CHRONOLOGY OF EVENTS (2003-2009)

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.