ON THE LEGISLATIVE DRIVE FOR A NATIONAL BOOK DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND
by Ed Sabalvoro and Alvin J. Buenaventura
12th Congress
July 23, 2003- Deputy Speaker Raul M. Gonzalez (current Secretary of Justice) filed House Bill No. 6226.
August 3, 2003- Senate Majority Floor Leader Loren Legarda filed Senate Bill No. 2612.
During a conference at the Philippine Normal University, where National Book Development Board (NBDB) Chair Dennis T. Gonzalez was guest speaker, 135 signatures were generated in support of the Trust Fund .
December 2003- Feature article "Trust Fund for Filipino Authors Proposed by Solons" by Carlo June J. Panila appeared in BOOKWATCH, the quarterly publication of the NBDB.
13th Congress
July 20, 2004- Congressman Raul T. Gonzalez Jr. filed HB 1531.
August 03, 2004- HB 1531 passed First Reading.
December 2004- Printed in the December issue of BOOKWATCH were "Structures of Creativity" by Dr. Dennis T. Gonzalez and "Bill on Authors' Trust Fund Reintroduced in Congress" by Carlo June J. Panila.
October 11, 2005- HB 1531 on Second Reading authored by Gonzalez, Reyes (E), Lapus, Villafuerte, Carmona, Barinaga, Dominguez, Dy (C.), Gullas, Macarambon, Chungalao, Plaza, Joaquin, Acosta, Suplico, Yapha, and Banaag.
June 30, 2004- SB 78, authored by Senator Luisa P. Ejercito, was filed.
July 28, 2004- passed First Reading at the Senate.
August 11, 2005- Co-authored by Sen. Edgardo Angara.
February 21, 2006- House approved HB 1531 on Third Reading.
March 01, 2006- House version transmitted to Senate.
March 17, 2006- NBDB held a Forum-consultation on Trust Fund for comment and to propose possible rules on the implementation of HB 1531 and SB 78.
March 17, 2006- The NBDB Governing Board passed resolution #4 asking the Senators to act promptly to expedite the passing of the National Book Development Trust Fund Bill into law. The Board further resolved to direct the NBDB Secretariat to include their recommendations in the plan i.e. to write to all the book industry stakeholders to send their respective letters or position papers expressing support of said bill and to conduct informal lobbying with the Senators.
March 27, 2006- News article "House okays trust fund for book development" by Ruby Anne M. Rubio appeared in BusinessWorld, S1/11. Same article was reprinted in BOOKWATCH, volume 10 issue 1, Jan-March 2006, p. 17.
April 7, 2006- National Book Development Trust fund Task Force composed of NBDB employees, namely Director Wilfred M. Castillo, Rene Catangay, Alvin J. Buenaventura, Bong Versoza, Jun Briola, and Ed Sabalvoro, was convened. Visits were made to the Office of Senator Juan Flavier, Education Committee Chair, by the Task Force.
April-June 2006- In her article "Top Ten Reasons for Filipino Book Lovers to Celebrate" (BOOKWATCH, vol. 10, issue 2, p. 5), author Mary Ann A. Punsalan placed number five in her list the National Book Development Trust Fund.
Summer 2006- NBDB interns Ma. Viel Rania C. Cabanawan, Sainah Benz M. Alonzo, and Paula Nicola S. de Asis, designed and produced Trust Fund brochures and flyers. These brochures were also available for download at the agency website.
August 31 – September 03, 2006- NBDB distributed brochures on the Trust Fund at the NBDB Booth during the 27th Manila International Book Fair held at the World Trade Center, Pasay City
NBDB established ties with Read or Die, Inc., a local book club, to campaign for the passage of the Trust Fund at the Senate. They posted trust fund campaign contents on their website on October 2006 and discussed it among their members.
October-December 2006- In her article "The Year in Review: NBDB Goes Global in 2006," (BOOKWATCH vol. 10, issue 4, p. 34), author Erin C. Cabanawan discussed the Book Development Trust Fund.
January 24, 2007- Page C-1 of Manila Bulletin article “Read to Live” mentioned NBDB signature drive for National Book Development Trust Fund.
February 3-4, 2007- Signature Drive on the Book Trust Fund at the Read or Die Convention, Hotel Intercon, Makati.
Task Force posted the Alert Action on the Trust Fund Bill online at the NBDB website hoping for more support. Campaign resources were even made available such as sample letters, email addresses, and contact information of Senators.
14th Congress
July 26, 2007- Cong. Raul T. Gonzalez Jr. filed HB 1401.
August 08, 2007- Cong. Rufus B. Rodriguez filed HB 1948.
July 02, 2008- NBDB Chair Dennis T. Gonzalez sent letter to Committee Chair Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano urging him to co-author the Trust Fund Bill and to convene Education Committee and hold a hearing.
July 03, 2008- Approved by the House on Second Reading HB 4213 filed by Cong. Raul T. Gonzalez Jr. with the following co-authors – Rufus Rodriguez, Del De Guzman, Edcel Lagman, Laarni Cayetano, Edgardo Chatto, Isabelle Climaco, Carlos Padilla, Crispin Remulla, Thelma Alamario, Carmencita Reyes, Marcelino Teodoro, Rodolfo Valencia, Liza Maza, Trinidad Apostol, Mariano Piamonte, Mark Llandro Mendoza, Isidro Ungab, Florencio Garay, Arturo Robes, Francisco Matugas, Salvador Escudero, and Eufrocino Codilla.
Chair Dennis T. Gonzalez led the NBDB delegation composed of Exec. Dir. Atty. Andrea Pasion Flores, Dep. Exec. Dir. Frances Jeanne Sarmiento, and Ed Sabalvoro.
June 11, 2008- Approved by the House (by 198 votes ) on Third Reading.
