While the majority of Filipino students make do with paper textbooks, some schools are now toying with the idea of taking the virtual leap towards digital education.
In June 2011, the Laguna local government launched a pilot project involving the use of tablet PCs to replace the paper textbooks used by students in schools around the province. One thousand e-Rizal Tablets, pre-loaded with digital versions of their textbooks, were distributed to the freshmen students of Laguna Science National High School, University of the Philippines Rural High School, and one public high school from each of the province’s four congressional districts.

Some Philippine publishers see this as the future of the book and, ultimately, the future of Philippine education.

Leading publishers and book advocates from around the country were given a preview of this future during the Second Future of the Book (FOTB) Digital Publishing Conference, organized by Vibal Foundation, National Book Development Board (NBDB), and the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP). Held recently at the University of the Philippines Bahay ng Alumni, the event witnessed the gathering of some of the world’s most innovative publishers who presented trends in digital publishing to Filipino publishers.

Reinventing the book

During the 2nd FOTB, discourse on the e-book and digital publishing was raised a notch higher—from possible shifts in business approach within the publishing industry, to establishing e-books as the new standard in Philippine education. BDAP president Lirio Sandoval in his welcome remarks noted that e-book technology is simply a “reinvention” of the book and publishers must see this as a prospect given the rapid advancements in technology.

It was this paradigm shift that prompted Jun Lozada to lead the tablet education project of De La Salle Greenhills. Lozada was one of the invited speakers for the track on digital education.

“With the changing trends in education, the K-12, budget cuts and an increasing demand, we need an adaptive mindset. We need to introduce the digital word as the new medium—one that drives learning system design and not the other way around,” Lozada said.

The provincial government of Laguna was likewise attracted to the “reinvention” of the printed book into digital formats using mobile computing technology. Laguna Provincial Board Member Neil Nocon discussed how the e-Rizal tablet drew the attention of students and teachers of Laguna public schools. Though the tablets were used on a pilot initiative, Nocon looks forward to the e-book as a more efficient and practical alternative to printed textbooks.

This does not mean though that printed books will be banished to antiquity. Winnie Hung, regional coordinator of Hewlett-Packard (HP) Southeast Asia, presented statistics showing that the demand for printed materials is still steady, but the conventional mode of printing naturally produces supplies that outweigh the actual demand of readers. She promoted new trends in digital printing that are more cost-efficient and based on actual consumer demand.

But what of the present?

Publishers must brace for the future of publishing but must also consider the objective conditions of the present to effectively address the needs of the Filipino consumer.

Currently, the focal area in Philippine publishing is the public education sector, which for decades suffered from financial constraints.

According to Nocon, “The Philippine government provides only half of the required six percent out of the country’s gross national product for education. Education must be prioritized in our budget in order for us to move forward to digital education. Budget is still essential for education.”

More studies must be conducted to determine if the use of e-textbooks is feasible among public school students. The procurement of new equipment, such as tablets, e-readers, software, and applications, must also be transparent and publicly bidded out.

Outside the educational spectrum, e-book technology can provide independent authors a platform to more easily sell and distribute their works. It can also be used to promote classic Filipino literature, in essence preserving history in the futuristic realm of cyberspace. Observers note that digital technology should not be reserved for only a privileged few; instead, it must open the gates toward free and open sharing of information.

Open knowledge, unlimited learning, and education that is accessible to all – this must be the future of the book, and the future of Philippine publishing. ###

Panel speakers discuss the Future of the Book (from left): Harvey Libarnes of Hand Interactive, Dr. Lloyd Espiritu of LG&M Publishing, Frances Ong of Tahanan Books, and moderator Alvin Buenaventura.

While the majority of Filipino students make do with paper textbooks, some schools are now toying with the idea of taking the virtual leap towards digital education.

