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| (Image Source: Batangas Provincial Public Information Office/MacVen Ocampo) |
Though they are living abroad, three Batangueño authors never ceased to show their love for their homeland and appreciation for the culture and history of the province through the books that they have written or authored. This is in connection with the book launching and donation drive held last January 7, 2025 at the Provincial Library situated inside the Provincial Capitol Compound's HELP Information Building in Batangas City in partnership with the Batangas Provincial Library which main objective is to further expand the “local heritage collection or catalog” of the provincial library. The event, featuring the launch of two books titled “Sons Of Batangas” and “Snippets Of Life”, was graciously attended by several representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd) – Batangas Province and Batangas City LGU, Batangas History Society, and librarians and library managers from various towns, cities, schools, and universities in the province.
The first book, “Sons Of Batangas”, was written by Ian Gutierrez and Conrado Bugayong, both natives of Batangas City. Gutierrez has lived in Australia for almost 25 years while Bugayong has been in America for over 20 years. Their book is the authors' nostalgic narrative about their home town or place where they grew up. It contains their journey and memories in Batangas City before they decided to live overseas. Here, they look back on the people, places, and events that shaped and left a mark on them as Batangueños, as well as their overall relationships and perspectives on life and the city. The book also details the changes and developments of the city over the past decades. Authors Gutierrez and Bugayong shared that the book will be helpful for the new generation of Batangueños, especially in exploring what life was like back then compared to now. They also discussed the process of writing the book, where their conversations were mostly virtual to finish it. The second book, “Snippets Of Life”, is written by Ma. Eireen Conty Macaranas who hails from Lipa City and is now based in Australia. The aforementioned book contains her collected poems or poetic manuscripts about her life experiences and the beautiful qualities she has learned as a Lipeña. Among Macaranas' writings included in the book is his first poem, which is dedicated to his mother. He said it was from an assignment he submitted when he was still in college. In addition, he also wrote a tribute poem for his late father. For Macaranas, writing poems, whether short or long, serves as an outlet for his emotions and feelings. He also said that it is a great achievement to have his writings published, which are all part of the foundation of his being a Batangueña.
After the authors' presentations and explanations of the content of their works, everyone listened quietly and with interest to the authors' formal reading of some parts of their books. Some paragraphs and lines read from the book opened up the audience to refresh and revisit their memories of the places they belong to. The program also included a question and answer session, followed by a book distribution and signing to provide free copies of the books to several libraries in the province. Vice Governor Mark Leviste, Provincial Administrator Wilfredo Racelis representing Governor Hermilando Mandanas, Provincial Board Council (Sangguniang Panlalawigan) Secretary Nelson Bayani, and Provincial Librarian Alexander Lunar, one by one, extended their thanks and congratulations to the authors. For them, the important role that the books published will play in promoting the lesson or spirit of looking back and recognizing the place of origin. In addition, Lunar pointed out the importance of conducting these types of activities which stimulate and give life to the maintenance of the use of libraries, especially in this era of social media or modernization. He also extended his invitation to everyone to visit the Provincial Library in the Capitol which opens on weekdays, from Monday to Friday, from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm. Meanwhile, the families and close friends of Gutierrez, Bugayong, and Macaranas also fully supported the book launching and donation drive.
(With words by Mark Jonathan S. Macaraig, Batangas Provincial Public Information Office)
