Ideas, Principles and Lost Opportunities by Homobono A. Adaza

Excerpts from the Introduction of the book:

“This is a personal story – of moments which, in my view, could have influenced the drift of contemporary Philippine history, if I had made the right decisions. This conclusion could dangerously lead many to uncontrollable laughter, if they do not know me. Worse, a parade of detractors will continue charging me of desperately trying to lift my chair, if they still do not know me. But I am not new to these charges. They have dogged me all the days of my life. And I enjoyed every moment of it, and still do, thus this book.”

“This book is an attempt to educate the young on the power of ideas, the value of principles, and the need to grab opportunities that present themselves to an individual, who has to make a definitive choice between principles on the one hand and the interest if the people and the country on the other. Many Filipinos view efforts to change the existing systems — political, social and economic — as quixotic, considering the embedded cycle and culture of corruption in the country. This idea of being quixotic runs against the grain of historical developments.”

That She May Dance Again by Sister Nila V. Bermisa, MM

Sister Nila unlocks the web of sexual violence in the Church and allows women-in-pain to become women subjects of their lives and destiny. She narrates the psycho-social and spiritual impact of abuse committed by the clergy and how traditional theology, ecclesiology, and spirituality legitimate the past and current behavior of Church authorities. The only way out is to allow women to name their experiences and become part of the on-going rethinking of the Church’s teachings on women and men. “That She May Dance Again” is an attempt to see women’s experiences and wisdom as integral parts of total renewal in the Church. Without their voices, we shall remain impoverished in living the subversive memory of Jesus who calls us to be friends and disciples and never as lording over others.

- Fr. Percy Bacani, MJ

The voices of those who have suffered sexual abuse at the hands of priests and other church officials is set at the heart of this book. Faithfulness to their experience and a passion to contribute to the empowerment of these women and to the transformation of the Church is what guides the author of this book. Sister Nila Bermisa combines a phenomenological approach with insightful understandings of the connections between abuse of women in the Church, patriarchy in church and society, and colonization. Aiming to contribute to an understanding of the “fullness of life,” what in religious-theological language is called salvation, Sister Nila calls the institutional Church to unequivocally sustain the victims of sexual abuse and facilitate their healing. From this study arises fresh understanding of soteriology, ecclesiology, and pastoral ministry.

- Dr. Ada Maria Isasi-Diaz, Professor, Drew University, USA

The Enemy Within by Glenda M. Gloria, Aries Rufo & Gemma Bagayaua-Mendoza (NEWSBREAK)

Excerpts from the book:

Conflicts fed a war economy. After Marcos, the military was given the chance to rid itself of corruption, but faced with battles and the whims of civilian leaders it never got around to doing it. The situation gave rise to a long-running motivation to perpetuate the status quo. A retired commander said, “A bad system will always kill itself.” – Glenda M. Gloria, “In the Name of War” 

The real estate properties and bank deposits that ex-military comptroller Carlos Garcia supposedly surrendered in the plea bargain deal were already garnished since these were the subject of two forfeiture cases in another division in the Sandiganbayan. Indeed, the general knew how to bargain hard — and got away with it. – Aries Rufo, “How the Big Fish Got Away" 

Corruption persisted in the military because its internal systems and needs had escaped in-depth examination. Civilian leaders and institutions failed. Said a budget and management official: “We taught them to lie to us and to fool us. It would have been for the benefit of all if there was full disclosure. – Gemma Bagayaua-Mendoza, “Epic Failure” 

Instead of UN reimbursements passing through the Philippines’ permanent mission to the UN in New York, the AFP asked that the money be wired directly to a bank account in Makati. The government allowed the military to take full control of the UN fund without civilian oversight. – Aries Rufo, “Making Money, Making Peace”

The Seven Deadly Deals by NEWSBREAK

I n The Seven Deadly Deals, NEWSBREAK tells the stories behind seven of the costly and crooked contracts and projects undertaken by the admin¬istration of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo that help explain the overall dismal state of infrastructures and government services:

• The delayed and costly North Luzon Railways (Northrail).
• The muddle over the full opening of Terminal 3 of the Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
• Cost-overruns in the construction of the Subic-Clark-Tarlac Expressway.
• The huge government subsidies going into the private sector-built Metro Rail Transport 3.
• The collapse of the Quedan and Rural Guaran¬tee Corp, (Quedancor),
• The divisive tender for joint development rights for Mt. Diwalwal, the country's biggest gold-rush area.
• The chaotic procurement of essential defense equipment.
      In the chapters on each of the seven messy and contentious deals, we tell the full story of what went wrong and why, who were responsible, what steps were taken to remedy the problems, and how the administration of President Benigno Aquino III is trying to clean up the mess.
     Whether Aquino likes it or not, it is now his responsibility to solve the problems and clean up the messy projects left behind by Arroyo. This book is as much about the challenges facing the new administration as it is about the failures of the past government.