In June 2011, the Laguna local government launched a pilot project involving the use of tablet PCs to replace the paper textbooks used by students in schools around the province. One thousand e-Rizal Tablets, pre-loaded with digital versions of their textbooks, were distributed to the freshmen students of Laguna Science National High School, University of the Philippines Rural High School, and one public high school from each of the province’s four congressional districts.

Some Philippine publishers see this as the future of the book and, ultimately, the future of Philippine education.

Leading publishers and book advocates from around the country were given a preview of this future during the Second Future of the Book (FOTB) Digital Publishing Conference, organized by Vibal Foundation, National Book Development Board (NBDB), and the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP). Held recently at the University of the Philippines Bahay ng Alumni, the event witnessed the gathering of some of the world’s most innovative publishers who presented trends in digital publishing to Filipino publishers.

Reinventing the book

During the 2nd FOTB, discourse on the e-book and digital publishing was raised a notch higher—from possible shifts in business approach within the publishing industry, to establishing e-books as the new standard in Philippine education. BDAP president Lirio Sandoval in his welcome remarks noted that e-book technology is simply a “reinvention” of the book and publishers must see this as a prospect given the rapid advancements in technology.

It was this paradigm shift that prompted Jun Lozada to lead the tablet education project of De La Salle Greenhills. Lozada was one of the invited speakers for the track on digital education.

“With the changing trends in education, the K-12, budget cuts and an increasing demand, we need an adaptive mindset. We need to introduce the digital word as the new medium—one that drives learning system design and not the other way around,” Lozada said.

The provincial government of Laguna was likewise attracted to the “reinvention” of the printed book into digital formats using mobile computing technology. Laguna Provincial Board Member Neil Nocon discussed how the e-Rizal tablet drew the attention of students and teachers of Laguna public schools. Though the tablets were used on a pilot initiative, Nocon looks forward to the e-book as a more efficient and practical alternative to printed textbooks.

This does not mean though that printed books will be banished to antiquity. Winnie Hung, regional coordinator of Hewlett-Packard (HP) Southeast Asia, presented statistics showing that the demand for printed materials is still steady, but the conventional mode of printing naturally produces supplies that outweigh the actual demand of readers. She promoted new trends in digital printing that are more cost-efficient and based on actual consumer demand.

But what of the present?

Publishers must brace for the future of publishing but must also consider the objective conditions of the present to effectively address the needs of the Filipino consumer.

Currently, the focal area in Philippine publishing is the public education sector, which for decades suffered from financial constraints.

According to Nocon, “The Philippine government provides only half of the required six percent out of the country’s gross national product for education. Education must be prioritized in our budget in order for us to move forward to digital education. Budget is still essential for education.”

More studies must be conducted to determine if the use of e-textbooks is feasible among public school students. The procurement of new equipment, such as tablets, e-readers, software, and applications, must also be transparent and publicly bidded out.

Outside the educational spectrum, e-book technology can provide independent authors a platform to more easily sell and distribute their works. It can also be used to promote classic Filipino literature, in essence preserving history in the futuristic realm of cyberspace. Observers note that digital technology should not be reserved for only a privileged few; instead, it must open the gates toward free and open sharing of information.

Open knowledge, unlimited learning, and education that is accessible to all – this must be the future of the book, and the future of Philippine publishing. ###

The Booklilit! Children Storybooks

Christmas carols, gift-giving, story-telling, and lots of merry-making highlighted the launch of the Booklilit! Books for Bulilit Readers, held last Dec. 6 at the Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati City.  The event also witnessed how two philanthropic organizations—Gawad Kalinga (GK) and Vibal Foundation—strengthened their partnership for the benefit of young children from the GK communities.

The Booklilit! StoryBooks is a joint project between GK – a volunteer organization which builds homes for informal settlers, and Vibal Foundation, Inc. – the philanthropic arm of leading educational publisher Vibal Publishing House, Inc.  It is a collection of 16 colorful children’s storybooks that extoll the GK community values, written by award-winning writers Genaro Gojo Cruz, Dr. Luis P. Gatmaitan, Rhandee Garlitos, and Russell Molina.

