By Anna Valmero
INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—An official of the Commission on Elections (Comelec) launched a book on legal philosophy, featuring contemporary Filipino thinkers.

Comelec Commissioner Rene Sarmiento said the book “Grow in Grace and Govern in Wisdom” is a compilation of readings and articles of “great Filipino thinkers” together with classical philosophers, such as Plato.

“I want our Filipino students to read about the local indigenous Filipino philosophers who have great intentions for our country, who love our country and have shown noble acts of patriotism,” said Sarmiento.

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By Marjorie Gorospe

Whatever is happening in America affects everyone. This is a bitter sweet reality of the globalization. This is also the reason why the world stopped to watch the US elections and subsequent victory of President-elect Barack Obama.

Benjamin Pimentel, a reporter and Filipino immigrant in America, is one of the millions of Filipinos who got interested in the US elections. Seeing the possibility that for the first time in history an African American would be ruling the America, Pimentel wrote a book aptly titled, “Pareng Barack, Filipinos in Obama’ America.”

Pareng Barack is a book about the reactions of Filipinos residing in America. The book is also a collection of stories Pimentel gathered from fellow Filipinos in America during the US Presidential campaign.

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By Anna Valmero

A habit of reading opens up opportunities to access information and widen learning.

Students under the Bright Minds Read (BMR) program showed improvement in the Regional Achievement Test especially in Filipino, under which the program is implemented.

BMR Grade 1 and Grade 2 students from Region 5 scored the highest points in mean performance level (MPL), compared to Grades 3 to 6 of non-BMR students, said Zonito Torrevillas, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities Philippines (RMHC).

MPL ratings are as follows: Grade 1 pupils got 73.19; Grade 2, 75.77; Grade 3, 63.32; Grade 4, 64.54 Grade 5, 583.74 and Grade 6, 66.10.

The reading program aims to instill in elementary students that reading is enjoyable, develops comprehension and critical thinking. The program also hopes to improve grammar skills of these young students, said Kenneth Yang, RMHC president.

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By Lella Santiago

FILIPINAS never cease to amaze. They amaze with their talent. They amaze with their style. As proof of their exceptional ability three Pinay authors have done the country proud by making it to the bestseller list of Kinokuniya Bookstore in Singapore: Noelle Chua at number 2, Maya Calica at number 3 and Tara Sering at number 5.

These three savvy, cosmopolitan and bestselling Filipina novelists were likewise handpicked by International Publisher Marshall Cavendish to launch the first “Asian Chic” Lit books. Asian Chic is about Asian women set within the panorama of Asian locales and takes a lingering look at their distinctly Asian lives. And it’s absolutely thrilling that this new literary genre is spearheaded by Filipinas.

The chick lit hits that were recently launched under the Asian Chic banner are “Undercover Tai Tai” by Maya Calica, “Amazing Grace” by Tara FT Sering, and “Mrs Mismarriage” by Noelle Chua.

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