Hemophilia Community Celebrates Success Over World Hemophilia Day 2024.

Hemophilia Advocates-Philippines (HAP), a national nonprofit organization for people with hemophilia and related bleeding disorders, proudly announces the success of its latest awareness campaign. Held at the Festival Mall, Alabang on April 13, 2024, World Hemophilia Day brought together about 250 patients, members, supporters, and advocates from across the country in a collective effort to raise awareness for those affected by hemophilia.

Hemophilia is a rare genetic bleeding disorder that affects about 10,000 Filipinos. However, in the 2020 study conducted by the World Federation of Hemophilia, only around 1,600 cases have been diagnosed and registered.

Through educational discussions led by HAP’s medical advisors from the Philippine Children’s Medical Center and Philippine General Hospital, attendees, mall goers, and Facebook live spectators learned more about hemophilia care in the present age. The gathering also highlighted testimonies of how HAP’s partnerships with other organizations created opportunities and positive impact to improve the quality of life of persons with bleeding disorders.

This event also strengthened our efforts to call forth the attention of the Philippine government to hasten the passage of the Bleeding Disorders Standard of Care Bills that have been pending in the House of Representatives and the Senate.

The generosity and compassion displayed by the guest speakers, advocates, and performers including Peter Harbinson a renowned Australian Opera Singer, underscored the importance of coming together to increase awareness and provide opportunities for individuals living with bleeding disorders to lead better lives.

HAP successfully commemorated World Hemophilia Day thanks to the commitment of its volunteers, donors, as well as foreign and local partners including Festival Mall-Alabang, Save One Life, Project
Share, Virtualahan, Jollibee, and the media sponsorship by Inquirer.net, Cebu Daily News Digital, Pop!, Preen.ph and Be An Inquirer.

The funds raised through donations and merchandise sold will directly support HAP’s initiatives to make information accessible and comprehensive care available at the grassroots level.

"We are overwhelmed by the incredible support we received during this event," said Andrea Trinidad, HAP's President. "Every donation, every step taken, and every conversation had a meaningful impact on the lives of those affected by hemophilia. Together, we are making a difference and providing hope for a brighter future."

HAP extends its deepest gratitude to everyone who participated, donated, and supported the event. The generosity and commitment to their cause are invaluable, and with our continued support, we can all create a world where individuals with hemophilia can live healthier, happier lives.

For more information about Hemophilia Advocates-Philippines and how you can continue to support their mission, please visit hemophilia.ph or contact our Executive Director Ms. France Alviz at 09955505315.

PH to make its debut at Bologna Children’s Book Fair 2024.

The National Book Development Board (NBDB) and its partner, The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), are set to make a historic debut at the 2024 Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) from April 8 to 11, 2024 at the BolognaFiere Exhibition Centre, Bologna. This is a milestone for the Philippine children’s book sector, as it marks the country’s first-ever participation at the world’s biggest international fair for children’s content.

With the Philippine children’s book sector thriving and highly sought-after in the local publishing industry, this debut offers a long-awaited opportunity to showcase the country’s children’s content, which is among the most widely translated genres, to a global audience.

A curated selection of 103 books, exploring themes such as culture, diversity, identity, peace, community, and the environment, will be featured at the Philippines’ country stand at the BCBF.

The delegation includes acclaimed artists Beth Parrocha (The Pencil Who Would Not Write, Bulul), Liza Flores (The Secret is in the Soil), and authors Russell Molina (Tuwing Sabado, Sandosenang Kuya), and Mary Ann Ordinario (My Muslim Friend, War Makes Me Sad).

It aims to not only present the talent of Filipino creators but also to secure translation rights, expand networks with foreign publishers, and foster collaborations between local and international counterparts.

Additionally, Philippine comics will take center stage at the BCBF’s Comics Corner, courtesy of Avenida Books founder and Trese publisher Nida Ramirez, who has been honored with a fellowship from the BolognaFiere Group.

“Establishing the country’s presence in the BCBF—as well as in the upcoming Asian Festival for Children’s Content, where it will be the Country of Focus, and the upcoming Guest of Honor role in Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025, shall help solidify the Philippines as an emerging creative content capital in Southeast Asia. We cannot wait to introduce our children’s book industry to the global stage—the many Filipino authors and publishers exploring themes of peace identity and community,” notes Executive Director, Charisse Aquino-Tugade.

Since its inception in 1964, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair has been the premier platform for professionals in children’s content worldwide, providing opportunities for networking, rights selling, and cross-media adaptation, along with educational activities.

This year, with over 1,500 exhibitors from around 100 countries, including the Philippines, the fair anticipates over 25,000 visitors. The Philippines’ country stand, designed by the award-winning artist and illustrator Aldy Aguirre, is located at Hall 29, Stand B24-C23.

For industry professionals interested in attending, tickets for the Bologna Children’s Book Fair can be purchased at https://www.bolognachildrensbookfair.com/en/visitors/ticket-online/1131.html. For more information, visit books.gov.ph or follow us on Facebook and Instagram, @nbdbphilippines.

Vinyl Gold Rush.

More and more audiophiles keep digging their hands for hours to score the vinyl record they have been searching for so long. Audiophiles crowded the first "One Stop Record Fair" for this year which kicked off at the new Greenhills Mall in San Juan City recently.

The quarterly music event "One Stop Record Fair" featured over 30 vinyl record sellers, such as Bunnygod Records, Tambai Records, Lennox Records, Kapitan Plaka, Musique Vibe Records, Mamsy Records, Plakatons, Ohmandys, and Perfect Day Records, among others. Vinyl records from as early as the 60s to 2020s were discounted up to 50 percent and sold for as low as 200 pesos, but everyone is welcome to negotiate and ask for discounts. First pressings are often sold for an expensive price so it's good to note for next time to bring additional cash.