GK founder Tony Meloto explained that Booklilit! is part of GK and Vibal Foundation’s literacy program for indigent children.  “When you restore homes, community values, and now, literature to the Filipino poor, you restore their dignity. This is what Gawad Kalinga and our partner Vibal Foundation are to the Philippines,” said Meloto.

“We’re very happy that through these books, Vibal Foundation has captured the vision and values of Gawad Kalinga in nation-building that will help raise the patriotic quotient of the next generation,” Meloto added.

British Ambassador to the Philippines Stephen Lillie and international actress Rachel Grant during the launch

Author Dr. Luis P. Gatmaitan reading "Ang Lola Kong Mahilig Mag-utos" in front of the GK kids.

GK founder Tony Meloto

Booklilit authors and illustrators together with representatives from Vibal Foundation and ambassador Lillie.

The launch was also attended by British Ambassador to the Philippines Mr. Stephen Lillie, foreign celebrity and former Bond Girl Rachel Grant, and other special guests including schoolchildren from the GK communities who received the Booklilit! Storybooks during a ceremonial turnover.   Life-size cut-outs of the exciting characters from the storybook series were also posted around the venue to add a whimsical flair to the event.

Digital development editor Chris Datol of Vibal Foundation meanwhile explained that the Booklilit! Series, which includes the Sibol Series (for ages three to six years old) and Sagip Series (for ages seven to 13 years old), can be purchased initially through a sponsorship package for the children beneficiaries of GK communities. Datol encouraged donors to buy the entire Booklilit! set  because each purchase will allow Vibal Foundation to subsequently distribute the same 16 titles for free at various Gawad Kalinga communities.

The launch likewise featured a moving rendition of Christmas carols by the Gawad Kalinga Tatalon Community Choir.  Authors present participated in a story reading session of titles like “Olive Ridley Comes Home”, “Ang Lola Kong Mahilig Mag-utos”, “Ang Batang Maraming-Maraming Bahay”, and “Halimaw”, which the GK kids listened to in amusement. ###

(Photos by Marionne Cheng. Some rights reserved)

The Booklilit! Books for Bulilit Readers

Vibal Foundation, in partnership with Gawad Kalinga (GK), has announced the official launch of the Booklilit! Books for Bulilit Readers under Gawad Kalinga (GK)’s Sibol and Sagip programs on 6 December 2011 at the Filipinas Heritage Library in Makati City.

Booklilit!, Vibal Foundation’s line of bilingual children’s storybooks, spin together words and vivid illustrations that bring storytelling to life, helping children address real-life questions, concerns, and values in a form with which they can easily identify with. Vibal Foundation is the non-profit, corporate social arm of Vibal Publishing House, Inc. (VPHI), the country’s leading educational publisher.

With the Foundation’s advocacy for nurturing minds through literacy as a means for nation-building, the Booklilit! series is a valuable partnership with Gawad Kalinga, which for its part has launched a mission to eradicate poverty by building empowered communities.

The 16 new titles under the Booklilit! imprint is divided into two programs under the GK Sibol, targeted for ages three to six years old, and GK Sagip which caters to children seven to 13 years old. The new storybooks are penned by award-winning authors and illustrators.

For the Sibol program, the titles are:

• Bunsoy by Genaro R. Gojo Cruz, illustrated by Leo Ang
• Saling Pusa by Genaro Gojo Cruz, illustrated by James Abalos
• Hayan na si Kidlat! by Russell Molina, illustrated by Ariel Santillan
• Ang Lola Kong Mahilig Mag-utos by Dr. Luis P. Gatmaitan, illustrated by Zeus Bascon
• Si Tak-tu by Dr. Luis P. Gatmaitan, illustrated by Arnulfo Renia Cruz
• Ang Bago Kong Kalaro by Rhandee Garlitos, illustrated by Kinomi Kasanagi Acosta
• Salamat Po by Russell Molina, illustrated by Tokwa Peñaflorida
• Si Faisal at si Farida by Rhandee Garlitos, illustrated by Tinsley Garanchon

