Stephen B. AlayonThe Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Stephen B. Alayon on 17 December 2020. The citation reads:STEPHEN B. ALAYON is a distinguished achiever in the field of Library and Information Science, committed to uphold UN SDGs by supporting open access to information from publicly-funded researches on fisheries and
Enrique T. Cayaban
The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Enrique T. Cayaban on 20 June 2019. The citation reads:
For his distinguished contribution in the field of Librarianship, his exemplary service in his profession such as: Director of Libraries, Saint Mary’s University; Chief Librarian, Cagayan Valley Computer &
Would you like to attend the IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2018 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia?
Dysart & Jones, a trusted advisor to the knowledge, library, and information community, is donating FREE REGISTRATION (worth 595 Euros) for ONE licensed librarian from the Philippines to attend the 84th WLIC from 24-30 August 2018. (NOTE: This donation does NOT include
Elizabeth R. Peralejo
The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Elizabeth R. Peralejo on 21 June 2018. The citation reads:
For demonstrating professional excellence and relentless dedication to her 40 years of involvement in the field of librarianship as shown in her significant contribution to the advancement of the profession
"Only qualified and licensed librarians shall be employed as librarians in all government libraries."
On 19 Jan 2018, I filed a complaint with the Ombudsman that questioned the appointment of a non-librarian as Director of the National Library of the Philippines. On 14 Feb 2018, I filed a supplement to the original complaint that charged the current Director with illegal practice of the
A few weeks ago, I was surprised to find my photo and name in a list of the hottest Filipino librarians. To be perfectly honest, I don't think I belong on the list. And I'm not being modest. Just take a look at the photos below ;-)
Note: All photos below are used with permission. And everyone on the list is a licensed librarian, except where indicated otherwise.
ISHEE finished her master's
Mila Medina Ramos
The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Mila Medina Ramos on 23 June 2017. The citation reads:
For her distinguished contribution in the field of librarianship as demonstrated by her exemplary service to her profession through sharing of her expertise as resource speaker in local and international fora and
Congratulations to Dr. Marianita D. Dablio for her Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of the Philippines Library Science Alumni Association (UPLSAA)!
Below is the response she delivered at the awarding ceremony.
Response
Marianita D. Dablio
2 July 2016
Thank you, UPLSAA 2015-2016, for this Distinguished Alumna Award.
It is with great humility that I receive this award in behalf
Congratulations to the new librarians! The passing rate for this year's Librarians' Licensure Examination (LLE) is 65 percent (738 out of 1,140), which is the highest-recorded passing rate since librarians began taking the LLE in 1993, and certainly higher than the 2015 passing rate of 47 percent. The most important question is "Why?" Was the exam easier? Or are graduates getting better? It's
Rodolfo Y. Tarlit
The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Rodolfo Y. Tarlit on 22 June 2016. The citation reads:
For having sustained his dedication, competence and integrity, as a Professional Librarian, contributed in raising the level of competence of Filipino Librarians and the emergence of Librarianship as a profession
I was invited to talk about "Rizaliana Online" at the Philippine Historical Association's National Conference on Teaching the Rizal Course. I don't have time to share what I said, but I did promise to share the links to the sites I mentioned.
Disclaimer: The inclusion of a website in the list below does not mean that I fully endorse the site and that there are no problems with its content or
August is Buwan ng Wika (Language Month). This year's theme is "Filipino: Wika ng Pambansang Kaunlaran" (Filipino: Language of National Development). See the banner and calendar of activities below.
But perhaps the most interesting development—for me, anyway—is that Philippine Panorama has devoted most of its latest issue (2 August 2015) to a discussion of different aspects of the national
"Online research" is supposed to be what lazy students do. Scholars, meanwhile, are expected to travel to different libraries, archives, and museums to consult documents, photographs, and books. This, however, is not necessarily true anymore because more and more resources are becoming available online. In some cases, surfing the web is not only less expensive, but also more productive because
Lourdes T. David (center),
with Kate Obille (left), Dean of UP SLIS,
and Grace Tabiendo, President of UPLSAA
Congratulations to Mrs. Lourdes T. David for her Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of the Philippines Library Science Alumni Association (UPLSAA)!
