AUTHORS from UST have expressed skepticism regarding Vice President Sara Duterte’s children’s book, “Isang Kaibigan,” highlighting concerns over its proposed P10 million budget, lack of research and proofreading, and political undertones.
Duterte introduced the 16-page book in August, which tells the story of an owl and a parrot’s friendship during challenging times. It became a point of contention in the Senate and Congress, following Duterte’s request for a P10 million budget to print 200,000 copies of the book.
Mark Angeles, a poet and fiction writer from UST’s Department of Filipino, criticized the book, saying it is “not worth P10 million” due to numerous mistakes and inconsistencies.
“[She must] go through the same process that authors of children’s stories go through. They should be evaluated by children and get revised according to the feedback of the young and creative minds,” he said.
Assoc. Prof. Joselito delos Reyes, head of UST’s Creative Writing department, echoed this, noting that children’s books typically go through extensive editing and peer review before publication.
“Before books reach children, they undergo layers upon layers of editing,” he told the Varsitarian. “There are so many things to consider para masiguro na maayos ‘yong libro na mahahawakan natin.”
Duterte said she felt “crucified” when questioned by the House Appropriations Committee over her proposed 2025 budget. During the hearing, Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel pointed out the following errors in her book:
- “Wala naman pong dahon ng banahaw, baka po anahaw ‘yung tinutukoy.”
- “‘Yong word na ‘sila,’ dapat po ‘sina.’”
- “Walang awa” should be hyphenated.
- “Tapos nakalagay din na ‘yong pugad daw ng kuwago ay nakapatong sa sanga…. [H]indi po ‘yan nakapatong sa sanga, nasa either butas po ‘yan ng mga puno o sa ilalim ng lupa.”
UST Creative Writing professor Chuckberry Pascual suggested the P10 million budget could be better used for grants supporting publication, translation, research, and book distribution to communities.
“Napakaraming pwedeng magawa ng P10 million. Iba-ibang grants: publication, translation, research. Pwedeng mamigay ng iba’t ibang libro para sa iba’t ibang komunidad, depende sa pangangailangan ng komunidad,” he said.
“Pwede rin sa pagpopondo sa public libraries; hindi man pagtatayo ng gusali, pag-a-update ng mga librong taglay ng mga library natin. Awareness program para sa public libraries.”
Patrick Celso, a UST professor who focused on children’s literature for his master’s thesis, said better reading materials for children are already available.
“I believe that there are better reading materials written by our own Filipino writers and educators that have already undergone kid-testing and adhere to the competency level of learners,” Celso told the Varsitarian.
“A good children’s book should first be for the children and not for personal gain,” he added.
Children’s book author and illustrator Harry Monzon, a UST alumnus, criticized the process by which Duterte wrote the book, saying that creating children’s books is a “collaborative effort” involving a team of writers, illustrators, editors, publishers, and art directors, as feedback is essential to improve the work.
“If the intent of ‘Isang Kaibigan’ is really literacy they should have let it be developed by a governing body that ensures its appropriateness for the intended readers,” he said.
“With DepEd denying their involvement in this and with all the errors pointed out, it is quite lacking in terms of being a literacy material that should be distributed using public resources.”
Politicizing
At the end of the book, the Vice President’s face appears with the text: “Siya ay isang tunay na kaibigan” (She is a true friend).
De La Salle University (DLSU) political science professor Matthew Ordonez said the book could be a “political move” ahead of the 2025 midterm elections.
“I don’t think that it is really justifiable considering the content, and the actual intention of the book. Masyadong malaki ‘yung P10 million for me,” he told the Varsitarian. “It might play for the advantage of the Vice President.”
Ordonez also said that instead of being defensive, the Vice President should be transparent with the public about how the funds will be used.
“Whether or not it’s politicizing, the public deserves to know how the P10 million budget will be spent,” he added.
Telibert Laoc, a senior lecturer at DLSU’s Department of Political Science, noted that no matter Duterte’s intentions, a vice president publishing a book would invariably be seen as politically motivated.
“We cannot help but relate it as a political or identify it as a political message, given that publicizing the contents of the book, which even included a portrait of Duterte on the last page, it would be easier for her to shape public opinion, ” Laoc said.
“If it would be released before [2025 elections], then certainly it would be some sort of a propaganda vehicle or propaganda material for the Vice President using public funds.”
This is not the first time a vice president has published a book, though past vice presidents have not used public funds for such projects.
In 2008, former vice president Teofisto Guingona Jr. released his book “Fight for the Filipino,” four years after serving under Gloria Macapagal Arroyo.
While in 2021, former vice president Jejomar Binay published a biography, “Dignity and Compassion: The Life Story of Jejomar C. Binay,” five years after leaving office.
In the same year, Adarna Publishing House also released “Dancing Waters,” a storybook about the life of former vice president Maria Leonor “Leni” Robredo.
Robredo, however, did not request additional funds from the OVP for the book. Instead, its proceeds supported one of her community education programs.
‘Insult to writers’
Duterte also faced accusations of plagiarism over the book after novelist Ninotchka Rosca posted a comparison between “Isang Kaibigan” and the children’s book “Owly: Just a Little Blue” by American author Andy Runton.
Duterte denied the plagiarism claims, saying it was “easy to write a short story based on one’s own experience.”
Jerry Gracio, former commissioner of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, called Duterte’s statement an insult to writers.
“Hindi siya madali. Pinaghihirapan talaga siya. Kahit na ang tula na feeling mo ang daling gawin, pinaghihirapan siya. So insulto sa writers na [sabihing] madali ang pagsulat. It’s an insult to writers and the writing profession,” he told the Varsitarian.
Similarly, Celso emphasized that writing children’s books is not simple and that the Vice President should be open to attending writing workshops.
“[H]indi madali ang pagsulat ng akdang pambata,” he said. “Sana bukas si Duterte na dumalo at sumali sa mga palihan o workshop tungkol sa pagsulat ng kuwentong pambata.” Fritz Nathan A. Diaz, John Kobe S. Balod and Rafael Paolo P. Salaya