WELCOME REMARKS
2004 APPA PUBLISHING FORUM
Honorable Senator Richard J. Gordon, International Publisher Association (IPA) President Ana Maria Cabanellas; Asia-Pacific Publishers’ Association (APPA) President Choon Ho Na; Department of Education (DepEd) Undersecretary Miguel M. Luz; National Book Development Board (NBDB) Chairman Dennis T. Gonzales who is represented by NBDB Governor Bing SibalLimjuco; our distinguished speaker from Korea, Choi Tae Kyung; chief delegates of the national book publishing association of the APPA member countries which comprise the supreme body of APPA , colleagues in the Philippine Educational Publisher Association or PEPA (without whose support through the PEPA-APPA Committee or PAPCOM under the leadership of Ms. Florinia S. Espiritu Santo the affair would not have materialized); heads of various book association and colleagues in the publishing industry, good afternoon and welcome.
It is an honor and privilege to be hosting this event in the historic City of Manila which was founded 400 years ago by a Spanish colonizer Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and which had earned the title ‘’Pearl of the Orient’’ because of its strategic location and architectural attractions. King Philip II gave it the title ‘’Isigne y I Siempre Leal Ciudad (Distinguished and Ever Loyal City).
The theme of the 2004 APPA Publishing Forum is : ‘’Government Intervention: Survial of the Local Book Publishing Industry as a Tool for National Development’’.
Considering that the book publishing industry is a socio-economic endeavor which serves as a foundation for national development through the democratization of indigenous intellectual inputs and creativity, we are privileged in the Philippines to have a law called The Book Publishing Industry Development Act or RA 8047 which was passed on June 1995.
The law is likened to a bible for the Filipino book publisher which provides them with the pathways which they would pursue, with the intercession of a a governmental agency called NBDB, to ensure the affordability, accessibility and quality of locally authored books and related materials to satisfy the domestic and international needs with sanctions by reasons of the presence of fines and penal provisions for violation thereof.
The year 2004 has three (3) meaningful events, as follow: Firstly, on March 05, 2004 the PEPA held a general assembly entitled ‘’Dynamic Implementation of RA 8047’’ wherein fourteen (14) resolutions were passed to further strengthen the implementation of the law.
Secondly, on June 25 NBDB , during the Book Congress, paved the way in order for the issues and concerns the various sectors on the book industry to be publicly ventilated with recommendatory measures from stakeholders and recommendatory measures and plan of action from NBDB itself for appropriate action by government.
Thirdly, in the course of the 2004 APPA General Assembly and a Publishing Forum with the theme ‘’ Government Intervention: Survival of the Local Book Publishing Industry as a Tool for National Development’’ to where we are now, we are hopeful that through the local, regional, and global exchanges herein, curative measures shall be enacted to finally eradicate the obstacles for the survival and growth of the local book publishing industry as an indispensable tool for national development.
As we take note of available statistic data for the year 2002 from the members countries with India having 15,000 publishers with 70,000 titles; Japan with 72,055 titles; Korea with 19,135 publisher and 36,186 titles; while the Philippines, though it had submitted 5,193 titles for ISBN purposes, it actually published and printed only 2,041 titles for the year 2003.
Amidst the alarming backdrop of many big book printers having closed shops recently, we are hopeful that the implementation of the Philippine law be reinvigorated in order that our country would become effective partner with the Asia-Pacific countries to bring about a vibrant regional book publishing activity.
We have purposely invited the Honorable Senator Richard J. Gordon for his dynamic and charismatic leadership for bringing hope, if not success, in whatever endeavor he would undertake be it at the helm of the Tourism Department, Head of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and the Mayor of the City of Olongapo to help us attain the above-cited aspirations.
We are honored by the presence of the most important personality in the publishing world in the person Señora Ana Maria Cabanellas, the newly elected president of IPA (comprising of 66 member countries and 78 national book publishing association) as our guest speaker. As a lawyer, educator, and with vast experiences in publishing, it is anticipated that she would provide us with a global perspective on the correlative importance of book publishing to the country’s progress together with the intervening obstacles.
We are privileged to be in the presence of DepEd undersecretary Miguel M. Luz who would explain on the Proposed Textbook Policy as it jives with RA 8047 together with his proposal to strengthen the library operations throughout the country.
We are privileged also to be in the presence of Governor Bing SibalLimjoco of the NBDB in lieu of Chairman Dennis T. Gonzales (who could not make it) to give us progress report in the implementation of RA 8047 amidst its budgetary constraint.
We are honored also with the presence of the distinguished speakers from China, Chen Weijiang and Korea, Choi Tae Kyung who shall report respectively on the assistance of the Chinese and Korean governments to their respective book publishing industries.
As we welcome each and everyone of you, again, we hope that the exchanges would bring about curative measures be it in the form of legislative enactment(s) or dynamic implementation of the existing ones for the survival and growth of a very important socio-economic activity which is called the local book publishing industry.
Earlier, during the assembly, a resolution was passed by the APPA member countries towards this end.
Thank you very much! Mabuhay!