The Philippine Informal Sector: Policies, Practices and Perspectives by: Isagani Antonio F. Yuzon

Foreword.In the International Labor Organization's (ILO) Kenya Mission Report, the concept of the informal sector was introduced as that segment whose ?way of doing things was characterized by (a) ease of entry; (b) reliance on indigenous resources; (c)family ownership;(d) small scale operations;(e) labor intensive and adaptive technology; (f) skills acquired outside of the formal sector; (g) unregulated and competitive markets?. Over time, the concept's definition has evolved.it cannot be denied that the informal sector performs a significant yet contentious role in society. While it has provided jobs and reduced unemployment and underemployment, most informal jobs are low-paying and offer almost no job security at all. Encouraging entrepreneurship to help alleviate poverty, the informal sector by its very nature, has exhibited low compliance with labor standards and tax regulations. Increasing in size and role especially in economic crises and periods of transition, this informal sector is estimated to be about 4%-6% in developed economies to almost 50%-70% in underdeveloped and developing countries.

The Roots of the Filipino Nation Vol.II by O.D. Corpuz

The Roots is above all a Filipino story.
It begins as the story of our ancestors, their differentiation into Muslims and non-Muslim, and then the division of the non-Muslims into Christians and non-Christians.  It tells of their separation for centuries, and then of how the natives, Chinese and Spanish mestizos, and even some full-blooded Spaniards born in Filipinas, united to form the Christian Filipino nation. It tells of the imperfect joining of Christians and Muslims during the American colonial regime, as distinguished for the vision of Rizal and Aguinaldo of a fraternal, all-archipelago union.

Filipino Value System by F. Landa Jocano

This book is about the commonly shared and traditionally established system of values under lying Filipino behavior. This system forms only part of the larger Filipino cultural system. Thus, it is a subsystem. But,unless this subsystem is understood in its proper cultural context, it would be difficult to appreciate its influence on Filipino individual or group behavior.

Battle of Ising by Marie Silva Vallejo

Battle of Ising: The Untold Story of 130th Infantry Regiment in the Liberation of Davao and Mindanao by Marie Silva Vallejo. 
From the Foreword. Philippine history is replete with Filipino heroes. This was especially more so during World War II when the Philippines was invaded by Japan. Many - or most - Filipino heroes, however, are unfortunately unknown to the present generation. Some medals and citations were awarded in the years just following World War II, and memorials and monuments were erected. Although memorial ceremonies were - and continue to be - held, the heroes usually remain in the background as other people take center stage. Thus, the really deserving men and women have faded into obscurity, lumped together in vague generalizations and cliches in speeches and books.
Furthermore, most of the histories of World War II in the Philippines have focused on Luzon. The battles fought on Luzon were, of course, important in the war effort, and in the wresting of the Philippines from the Japanese. But there were significant battles fought in the Visayas and Mindanao, battles which may be known in their immediate locality but not in the national consciousness.

Slavery in the Spanish Philippines by William Henry Scott

From the Introduction: Father Jose Arcilla's 1972 article on "Slavery, flogging and other moral cases in the 17th century" took many readers by surprise with its evidence of Filipino slavery as late as the 1680's. Even more surprising was the businesslike attention which a 17th century theologian could give to establishing a fair price. Arcilla cites a judgment by Dominican Fray Juan de Paz on the age at which a child slave could be considered an asset rather than a liability. "Eight taels for a twelve-year old boy is to me too little to make him a perpetual slave. In Manila, the price of a boy two or three years old is reckoned at thirty pesos more or less... Until he is eighteen or twenty years old, the service of a twelve-year old boy is of little value. One also has to consider the risk that he might die or fall sick and be of no use to the person who bought him."

The Life and Struggle of Crispin Beltran by Ina Silverio