80. THE LIBRARY

Dr. Troy Alexander G. Miano

23 November 2018

Together with my appointment as Provincial Tourism Officer of Isabela was a designation as head of the Isabela Museum and Library (IML). I got the chance to attend the Annual National Congress of the Philippine Librarians Associations, Inc. (PLAI) this year. The national gathering, in partnership with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) through the National Committee on Libraries and Information Services (NCLIS), was held from November 20 to 23 at the Novotel Manila, Araneta Center in Cubao, Quezon City. With the theme “Connected Actions, Collective Vision: Libraries Transforming Society”, PLAI envisions to lead the country’s library community in a collective call to connected actions towards transforming society. Libraries have the capacity to transform societies, thereby, contributing to the development of a nation.

The PLAI Congress 2018 aims to understand the role of libraries and information centers in building literate, informed, and participative societies, thereby contributing to societal, cultural, and economic growth of a nation; recognize that connected actions and collective vision of the library community will help libraries address the challenges of the future; engage libraries, archives, and other cultural heritage partners and institutions in safeguarding cultural heritage in all its diverse forms; and advocate the roles of librarians and library associations as key  players for societal improvements and change through capacity building and professional agenda.

In 2004, I was sent by the Rotary International to the United States particularly in Maryland and Washington, D.C. as Ambassador of Goodwill and Understanding (Group Study Exchange) and I was able to visit the Library of Congress (LOC) in the nation’s capital. This prestigious institution is in the bucket list of librarians around the globe. The LOC is the research library that officially serves the United States Congress and is the de facto national library of the United States. It is the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. The Library is housed in three buildings on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.; it also maintains the National Audio-Visual Conservation Center in Culpeper, Virginia. The Library's functions are overseen by the Librarian of Congress, and its buildings are maintained by the Architect of the Capitol. The Library of Congress claims to be the largest library in the world. Its "collections are universal, not limited by subject, format, or national boundary, and include research materials from all parts of the world and in more than 450 languages."

Our national library, the National Library of the Philippines (NLP), was established as the Museo-Biblioteca de Filipinas through the royal decree of August 12, 1887. The Library was revived after the War with the donation made by the American Circulating Library Association of its Circulating Library to the government formalized through Public Act No. 96 passed on March 5, 1901. Public Law Act No. 1935, provided for the "the consolidation of all libraries belonging to any branch of the Philippine government for the creation of the Philippine Library", and for the maintenance of the same, and other purposes. To carry out the provisions of this law, a Library Board was constituted consisting of the Secretary of the Public Instruction, the Secretary of Interior, the Secretary of Finance and Justice, and the other members to be appointed annually by the Governor General. In 1916, The Philippine Library, Division of Archives, Patents, Copyrights and Trademarks of the Executive Bureau and the Law Library of the Philippine assembly were merged into one entity, called the Philippine Library and Museum. Twelve years later, the Philippine Legislature separated the museum from the library. Public Law No. 3477 (1928) established the National Museum under the Department of Agriculture and Natural Resources and changed the name of the Philippine Library and Museum to The National Library. The President of the Philippines changed the name of The National Library to Bureau of Public Libraries in accordance with Executive Order No. 94, series 1947. This order was followed by Republic Act No. 411, otherwise known as the Municipal Libraries Law, authored by Senator Geronima T. Pecson. Republic Act No. 3873 passed in 1964 brought back to the Bureau of Public Libraries its old name, The National Library. Currently, the library is known as the National Library of the Philippines pursuant to Republic Act No. 10087 enacted in May 13, 2010. The NLP is located at T.M. Kalaw Street in the capital-city of Manila.

In the provincial government, the first public library was stationed at the Office of the Provincial Governor. Other departments such as the Office of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan had its own collection. It was only during the incumbency of Governor Benjamin G. Dy that a separate structure was set aside for a public library. On May 11, 1999, on the occasion of the 143^rd founding anniversary of the province, the Isabela Museum and Library (IML) was inaugurated. On June 25 of the same year, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) adopted SP Resolution No. 68, series of 1999, which authorized SP Member Rosa P. Alindada to undertake necessary study and research in the business of managing and administering a provincial museum and library. At present, the IML is under the Provincial Tourism Office under my stewardship.

In the Municipality of Cabatuan, Isabela, the Office of the Sanggunuang Bayan was the storage of a small collection of books and encyclopedia and was always referred to as the library until a public library building was constructed and inaugurated on March 8, 2001 during the term of Mayor Atanasio T. Dayrit, Jr. It was my campaign promise in the election of 1998 to secure funding for a public library edifice which was supported by Municipal Resolution No. 1997-151 dated March 10, 1997 sponsored by Sangguniang Bayan Members Amelia Flor R. Gozum-Carreon, Jaime V. Cadeliña and Ernesto Y. Acosta. Since I had garnered friends when I was working in the Philippine Senate, Senator Ramon B. Magsaysay, Jr. allocated from his Countrywide Development Fund (CDF) a substantial amount for the construction of a single floor structure amounting to less than a million pesos plus an allocation from Congressman Ramon M. Reyes for furniture and fixtures. At present, the Cabatuan public library is still under the Office of the Sangguniang Bayan.

Since elementary days, I have been gathering books, pamphlets and comics (biography) for my own consumption using them as ready manuscripts on my researches. I dubbed my small library as the “Histomiano Mini Library of Histories”, a collection of Filipiniana reading and reference materials. I believe that despite the advance technology on reading materials like digital books, physical books are still better since it is easier to keep track of your progress while reading. Printed books ignite all your senses, the smell of a new book, texture of the pages and edges under my thumb, more pleasure from a glance at the design of the cover and photos within and the sound of closing a book after reading.