For the Sagip program, the titles are:

• Ang Batang may Maraming-Maraming Bahay by Genaro Gojo Cruz, illustrated by Aldy Aguirre
• Anluwagi by Genaro Gojo Cruz, illustrated by Pergylene Acuña
• Umaga Na, Tala by Russell Molina, illustrated by Marcus Nada
• Halimaw by Russell Molina, illustrated by Rommel Joson
• Handog kay Isabella by Dr. Luis P. Gatmaitan, illustrated by Ferdinand Guevara
• Laki sa Hirap by Dr. Luis P. Gatmaitan, illustrated by David Quindoy
• Lauan, the Seed that Wanted to Fly by Rhandee Garlitos, illustrated by Hubert Fucio
• Olive Ridley Comes Home by Rhandee Garlitos, illustrated by Yasmin Doctor

Representing GK during the event is its founder Mr. Tony Meloto, who will acknowledge the contributions of all the sponsors and partners of the Booklilit! Project. Other highlights of the event will be a storytelling session by the authors and special numbers by the GK Children’s Choir. ###

Dignitaries, publishers, and famed writers during the book launch of the bilingual Noli me Tangere.

“A landmark in both Filipino and Spanish literature…”

This was how Spanish Ambassador to the Philippines Jorge Domecq described the first bilingual and critical edition of Jose Rizal’s Noli me Tangere, which was launched last November 22 at the Instituto Cervantes de Manila.

A first in Philippine publishing, Vibal Foundation and Instituto Cervantes collaborated in publishing the bilingual Noli Me Tangere edition in commemoration of the 150^th birth anniversary this year of National Hero Jose Rizal. Edited by Spanish scholar and philologist Isaac Donoso, the book was supplemented with over 1,200 notes on both the published Berlin edition and the original manuscript, highlighting Rizal’s additions, deletions, and emendations.

“Nothing will compare to the experience of reading this version of Dr. Rizal’s work, and you will definitely find something more than meets the eye,” Amb. Domeqc noted.

The launch, held at the ampitheater of the Instituto Cervantes, turned out to be an auspicious occasion with the presence of National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose, dignitaries led by Amb. Domecq, members of the Rizal clan led by Ms. Lisa Bayot (a great granddaughter of Saturnina Rizal, Jose”s eldest sister); members of the media, as well as other industry and society figures. Representing the Vibal Group of Companies during the event were Vibal Foundation Executive Director Gaspar A. Vibal and Vibal Publishing House president Esther A. Vibal. They were warmly welcomed by Instituto Cervantes Deputy for Cultural Affairs Jose Maria Fons Guardiola.

In his speech delivered in three languages (English, Spanish, and Filipino) Donoso emphasized that the book will provide the opportunity for Spanish readers to read the original manuscript written in Español, while Charles Derbyshire’s English translation accompanies the Spanish text. Prior to the release of the bilingual Noli me Tangere, the original Spanish text could only be found in the National Library.

“This project makes Donoso a Filipino by heart. His passion and tireless effort in bringing the greatest Filipino novel available to Spanish readers, in its purest Spanish form, bridges the cultures of both nations,” said National Archives Director Ino Manalo in his speech. Manalo wrote the epilogue for the book while Rizal scholar Ambeth Ocampo was commissioned to write the prologue.

Copies of the bilingual Noli which were released with a special launch discount, were immediately sold out during the event.

