A Book’s Best Friend

In this day of extreme cynicism, it’s refreshing to talk to somebody young who embodies the idealism we all once had, even if that idealism is now such a cobwebbed memory. A cum laude graduate of economics of the University of the Philippines and holder of a Masters of Arts in Education (Learning, Design and Technology) from Stanford University, Ani Rosa Almario comes like a gust of fresh air.

As Product Development head of publisher Adarna House, Ani Rosa carries on a tradition set forth by her father, National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario (also known as Rio Alma and present Dean of the UP College of Arts and Letters) in promoting Filipino identity and socio-cultural values through literature. Known for ground-breaking work in the field of children’s literature, Ani’s accomplishments had the British Council of the Philippines nodding its collective head and nominating her as Philippine representative to the International Young Publisher of the Year conference.

With unabashed candor, Ani welcomes the distinction. "It’s a chance to go to London for their annual Book Fair," she gushes. "I have to make a presentation and that’s somewhat daunting, but the itinerary also involves all these places that I’m really excited to visit. I’ve traveled to Europe before, but England was one of the countries we missed out on. There’s a book I’m reading, Sixpence House, and the story involves a small town called Hey-on-Wye, something of a haven for antiquarian bookstores, and we actually get to visit that town during this trip!"

There are eight countries sending nominees for the Young Publisher award, including Poland, Nigeria and a number of Latin American countries. To qualify, one must be an editor of a publishing house that’s perceived as a risk-taker, and between the ages of 25 to 35. Each candidate will be given 45 minutes to present his/her take on three major points: Developing Readership, Fostering New Writers and Readers, and Penetrating the International Market.

On the last point, Ani will have to bring a set of Filipino publications and defend her selection in terms of why they could successfully transcend cultural barriers and sell globally.

But more than this trip to England, it’s what Ani puts on the table in her role within Adarna House that had me nostalgic for the dreams and hopes we had in our youth. She’s honest enough to know they may have a small role in the scheme of things, but that doesn’t mean her vision and commitment to what Adarna House can and should stand for has to be diminished.

"My father set up Adarna as a publishing house in the 80’s. In fact, it’s titles from those first years–like Emang Engkantada and Digong Dilaw–that I grew up with," she explains. "The core philosophy of Adarna House has always been nationalism. My father chose the mythical Ibong Adarna as the metaphor for the company–its magical song was the way to rid the world of troubles, and we stand as an institution hoping to play a part in ridding this country of illiteracy. For us, it’s always been upholding Filipino culture and values, creating a strong, vibrant sense of country. Without that mindset, we’ll always be Filipinos who don’t think twice about leaving for greener pastures, or worse, fooling our fellow countrymen."

To pursue that vision, Ani joined Adarna House even when her mother and father had envisioned her using her economics degree to enter the corporate jungle, her mother having done stints at SGV and Anderson Consulting. Four years ago, when she formally joined Adarna, there were four employees. Now they’re a robust office of twenty.

"We concentrate on book development and funding, leaving the actual printing on an outsource basis with three separate printing presses," she reveals. "With children’s books, the illustrator is just as important as the author, given how visual stimulus is a must at that age. We’re constantly looking to push the envelope insofar as illustration is concerned. In Europe and the United States, the trend has been to utilize post-modernist techniques, leaving behind the folk art rendition that traditionally was the norm for all children’s books."

Ani confronts squarely the challenges of the industry. "With me, it’s the lure of books, the fighting for a project that excites me in the workplace. Sometimes, it does seem like I’m trapped in a dream of our own making. Obviously, the easy way out if you’re in the publishing business here is to go textbook and the captured market. With storybooks, we have to be very conscious of the costs; it seems there’s something of a ceiling of 50 pesos in order to sell a children’s book in numbers. While the A-B families may not think twice about getting an imported book for three, four times that amount, most parents will find going beyond 50 pesos for a local book as exorbitant."

But she is not fazed by the clash between idealism and the realities of the market. "It’s that kind of a mentality we have to contend with while still trying to develop new writers and come up with novel ways to illustrate and graphically design our releases. For example, you mentioned the pop up books that became so popular in the West a couple of years ago. They’ve persisted abroad, but while I’m sure the talent and ingenuity of our local artists could shine if pointed in that direction, the costs of paper and printing inhibit us from venturing there."

In many ways, Ani shares her father’s vision for the publishing house. "We were actually approached some years ago to be the official publisher of Pokemon and Disney books here in the Philippines, and again, you’d think what a golden opportunity, sure money in the bank," she says. "But we decided not to go there as it strayed from the nationalistic spirit with which Adarna was founded. If there is one title I’m especially proud of, that would be XILEF. The title comes from spelling Felix backwards and it’s about dyslexia. We published it with the cooperation of the Philippine Dyslexia Foundation and Word Lab. It was picked up by the Aklat Sisikat program of the Ayalas. We tried to demystify dyslexia and portray it as a condition which required sensitivity, but did not mean one had to make fun or ostracize those who suffer from it."

This recurring theme of stressing peculiar Filipino values and customs is seen in their current stock of releases. A closer look at their titles and the back-of-the-book blurbs will give go in espousing this vision.

Chenelyn, Chenelyn has to do with a super-heroine yaya, and the kind of appreciation and relationship one should have with the household help. Ang Barumbadong Bus is their nod to defensive driving, safety for pedestrians and street courtesy. Si Putot, ang Asong Maikli ang Buntot is Adarna’s take on being happy with who you are, rather than always feeling shortchanged in life, or envious of others.

In development, there’s a book without words, just full of illustrations, entitled I Don’t Like To Eat. After Eden is a title from the pen of Arnold Arre, considered the local god of graphic novels (similar in feel to the manga book craze in Japan). Evidently, there’s a depth and drive for innovation that’s seen within the sphere of what Adarna can accomplish; pity that we tend to pigeonhole or summarily dismiss what’s being done in the field of children’s literature.

All this dovetails with what Ani, whose current bedside reading includes Haruki Murakami and Charles Dickens, was exposed to when taking her Master’s in Stanford. "I was jokingly looked to whenever a question revolved around access to technology, as it is a fact that we are relatively low-tech when it comes to education across the board," she shares. "At any rate, while the curriculum stressed how the learning environment could be enhanced by design and technology, my own perspective came down on stressing the interaction of children with others of their own age, and with the written word as found in books, before technology. That also gives the reality of what we have here for our general juvenile population to have a fighting chance to eventually match up with the children of more developed countries. That’s why this struggle to fight illiteracy and foster a strong national identity from a tender age is so important. Without them, all the other advantages that may be laid later at our children’s feet would be wasted or only partially realized."

To put these words into action, there’s a planned school that should commence in school year 2005. To be called The Raya School, it’ll be located in Marikina, with Ani playing a major role on how the curriculum will be skewed towards nationalism.

Ani is that peculiar young Filipino we need so badly. She’s had the opportunity to further her studies abroad, but rather than turning her into some sort of "adoptive world citizen", it sharpened her senses to utilize all she’s picked up over the years to further the search for the 21st Century Filipino.