THE UST Publishing House is more than halfway in completing its quadricentennial project, “400 Books at 400!” after launching 20 new titles, including a book authored by a former Varsitarian editor.
Journalism professor Nestor Cuartero, a former Varsitarian managing editor, published his first book titled, “At Large, At Leisure,” a collection of feature stories he had written for the Panorama and other publications.
“I have a simple goal in writing these articles: to touch, enlighten, and maybe inspire the readers. The book is intended to be read at leisure,” Cuartero said.
Sisters Mikee, Mai-Mai, and China Cojuangco also published “Sisters Act, Mom Reacts” together with their mother Tingting, a UST alumna.
“We chose UST as our publisher because our loyalty remains in it,” Mikee told the Varsitarian. “My older sister (finished) Medicine in the University, and my mom took her master’s and doctorate degrees there.”
Publishing House Director John Jack Wigley said 280 books has been released since the project started in 2000.
Publication is not limited to Thomasians, he said.
Pursuing academic publishing
Rector Fr. Rolando de la Rosa, O.P. said that although the Publishing House is only earning P12 million a year compared to its P60 million-annual budget, UST is still determined to continue the tradition of academic publishing.
“It is through producing scholarly works that a university not only becomes famous but also respected as well,” De la Rosa said in his speech during the launch.
Asst. Director Augusto Aguila said UST is often complimented not only for its capability to produce quality books but also for its goal of bridging the so-called readership gap.
“Academic publishing in the Philippines is almost (at the) brink of extinction because people nowadays would rather buy basic needs instead of books. Students now prefer photocopied materials than the original textbook,” Aguila said. “Thank God there is a university that sees the need for publication in a nation filled with social ills.”
The book launching last Sept. 15 at the SMX Mall of Asia earned a total of P500,000.
Rounding up the new list of books are: Geriatric Medicine: Principles and Practice by Dr. Irene Yu-Maglonzo; Nostalgia 1 & 2 by Chona Trinidad; Si Lupito at ang Barrio Sirkero by Rowald Almazar; The Cinema of Manuel Conde by Nicanor Tiongson; Kalahati at Umpisa by Rebecca Añonuevo; Salva Vida by Victoria Esma and Richard Pazcoguin; Philippine Literatures: Text, Themes, Approaches by Aguila, Wigley, and Joyce Arriola, and Halo-halo, Hardware and Others by Augusto de Viana.
Also, Chiaroscuro by Joel Toledo; Pagkamulat sa Kastilyo by Tony Perez; Living with Folk Wisdom by Abercio Rotor; Diego Cera: Biographical Impressions by Fransisco Raymundo and Helen Samson-Lauterwald; Kalinangan by Domingo Landicho; Mga Piling Dulang Mindanao: Ikalawang Aklat by Arthur Casanova; Authentic Assessment: Using Student Diaries in Today’s Classrooms by Rodrigo Litao and Allan de Guzman; The Imperial Tapestry: The American Colonial Architecture in the Philippines by Norma Alarcon; Awit ni Kadunung by Abdon Balde Jr.; and Journey of a Pilgrim by Dometila Aquilizan and Carlos Vila.