Mrs. David, currently a member of PRC's Board for Librarians, was my predecessor at the Rizal Library. She encouraged me to
Estrella Velasco Manuel
The Professional Regulation Commission conferred the Outstanding Professional Librarian of the Year Award on Estrella Velasco Manuel on 18 June 2015. The citation reads:
As one of the pillars of Philippine Librarianship, a distinguished leader for more than sixty years, having served as a teacher-librarian since 1952, Dr. Estrella Velasco Manuel, was instrumental in the
I was recently asked to make some book recommendations. The books, preferably available in bookstores and "easily digestible," were to answer the question: What should I read if I want to learn more about the Philippines and Philippine culture?
Smile, Cebu Pacific's inflight magazine, is probably one of the most widely-circulated (if not most widely-read) magazines in the Philippines AND I had
In case you missed it last week, the video of a TV5 documentary on reading in the Philippines is now available online. The documentary's title, "Book-lat," references the Tagalog word "buklat" (in English, to open like a book). The question it seeks to answer is "Kaya ba nating makalikha ng isang nasyon ng mga mambabasa?" (Can we create a nation of readers?) Watch the entire documentary below.
Congratulations to the new librarians! The passing rate for this year's Librarians' Licensure Examination (LLE) is 47 percent (349 out of 742), which is higher than the 2014 passing rate of 28 percent, but is consistent with the passing rates of 47 percent in 2012 and 46 percent in 2013. It appears that the decline in the passing rate last year was, in fact, due to the change in exam schedule
Yes, librarians in the Philippines are licensed by the Professional Regulation Commission. This year's Librarians' Licensure Examination (LLE) will be held on April 22 & 23 in Manila, Baguio, Cebu, Davao & Legaspi. Ten years ago, I shared some tips on applying for and taking the LLE. While there have been a few changes between now and then, most of the advice I gave then—from applying early to
Ten years ago, I unilaterally declared April 7 as "Epifanio de los Santos Day." It was commemorated in 2006 and 2007, but it hasn't been celebrated on this blog since. Thankfully, Ambeth Ocampo wrote about the librarian after whom the Philippines' best-known highway is named just last week. Here's what he wrote in "Contemplating Edsa" (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 27 March 2015):Epifanio de los
Congratulations to Ma. Lorna Eguia, the first Filipino librarian to be chosen as one of Library Journal's Movers & Shakers!
Her work with victims of Typhoon Haiyan, specifically the bibliotherapy she offered to children through her Books in Bags project, is featured prominently in her citation as a Community Builder.
Many people have told me that they want to help build public libraries, but often they think it will be enough to donate books. I tell them that book donations—and even new library buildings—are not enough.
Someone has to be there to make sure that the books are taken out of the boxes, organized, and displayed. Otherwise, it is very likely the books will remain in their boxes forever. Someone
Guest Post by Oj Cruz
Photo by Ada Cañas, GMA News Library
People I meet, after the perfunctory introductions are made, are usually surprised to find out I am a librarian. Reactions range from the demure "oh," with a slight twitch of the left facial muscles, to the "oh-no-you're-not," delivered with an abrupt plunge in tone of voice; skin slowly turning pale. Kidding aside, people I meet for
In "Old-fashioned books" (Philippine Daily Inquirer, 4 March 2015), Ambeth Ocampo states that
Today, many of the rare books on the Philippines are now available online. Some are copied out by Project Gutenberg, while others have been scanned and are downloadable free from the Biblioteca Nacional de España and other websites. The National Library of the Philippines has many important Philippine
Photo by Daniel Tan
Last month, I was asked to write a short essay on my favorite place in Ateneo. I ended up writing not so much about the Ateneo libraries I used to frequent when I was growing up, but how my favorite places influenced my own journey to becoming a librarian (see "Laman ng Lib"). I am reproducing the essay below, with links to posts I've written in the past, to (re-)introduce