June 17, 2008- Transmitted to and received by the Senate.
June 11, 2008- Senate’s Committee Report 78 submitted recommending approval and substituting SB nos 619, 1720, and 2403, with Senators Jinggoy Estrada, Edgardo J. Angara, Manny Villar, and Allan Peter S. Cayetano as Authors.
September 22, 2008- Sen. Lito Lapid is made co-author of SB 2409.
October 08, 2008- NBDB Secretariat conferred with Sen. Alan Peter S. Cayetano and staff for the Senate’s Education Committee Hearing on Trust Fund.
October 09, 2008- Sponsorship Speech of Sen. Cayetano. SB 2409 approved on Second Reading without amendments. Sen. Juan Miguel Zubiri made co-author.
November 10, 2008- SB 2409 was approved on Third Reading in the Senate.
November 13, 2008- SB 2409 was sent to the House of Representatives requesting concurrence.
November 27, 2008- In his column MINI CRITIQUE at The Philippine Star, Dr. Isagani Cruz wrote about Senate Bill 2409.
January 19, 2009- House of Representatives adopted SB 2409 as an amendment to HB 4213.
February 05, 2009- Enrolled copies of the consolidated version of SB 2409 and HB 4213, sent to the House of Representatives for the signature of the Speaker and the Secretary General.
February 16, 2009- Enrolled copies of the consolidated version of SB 2409 and HB 4213, sent to the Office of the President of the Philippines, for the signature and approval of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
March 06, 2009- Ceremonial signing of Republic Act 9521: An Act Creating a National Book Development Trust Fund To Support Philippine Authorship by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo at the Presidential Guest House, Malacanan Palace, Manila.
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Salient Points of Republic Act 9521:
AN ACT CREATING A NATIONAL BOOK DEVELOPMENT TRUST FUND TO SUPPORT FILIPINO AUTHORSHIP
Policy: It is the policy of the State to promote the continuing development of the book publishing industry in all regions of the country as embodied in Republic Act No. 8047 or the "Book Publishing Industry Development Act."
Since authorship is one of the major components of book publishing, the national book policy obliges the State to create a dynamic and conducive environment for the promotion of Filipino authorship and other creative activities in book development.
A National Book Development Trust Fund is established exclusively for the support and promotion of Filipino authorship especially in Science and Technology and in subject areas wherein locally authored books are either few or non-existent.
Fund Sources:
1. The amount of fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) shall be allotted in the annual General Appropriations Act (GAA) for the next five (5) years starting from the enactment of this law;
2. The amount of fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) fund at five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) per month for ten (IO) months;
3. Another fifty million pesos (P50,000,000.00) from the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) at five million pesos (P5,000,000.00) per month for ten (10 ) months.
Grants Program Guidelines:
1. Only interests drawn from the fund sources shall be used;
2. Grants will be awarded after one year and distributed equitably in the regions;
3. Government corporations are authorized to give grants to the fund at their discretion;
4. Contributions to the Fund shall be exempt from the donor's tax and the same shall be considered as allowable deductions from the gross income of the donor, in accordance with the provisions of the National Internal Revenue Code of 1997, as amended;
5. The National Book Development Board (NBDB) shall be the administrator of the Fund; For the sound and judicious management of the Fund, the NBDB shall appoint a government financial institution;
6. The NBDB in coordination with the national and local government units (LGUs) shall undertake activities to inform, promote and develop Filipino authorship;
7. The NBDB may provide incentives to LGUs such as, but not limited to, matching the funds being provided by the LGUs, in activities that reflect their partnership towards attaining the objectives of this Act.
Effectivity. -This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in any newspaper of general circulation in the
This is consistent with other relevant policies:
Section 2 of Republic Act 8047 recognized that “the book publishing industry has a significant role in national development…considering that books are the most effective and economical tools for achieving educational growth, for imparting information and for recording, preserving, and disseminating the nation’s heritage;
The same law declares as a policy of the State to promote the continuing development of the book publishing industry, with the active participation of the private sector, to ensure the adequate supply of affordable, quality-produced books not only for the domestic but also the export market;
Letter j, Section 6, Rule IV of the Rules and Regulations Implementing R.A. 8047 provides for the Governing Board the power and function to “receive donations, grants, levies, devices, and similar acquisitions which shall form a trust fund of the Board to accomplish its development plans on book publishing. Any intended disbursement from the trust fund must be covered by a duly approved Board resolution;
General Policy #1 of the National Book Policy, promulgated and adopted on
Implementing Policy 1.1 and 1.9 of the National Book Policy provide that “new writers/authors shall be developed…with preferential attention to subject areas wherein there is scarcity or no locally-authored publications” and “a book development fund for authors and other personnel in the book publishing industry shall be established, respectively;
Outcomes and Externalities: A National Book Development Trust Fund to support Filipino authorship may solve the following:
1. The problem of low levels of output in book production in the
This will increase the number of titles produced annually especially on local history, science and technology, indigenous children’s stories, and translations of classic works into local languages, among others.
2. The lack of incentives for authors and creative artists caused by the limited number of research grants and fellowships which force authors to move to more financially rewarding endeavors.
This will motivate and inspire veteran as well as budding authors and book writers to write books in Filipino, English and in other local languages.
3. The lack of trained and competent authors, editors, designers, graphic artists and production specialists.
This will create more training and development activities to encourage authors and the creative members of the industry to come out with bigger quality outputs and create more trained and competent personnel.
4. Minimal number of works written in any of the eight major local languages or dialects viz. Cebuano, Hiligaynon (Ilonggo), Bikol, Kapampangan, Ilokano, Waray, Tagalog, and Pangasinense.
This will eventually spur a vibrant book trade in the regions in the future.
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