“This event is a triumph for Rizal’s memory. It only shows that he is still the most relevant Filipino today,” Donoso remarked after the launch. ###

]]> http://168.63.184.113/dignitaries-rizalistas-pay-tribute-to-national-hero-at-bilingual-noli-launch/feed/ 2 http://168.63.184.113/feel-the-vibe-rations-on-e-reading-and-digital-content/ http://168.63.184.113/feel-the-vibe-rations-on-e-reading-and-digital-content/#comments Tue, 04 Oct 2011 06:37:53 +0000 Vibal Foundation /?p=3896 Entrepreneurs, start-up companies, tech lovers and advocates of technology in education are invited to this year’s Kapihan Tech Forum, which will focus on the potential of digital books in the Philippines.

The event, called Feel the VIBE-rations on E-Reading and Digital Content, will be held on October 5, from 4:00-6:00pm, at the Tech Portal, UP-AyalaLand TechnoHub along Commonwealth Avenue, Diliman, Quezon City.

VIBE

The forum will feature a talk by the president and CEO of Vibe Technologies Inc., Gaspar A. Vibal. He will present VIBE, the country’s first online bookstore, tailored specifically for the tastes and needs of Filipino readers.

Using cloud-computing technology, VIBE seeks to make available to the public a wide array of newly published, out of print, or public domain book titles, as well as magazines and newspapers. By making titles easily available in digital format, VIBE also addresses the problems of high prices, fragmented distribution channels and delayed marketing time faced by all printed matter in the Philippines. In this way it is also a tool for local publishing companies, especially independent publishers, to save on production, printing, distribution and marketing costs, while reaching a nationwide audience.

Also speaking at the forum will be Ernie Tarroza, Senior Technology Associate of NarraVC the Brain Gain Network. Tarroza will discuss the ways e-reading and content development can address problems unique to the Philippines.

For more information about Vibe, you may contact:
Arjay Arellano at aarellano@vibalfoundation.org
Hussian Rosalejos at hrosalejos@vibalfoundation.org
Dianne Castillo at dcastillo@vibalfoundation.org

Using cloud-computing technology, Vibe seeks to make available to the public the widest number of newly published, out of print, or public domain book titles, as well as magazines and newspapers. It also addresses the problematic issues of high prices, fragmented distribution channels and delayed marketing time that all printed matter in the Philippines face by making titles easily available in digital format.

How? A three-fold innovation harmonizing the technologies of e-bookstore, e-publisher and e-book application.

E-bookstore

Unlike foreign-based e-bookstores like Amazon Kindle and Apple iBooks, the Vibe E-bopokstore is tailored to the needs of Philippine readers and publishers. Rather than depending on credit cards, readers can transact with Vibe through Globe Gcash, SMART Money and other widely-used local services.

Local publishers can also deploy their content abroad through Vibe’s direct accounts with international e-bookstores Amazon Kindle, Apple iBooks and Barnes and Noble Nook.

E-publisher

Publishers can easily upload their books in ePUB or PDF format to Vibe and release them to the public through Vibe’s e-bookstore. This allows publishers to save on paper, printing, distribution and marketing costs, as well as ensuring nationwide availability of their material.

Publishers who do not have in-house facilities to turn their books into e-books can also draw on Vibal Foundation’s digitization program, which has aided dozens of Philippine publishers in creating electronic copies of their published material.

E-book app

Vibe is also a universal reading application (app) program compatible with tablet computers like the Android and iPad. The Vibe app can read and display both flat and interactive reading material, such as digital newspapers, e-magazines, storybook apps and ePUB formatted books.

Watch out for the upcoming Vibe launch in September 2011!

Vibal Foundation’s interactive e-books help children rediscover the wonder of timeless tales through books you can watch like a movie or play like a video game.

Two e-books will be available in June: The Tortoise and the Monkey and Noli Me Tangere. Noli Me Tangere will come in installments of several chapters each.

The e-books will feature an intuitive interface, gorgeous graphics, and an immersive score. Children and adults alike can enjoy these e-book apps, another milestone for the Philippines’ first interactive e-book publisher.

The Monkey and The Tortoise and the first installment of Noli Me Tangere will be available at the iTunes Store for download to the Apple iPad on June 19, 2011.

