Carla Pacis, author of the book 'A Sea of Stories' was in the event to sign books.
MAKATI CITY, Philippines—
The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF-Philippines), in partnership with Bookmark Incorporated launched a five-book collection titled ‘A Sea of Stories: Tales from Sulu’ on February 8 at the Manila Polo Club. Written by Carla Pacis, it features a rousing collection of stories on the Sulu-Sulawesi Marine Eco-region (SSME), an area which spans the bountiful seas of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.
The collection of stories was written for WWF’s SSME Programme and aims to educate children on the beauty, fragility and importance of SSME seas. The collection also seeks to inspire adults to conserve and protect the rich coastal resources of the Philippines.
‘A Sea of Stories’ includes
The Jin and the Turtle, illustrated by Jeanne P. Tan, which talks about the sad plight of sea turtles in the Sulu Sea and WWF efforts to save them;
Dragon Boat, illustrated by Edrick Raymond T. Daniel, tells of the boat-making skills of the Tausug people and the virtue of patience;
Mapun, illustrated by Jose T. Gamboa & Herbert Miguel I. Consunji, it paints the declining marine resources in the Sulu Sea and the conservation of sea turtles, some of which saved the lives of fishermen;
Grandmother’s Gift, illustrated by Seth Clarece T. Estacio, narrates the hard life of families in the area, their mat-making industry, and a grandmother’s sacrifice to part with her treasured mat for the education of her granddaughter; and
Manta Ray Journey, illustrated by Lloyd F. Niguidula, is a folktale about the Badjao people and how they came to live in the different islands of the Sulu Sea, while touching on giant manta rays and the issue of diminishing marine resources.
Bookmark and WWF have partnered to produce these books to showcase the rich culture of the Sulu Sea area and to highlight the importance of marine conservation.
The cover of the book titled 'A Sea of Stories'.
The original illustrations were exhibited and were up for sale during the launch, while the author and artists took time out to sign books as well.
Carla M. Pacis is an author and professor at De La Salle University (DLSU) where she teaches art, literature and creative writing. She won a PBBY-Salanga Writer’s Prize in 1998 and a Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Award in 1995.
For more information, contact Bookmark at (632) 8958061 to 65, email to
bookmark@globelines.com.ph or visit its website
www.bookmarkthefilipinobookstore.com.
