable the industry to come up with affordable books, the guidelines that have to be followed however makes it difficult to the publisher to avail of such incentives.
We urge therefore our policy makers to conduct a review of these incentives in consultation with the private book publishers and the other related activities. The industry was so elated upon the signing of R.A. 8047.
We suppose it is incumbent upon our executives and legislators to give the industry meaningful assistance and not just lip service.
May I now digress to non-governmental concerns directly affecting the book publishing industry:
Book Readership Movement
At the just conclude Frankfurt International Book Fair, I noted a strong campaign now going in the United States and in most advanced countries for book readership.
I believe it is high time for us – both government and the private industry – to launch a similar drive in the country and in all age levels. Our effort must be catapulted on a national scale and must generate national attention and interest. Readership enriches the brain and the human spirit; and consequently enriches and empowered the masses. Readership expands the market, makes the authors busy, enlarges the industry, and consequently there is employment and economic activity. The future of the industry is on readership.
Quality and affordability
The book finds a market because of its quality and its affordability. We often hear of protests on defective and poorly written books. We are too aware also of the complaints on the high cost of books even though oftentimes, these are the imported books. The industry must seek to harmonize quality and affordability to the greater interest of our readers. We have to expand the market beyond our shores to attain economy of scale. We have to move towards gaining a bigger share of the reading materials now supplied by foreign publishers. In effect, we have to assume a bigger role by providing similar reading materials presently obtainable only from foreign publishers. There should be equal attention to non- textbooks. There should also be some effort towards indigenous reading materials. Our direction must gradually inch towards this end – objective of providing quality and affordable books to the Filipinos.
The Changing Trends
The sad spectacle is and has always been that we are lagging so much behind in the production, acquisition, and adoption of state – of – the – art technology on book publishing. Elsewhere, electronic books and CD – ROMs are starting to proliferate. Ours is still in paper technology. The inroad of these books in new forms on the local market could certainly be destructive to the local stakeholders. It is something that can only be stalled if the locally produced books adopt the same technology. This is therefore a reality not to far removed. Again, this is a challenge that confronts us; and, I say, it is time that we confront the challenge.
In closing, may I continue to count on your active and unceasing support to your humble servant so that we can ensure adequate supply of quality and affordable books. May I echo my earlier call for a determined and a meaningful campaign for book readership throughout the archipelago. The archipelago will only grow if there are readers and the books become meaningful only if they are read.
On my part, I reiterate the solemn vow I made today to discharge the functions of my position with humility, with honor and with distinction, I intend to repay your continued trust and confidence in me.
Thank you and good night.