Got no turntable and other audio equipment yet? Fret not because cassette tapes and compact discs (CDs) were also available at the record fair. Audio-Technica had a booth selling their audio gear such as turntables and speakers. Notable titles which are sold at the event are Bob James Trio's "Feel like Making Love" and "The World's Greatest Audiophile Vocal Recordings" both from UG34 Music; Stevie Nicks and Lindsey Buckingham's "Buckingham Nicks (Japan Pressing" and "City Pop Avenue" by Paper Moon Project from Bunnygod Records; Edie Brickell & The New Bohemians' "Shooting Rubberbands At The Sky (US First Pressing) and Charles Mingus' "Mingus at Monterey (Japan pressing mono)" from New Vintage Culture and other unique records sold.

Cubil's wife Keiko Necesario, who is also a singer-songwriter, joined him on stage to sing their song "Una." Meanwhile, director and actor Bobot Mortiz launched his 8-track vinyl album "Goin' Standard," a collection of standards popularized by Frank Sinatra, at the record fair.

"I am happy with the outcome of this event. One Stop Record Fair is indeed successful. I can say that 'our events are always successful, and it was different from previous fair since it was more fun and more people came,'" said Sari Osorio, the organizer of the record fair.

Osorio noted that the people are also more excited this time because they already know what the record fair offers and they want to get a look at what has been added to the mix since the last fair. Get ready to get digging because the next “One Stop Record Fair will be in June 2024.

The Philippine Book Festival is back, and it's bigger than ever!

For the second year running, the National Book Development Board Philippines (NBDB) is bringing together publishers, authors, artists, educators, and readers at the country’s biggest traveling book festival.

Taking place at the World Trade Center in Pasay from April 25 to 28, 2024, the PBF is a four-day celebration showcasing the richness of Philippine literature, culture, and arts. This unique book fair integrates education, entertainment, tourism, and shopping into a single family-friendly event.

In addition to the extensive collection of published works and titles from the Philippines, this year's festival offers a diverse range of talks and workshops.

Highlights include "A Day with Gwy Saludes," featuring an exclusive book signing and meet-and-greet session with the author. Historian and bestselling author Ambeth Ocampo will lead "Ambeth Without the Overcoat," a book signing session. National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, will present "Trip to Quiapo," while "Dahling Nick: A Tribute to National Artist Nick Joaquin" will honor the renowned writer.

Other sessions include "Aklat Para Sa Accla: New Trends in Boys Love and Girls Love," "Comics Can Change the World" with Patti Ramos, and "Zine-making 101," a workshop on crafting independently-produced "fanzines" led by Komiket's Bunny Luz.

Attendees can anticipate the comeback of the Rare Book Collection by the National Library of the Philippines, which will feature a new selection of rare manuscripts and facsimiles; the Book Bar–a library of sorts filled with award-winning books; Cosplay Filipiniana, a cosplay competition allowing fans to portray their beloved Philippine literary characters; and Guhit Pambata, an exhibit highlighting the creations of some of our best children’s book illustrators.

This year, the PBF will launch the Tabuan Food Hall, wherein guests can feast in between pages.

The festival brings back its four popular realms: Kid Lit, a land just for children, Komiks, which puts the spotlight on Pinoy komiks, Booktopia, home to an abundance of fiction and non-fiction titles, and Aral Aklat, which is devoted to textbooks and educational materials. There will be a Creators Lab, Main Stage, and Kids-at-Play that highlight exciting talks, activities, and workshops more specific to the interests of readers and fans of those genres.

Panels, puppet shows, storytelling with surprise television and movie celebrities, and live performances are also scheduled throughout the four-day festival.

“This year, we have more authors and we bring together the best of Philippine content for the entire family. The country needs more reading spaces that encourage conversation, creation and collaboration. Ang Philippine Book Festival ang nagsisilbing panghikayat ng NBDB sa iba pang mga organisasyon na lumahok at makiisa sa mga programang nagtutulak sa mga Filipino na magbasa dahil ang aklat ay para sa lahat,” said NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade.

The event is longer this year to give ample time for teachers, librarians, and organizations to research the books they need for their schools. Similar to last year, NBDB is working closely with the Department of Education (DepEd) to train more than 750 book evaluators and procurement officers to scope and evaluate books to purchase for public school libraries and library hubs. Evaluators from all over the country will fly in to source educational books for the students of their regions.

A Feast for the Eyes

The festival will be a feast for the eyes too as it features the designs of talented graphic designer and children’s book illustrators Marc Vincent Soriano, Liza Flores, and Beth Parrocha. Parrocha designed the four realms, finding inspiration in the four major elements: water for Kid Lit; earth for Komiks; fire for Aral Aklat; and air for Booktopia. Each realm has its color as well—pink, purple, yellow, and aqua—to make it easy for guests to figure out which part of the festival they’re in.

“I had fun doing all the visuals. It’s a great opportunity for any artist to be given the whole World Trade Center as a canvas for my art,” Parrocha said.

A Stronger Culture of Reading

The Philippine Book Festival is part of the National Book Development Board’s effort to promote a culture of reading and develop the publishing industry in the Philippines.

“The Philippine Book Fair is a program that, on the one hand, is about celebrating Philippine culture, but on the other hand, encompasses our agency’s long-term plans: improve access for every Filipino reader, democratize distribution, and enable our publishers and authors to keep producing Philippine books,” said Chairperson Dante Francis Ang II.

Register now at https://bit.ly/_PBF2024Registration or scan the QR code. No worries, because entrance is free! The fair is open to the public from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on April 25-28, with no entrance fees. For more information on the Philippine Book Festival and to register for free, visit www.philippinebookfest.com.