One of the most voracious readers among the nation’s leaders was the late great Blas Ople whose passion for books is matched only by his passion for writing. The remarkable thing about him is that he did not reach college and his erudition came mostly from reading and spending most of his money on books.
As a member of the Marcos Sr. cabinet, he was considered as an outstanding secretary with a brilliant mind that even President Marcos himself, one of the most intelligent leaders of this country, had asked him to tone down on his scholarly themes so that the other cabinet members could understand him.
His legendary passion for books reminds me of one French author, Michel de Montaigne, also the mayor of Bordeaux who was once asked if he were to choose which he would burn first, his books or his children, and without batting an eyelash, answered, “My children.”
Not all Filipino kids can be as gifted as Ople because of his love for books and saw the need for the country to have more accessible public libraries. This is more so because our poor children have no ready access to books and other reading materials as much as they are to the internet – and there’s just a lot of garbage there.
Sad to say, the construction of public libraries occupy the lowest priority among our government officials, and a majority of them do not realize the value of books. Librarians are among the poorest professionals due to lack of job opportunities.
Senators and congressmen should set aside funds from their multimillion-peso pork barrels for the construction of public libraries.
Tell me, do you have a fully-functional one in your neighborhood? I thought so.
On this note, what happened to Republic Act 7743 signed by the late President Fidel Ramos in 1994, providing for the establishment of congressional, city and municipal libraries and barangay reading centers throughout the Philippines?
I previously made mention of the establishment of rural libraries to promote the development of intellectual facilities of the people since we had noted the utter lack of such libraries not only in the urban but also in the rural areas.
The little-heard of an apparently unimplemented law mandates that the National Library, in coordination with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) shall undertake the establishment of public libraries to serve all congressional districts, cities, municipalities, and reading centers in all barangay units.
The National Library shall also coordinate and organize seminars, workshops and other training for the professional advancement of librarians. It provides for appropriations from the national and local government units to fund such libraries and reading centers.
Sad to say, a visit to the most rural areas would reveal that public libraries and reading centers are non-existent. Some officials are clearly sleeping on the job or simply cannot put it in their thick skulls that such libraries are vital to the moral and intellectual development of a nation.
It’s a pity RA 7743 has not gone full swing. I was particularly impressed with the provisions on the functions of the libraries such as: to make available to members of the community a wide array of reading materials including those prescribed by the Department of Education and national newspapers of general circulation; to be used as a venue for audio-visual presentations in the community and other kinds of exhibitions and activities, aimed at increasing the literacy rate, by government agencies, NGOs, or private entities in the dissemination of information of great interest.
And there’s simply just too much garbage and bad things to learn from the internet. A good old library can be a better alternative then, plus the fact that the great nations of the world have great libraries with thousands of books in them for all to read.
Remember, a well-read and a correctly-informed citizenry make for a strong and progressive nation.
Successful dropouts
Let me share this with you. There was a time when the late presidential spokesman, literary guru and newspaper columnist Adrian E. Cristobal Sr. was infuriated at Manuel ‘Manoling’ Morato for pontificating that college dropouts like Joseph Estrada were not qualified to run for president.
Mr. Cristobal claimed Mr. Morato insulted millions of dropouts in the country. And this group includes Adrian himself, Blas Ople, Kit Tatad, and JV Cruz, all of them being superior intellectuals, poets, writers, and speechwriters, eloquent speakers, and wordsmiths.
The Constitution, which stipulates the candidates’ age limit, does not require university degrees or a minimum IQ, he said.
However, the country’s biggest cheats and crooks today have offices adorned with framed diplomas and doctorates, including those from Ivy League schools in the US.
Right of reply or duty to reply?
Do you remember Senate Bill 2150 (Right of Reply) authored by the late Senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr., together with Senator Ramon ‘Bong’ Revilla Jr., and Francis ‘Chiz’ Escudero which recognizes the rights of persons to reply to media reports or commentaries, and yes, opinion columns that may be erroneous, unfair, or biased against them and injurious to their reputation?
Well, no less than the Foreign Correspondents Association of the Philippines (FOCAP) has expressed its opposition to this bill saying that “if passed into law, the proposed legislation will violate freedom of the press.
It constitutes prior restraint and interferes with editorial judgment by telling reporters and editors what and what not to write, publish, and broadcast. In addition, it decides how much space and time should be given to one side of the story, undermining editorial discretion in consideration of other news stories of greater public interest.”
I agree with FOCAP.
For his part, Senator Pimentel Jr. said that “the right of reply is not an infringement at all on freedom of the press. On the contrary, it is an expansion of that right so that the people in general will enjoy the right of free speech which should be respected by the media.” I don’t quite agree with the senators.
Furthermore, if you criticize an individual on print, radio or television, the law gives him the “right of reply.” And if the owner, editor, or station manager fails or refuses to give equal space for reply when requested, that person incurs criminal liability and a fine and/or an imprisonment of not more than thirty days.
So what is wrong with this bill when it concerns public officials? As far as public officials are concerned, they are given the right, instead of the duty to reply.
Thus, the bill weakens, instead of strengthens, public accountability.
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Factoid: Emilio Aguinaldo was a third year high school dropout from Colegio de San Juan de Letran. He collaborated with the Japanese during the Japanese Occupation, writing speeches, radio addresses, and issued articles in support of the Japanese. When the Philippines obtained freedom, Aguinaldo was arrested and imprisoned but was released later on through a presidential amnesty.