The Monkey and The Tortoise

A folktale extolling the virtues of friendship, honesty and wit, The Monkey and The Tortoise has circulated in the Philippine archipelago for centuries and entertained generations of Filipino youth. Its rapt audience has included José Rizal, the Philippine national hero, who further popularized the fable by penning a cartoon version in 1885. His English translation was later published in a European magazine in 1889.

Humorously drawn and buoyed by a frivolously percussive score, the e-book transports readers to the tropical locale of the monkey and the tortoise, then fully immerses them in the story through playful animation. As the reader, help the two animals divide the banana tree and try to pick its fruits. Take part in the action as the friends discover their differences, then rejoice with the wittier animal when these are resolved.

A charming package of illustration, animation, music, heritage, and history all rolled into one, this classic come to new life will surely delight children and adults alike.

Noli Me Tangere

Noli Me Tangere is Rizal’s seminal novel which roused revolutionary fervor in Filipinos at its time of publication. Using his sharp wit and eye for satire, the national hero immortalized the tragic love of Crisostomo Ibarra and Maria Clara, as well as the corruption imminent in the colonial clergy, in the pages of his book.

This e-book will read like a graphic novel, and feature beautiful illustrations and an immersive score. The Noli Me Tangere e-book will be bilingual, and can be read in Spanish or English. It will also feature a unique parallax effect for illustrations, which will allow users a rich reading experience on their iPads.

Philippine folklore

Before Vibal Foundation’s launch of its Rizaliana e-books in June, its parent company Vibal Publishing House launched on May 15 a new set of bilingual interactive storybook applications (apps) on the Apple iPad, bringing Philippine folklore to the fingertips of Filipino and foreign readers throughout the world.

With the release of the new iPad apps, Vibal Publishing becomes the first and only Philippine publisher to successfully deploy English-Filipino interactive editions of its popular printed children’s storybook series, Chikiting Books, on both the iPad and Android-driven devices.

The two new storybook apps entitled Mariang Sinukuan: The Goddess and Keeper of Mt. Arayat and Pagpapagayuk: The Magical Bird of Bukidnon, both penned by award-winning writer Eugene Evasco, are now available for download from the Apple AppStore.

The new iPad apps feature English and Filipino language options, customized animation, voiced narration, background music, and sound effects, all of which can be turned on and off  with a single touch, at the reader’s option.

A third title in the folklore genre, Amansinaya: Goddess of the Sea, is set to be released on the Appstore in time for the formal unveiling of the digital edition of The Magical Shirt (Ang Mahiwagang Kamiseta) at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore on May 27.

All of Vibal’s digital storybooks, including the free lite version of Yummy Fly Pie, available on the Android Market, will be showcased in the same event.

For more information on the Vibal Foundation, its projects, publications, and our celebration of Jose Rizal’s 150th year, you may contact us at:

Website: www.vibalfoundation.org
Address: 1253 G. Araneta Avenue, Quezon City, 1104, Philippines
Tel. no.: +63 (2) 712-9156 to 59 loc 343 to 344
Fax no.: +63 (2) 4168460

The editors of WikiPilipinas, the Philippines’ premier online encyclopedia, were invited to present its latest project WikiHealth on the last day of the Department of Health’s (DOH) Information and Communications Technology and Web Users’ Conference (ICT Conference) in Cagayan de Oro City last May 4.

WikiHealth, which was launched late last year, is  an online encyclopedia on health and wellness in the Philippines, conceived by the Vibal Foundation in collaboration with the DOH.

Joining the DOH forum in Cagayan de Oro were information technology officers from various regions around the country. According to Charity Tan, Information Management Service head of DOH, WikiHealth is a big help to the department, in its drive to make information about Philippine healthcare accessible to a wider audience.

In his presentation of WikiHealth, WikiFilipino editor Yol Jamendang explained the importance of reaching the mass audience with a reference website that is written generally in Filipino and in layman’s terms. He also encouraged the delegates to contribute to the website, which currently has 1,700 entries and counting.

