Wednesday, June 20, 2012


ELECTION GAME CHANGER by Eero Pambid Brillantes and Geraldine Torres-Brillantes

From the Foreword by Senator Alan Peter S. CayetanoThis book is not really about who to vote for. This book is about how to win elections and the dynamics of electoral battle. The more important decisions we make for our family should include who to vote for. Voting for or against someone has direct bearing on our daily lives.

Reading this book should give all of us a better idea of how we can change our country a step at a time. Each one doing so by simply writing the name of the person we think is best to serve God and country. But we would not be able to write down these names unless we know the dynamics of elections.

Nowadays we know of a candidate and his or her image rather than knowing who the candidate really is. This book unmasks the images and goes to the "inside of campaigning and image making". Let me assure you the writers are passionate, love our country and believe in democracy. I hope people will get a copy of this book. It is for everyone and not exclusively for those who are running or want to become candidates.

Friday, May 18, 2012

"How to Make a Benta: Anecdotes, Lectures, & Articles from the Advertising Wars" by Greg B. Macabenta

From the back cover:

Most books on advertising and marketing use case studies in the American setting. They are not always relevant to students and to practitioners in a developing country. They also tend to make complex principles even more difficult to understand and apply.

"How to Make a Benta: Anecdotes, Lectures, & Articles from the Advertising Wars" breaks that mold. Punning his own surname for the title of the book (Macabenta literally means "to make a sale"), Greg B. Macabenta writes in a style laced with humor and packed with revealing insights drawn from campaigns that are considered classics in Philippine advertising and ethnic marketing in America - campaigns created by the author himself: Milo "Olympic Energy", Nescafé "Great Cities of the World", Milkmaid "Grow Tall Little Man", Insant Nido "World's Number One Child", the Wells Fargo Remittance Account launch that won the 1996 Gold Effie for the most effective non-English campaign in the U.S., and the brilliant combination of TV advertising and community outreach that helped gain a 27% volume growth for San Miguel Beer in the U.S.

A key chapter is a primer on public relations, crisis PR, and the touchy topic of "suppress" relations. And for the adventurous and entrepreneurial, the book offers tips on breaking into the U.S. market.

Spiced with intimate, insider anecdotes, "HOW TO MAKE A BENTA" is a virtual history of Philippines advertising over the the past half century. It is a valuable resource for students of advertising and enjoyable reading for industry veterans.

Thursday, March 1, 2012

THE PATH TO POWER: An Achiever's Manual by Jose C. Lagutan

Excerpt from the Foreword:

 "Many books on achieving one's goals and higher living abound in the market. They cover a wide range of topics, from self-help to spirituality, the New Age to spiritual phenomena, and so on and so forth. As an enthusiast of all these, I have read quite a number of such books. Sad to say, very few of them have been really helpful. In fact, many give contradictory information, and so the discerning reader is bound to be confused instead of being enlightened.

But once in a while, there comes a rare book on self-achievement and mastership that speaks with the unmistakable ring of truth, and yet is not too abstruse for the common person's understanding. In simple and straightforward language, it presents concepts and facts --- without any embellishments --- to inform clearly both the seasoned student of the esoteric arts as well as those who are just casually interested in the subject. Above all, this book reveals useful advice and techniques that the reader can put into practice, guiding him on such practical pursuits as becoming healthy and materially prosperous, as well as on more unusual pursuits such as developing spirituality and higher levels of consciousness. Such a book is this present volume." - Dr. Jason Galleon, MD, MPH, USRN Imperator for U.S., Europe and Africa Rosicrucian Order, OHGRC, Knights of the Militia Crucifera Evangelica, and Hierophant of Vajrayana, the Path Royale.

Friday, February 24, 2012

BUHAY KA: Struggles in Mortality, Glimpses of Eternity by Fr. Robert Reyes

Excerpt from the Introduction:

      "Buhay ka! You are alive! I am alive! We are alive now and in faith, we believe that we will live with God forever!
      The impulse to live resists the opposite impulse to die (Thanatos). Hope struggles against despair. Light struggles against darkness.
      Only those who have had the opportunity to struggle appreciate the meaning of survival. Only those who have had the experience of surviving a struggle, in whatever form, know the meaning of hope.
      My years in Hong Kong, as an Overseas Filipino Worker were colorful and eventful. The lives of fellow OFWs have given me a deeper and richer appreciation of the essence of both faith and culture in a context alien, sometimes hostile yet rich in positive challenges to an outsider. It is in such a context, in life lives in a second home called Hong Kong that I write this book with and for those who shared their struggles for hope, life, and meaning."