The WikiHealth website is at health.wikipilipinas.org. Registration and contribution is free. For inquiries and contributions, email health-related articles to WikiHealth editor Maui Flores at wikihealth.wikipilipinas@gmail.com

Wikifilipino Editor Yol Jamendang on his presentation to the participants of ICT Conference.

Wikipilipinas Project Editor Merck Maguddayao explains the writing guidelines of WikiPilipinas.

Yol Jamendang talks about Wikihealth.

José Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda, or simply Jose Rizal, is best known for his novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo. Possessing a level of mastery in narrative and form unequaled by writers in the country during his time, Rizal’s works, which range from complex poems to simple folk stories, are considered among the world’s foremost classics.

This year marks the 150th anniversary of Jose Rizal’s birth on 19 June 1861. To celebrate this momentous occasion, Vibal Foundation will mount a multimedia tribute to the life and legacy of the First Filipino, through our web, audiovisual, and print projects.

Vibal Foundation celebrating the 150th year of Jose Rizal's Birth

The Complete Jose Rizal

Filipiniana.net, the premiere digital library of the Philippines, will present The Complete Jose Rizal on 10 June 2011. This comprehensive compilation of Rizal’s works will include his letters, novels, and essays. It will also feature valuable hard-to-find archival materials on his life and times, such as images and public domain biographies.

Fully accessible online at Filipiniana.net’s Jose Rizal portal, the collection will prove a valuable resource for students and casual readers as well as academics and historians.

Rizaliana Encyclopedia

Also in June, WikiPilipinas.org will feature the Rizaliana Encyclopedia, containing expanded entries on special Rizal topics, as well as chapter summaries and character profiles for Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.

Featuring articles tailored for a wide readership, the “Hip n’ Free Philippine Encyclopedia” will serve as a supplement for Filipiniana.net’s offerings and provide additional information and essential facts to round out our picture of life during Rizal’s time, allowing us to better appreciate his contributions to society.

Digital Rizal

Jose Rizal did not only pen social commentaries and complex narratives. He also wrote kwentong bayan, or tales for country folk, as well as stories for children, such as Ang Pagong at ang Matsing (The Turtle and the Monkey), a fable about the virtues of friendship and honesty.

In order to let today’s children better appreciate this timeless tale, the Vibal Foundation will release in Jose Rizal’s birth month a trilingual interactive e-book of Ang Pagong at ang Matsing for the iPad, featuring an intuitive interface, gorgeous graphics and an immersive score. Noli Me Tangere will also receive the interactive e-book treatment, to be released in installments of several chapters each.

Children and adults alike can enjoy these e-book apps, another milestone for the Philippines’ first interactive e-book publisher.

In addition, Vee Press, the Foundation’s digital book division, will be re-issuing  key translations of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, as well as essential biographies of Jose Rizal by renowned authors.

Special Print Editions

In cooperation with Instituto Cervantes, Vibal Foundation will publish a special Spanish edition of Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo, acknowledging the literary and scholarly value of the original text in its original language.

Also to be published are bilingual editions, placing the original Spanish text  side-by-side with Charles Derbyshire’s famous English translation.

A special edition of Lolo Jose, the biography written by Rizal’s grandniece Asuncion Lopez-Bantug, will be released in June. It will feature a new enhanced DVD containing the Lolo Jose documentary (featuring additional interviews with descendants of Rizal’s siblings and historical experts) and a compilation of texts and images from The Complete Jose Rizal, also available on Filipiniana.net.

For more information on the Vibal Foundation, its projects, publications, and our celebration of Jose Rizal’s 150th year, you may contact us at:

Website: www.vibalfoundation.org
Address: 1253 G. Araneta Avenue, Quezon City, 1104, Philippines
Tel. no.: +63 (2) 712-9156 to 59 loc 343 to 344
Fax no.: +63 (2) 4168460