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Our Rights, Our Victories: Landmark Cases in the Supreme Court by Marites Dañguilan Vitug and Criselda Yabes


From the back cover:

“Our Rights, Our Victories: Landmark Cases in the Supreme Court” by Marites Dañguilan Vitug and Criselda Yabes is not your usual book about law and cases decided by our Supreme Court. 

What makes this book interestingly different and easily readable is that it was not written by lawyers. Spared from a legalistic presentation, it is meant for the larger audience beyond the legal community. It tells stories of ordinary people and how the Bill of Rights entered and gave new meaning to their lives. It is for many of our people, who need the protection of the Constitution, but are hesitant to invoke its power because they believe it is beyond their reach. Our basic law comes alive as an accessible and effective foil against unwarranted official intrusion into the lives of our citizens.

This book opens the doors to constitutional rights in a manner that the ordinary citizen can readily appreciate. It shows how seemingly commonplace problems can and should merit the attention of even the highest court of the land. It will be easy for the reader to identify with the plight of many of those whose stories are captivatingly told, and to learn from their experience. This book delivers the refreshing message that the law is not just for lawyers. It is for everyone.

     Pablito Sanidad
Former National Chairman
Free Legal Assistance Group

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Radical Prose: Selected Writings of Antonio Zumel

From the Introduction by Satur Ocampo

…This book is about the writings of Antonio Zumel, divided into three phases of his life. Part I contains selected pieces he wrote as a journalist until the eve of Marcos’ declaration of martial law. Part II draws from Tony’s writings as a member of an underground Party collective writing for and publishing Ang Bayan, the CPP official organ. Part III covers his writings as a political exile in The Netherlands and as chairman of the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP).
     …This fact speaks a lot about Tony’s transformation. Willingly, he subsumed himself, a veteran Journalist, to the anonymity of the writing collective that included tyros.


Monday, June 28, 2010

A Lifetime of Freedom by Arlyn Dela Cruz

A Lifetime of Freedom by Arlyn Dela Cruz.  "No one but Arlyn dela Cruz can write with authority and intimacy about the Abu Sayyaf Group. She has been through a lot of personal and professional hardships because of her stories, but Arlyn is a survivor. Her courage, her dedication to journalism and her brand of investigative reportage is a unique contribution to Philippine Journalism. Arlyn's book shows the challenges and sacrifices a journalist must face to get a story. Readers must read Arlyn's book with a critical eye to understand the inner workings not only of the Abu Sayyaf but also of the Philippine Media. I envy her candid narration of events." - Jose Torres Jr., Former Chairman, National Union of Journalists in the Philippines and Author of the book Into the Mountains: Hostaged by the Abu Sayyaf.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Together My Brothers: A Journey into Freemasonry by MS Beltran

Together My Brothers: A Journey into Freemasonry by Michael S. Beltran.  A guide book for Freemasons in their journey “to that undiscovered place from whose Bourne no traveler returns.” A guide book for the inquisitive minded persons interested to join Freemasonry, who need a quick and easy way to understand the history and philosophy behind Freemasonry.  A reference book for researchers and students wanting to understand and know about the "secrets" of Freemasonry

Friday, December 11, 2009

Fiesta! Fiesta! Festival Food of the Philippines


Fiesta! Fiesta! Festival Food of the Philippines is a take-off from well-received Wow! Ang Sarap! The Best of Philippine Regional Cuisines. Colorfully illustrated, it shows and describes the fiestas and festivals all over the Philippines, many of them previously unpublished in book form. It also presents the culinary delights most associated with these events. By documenting the celebration­ and food tandem, the book hopes to better convey the infectious fiesta spirit to Filipinos, especially those overseas, and to everyone else in this shrinking global village. It is today's fiesta guidebook.


Monday, October 26, 2009

MEDICINAL FRUITS & VEGETABLES by JZ Tan and RM Tan


MEDICINAL FRUITS & VEGETABLES by JZ Tan and RM Tan.  The Philippines is home to more than 1,500 different kinds of medicinal herbs. However, the use of medicinal plants has been limited because of the difficulty in identifying these herbs. Thus, this book on medicinal fruits and vegetables was conceptualized to make it easier for the general public to benefit from the bounty of Mother Nature's medicine.