2013 Speakers

Von Totanes

Vernon R. Totanes obtained his PhD at the University of Toronto, where he wrote his dissertation on the history of the Filipino history book. He is a licensed librarian with a master’s degree in library and information science from the University of the Philippines, and an undergraduate degree in management engineering from the Ateneo de Manila University. He became known to Filipino librarians, and even non-Filipinos and non-librarians, as the owner of the blog Filipino Librarian. He is currently the Director of Ateneo’s Rizal Library.

Dang Bagas

Luis Gatmaitan

Frances Ong

Frances Ong graduated from the University of Surrey Roehampton in London with an M.A. in Children’s Literature in 2005. On the day after she arrived from the UK she was instantly hired as an Editorial Assistant by Tahanan Books. Frances is currently Managing Editor at Tahanan Books and A&S Books, where she has overseen the production and publication of dozens of children’s books as well as Philippine pop culture gift books and stationery products. Among the books she has shepherded through all phases of production are 500 Words & Pictures: My First, Bilingual Visual Dictionary, The Night Monkeys: More Palanca Prize Winners for Children, Ay Naku!, Tagu-Taguan (a counting book in Filipino that won a National Children’s Book Award), Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang (volume 2), Elbert Or’s The More the Manyer Pinoy pun series, and KABA: 50 Maikling Kuwento ng Kababalaghan at Katatakutan!!! 

Zarah Gagatiga

Zarah C. Gagatiga is a teacher librarian, storyteller, blogger and published author. She is formerly president of Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting  (KUTING), the premier organization of children’s writers in the Philippines. She has ended her term as president of the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and remains as board member representing librarians.  She co-authored Tales from the 7,000 Isles: Filipino Folk Stories with Dianne de Las Casaswhich was published in 2011 by ABC CLIO. She has been conducting lectures, presenting papers and facilitating workshops on library services and storytelling in Singapore, Thailand, Hongkong and recently in Indonesia.

Her pictures books, My Daddy! My One and Only! and A Tale of Dreams, are both published by Lampara Books. She blogs at http://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com.

Aly Almario

Si Aly Almario, o mas kilala sa pen name na “Alyloony,” ay nagsimulang mag-sulat ng online stories sa edad na labing-tatlong gulang sa iba’t ibang website sa internet sa likod ng iba’t ibang pen names. Sa website na Wattpad siya pinaka nakilala at siya ring naging ticket niya upang makapag-publish ng libro. Ang una niyang libro, “Operation: Break the Casanova’s Heart,” ay inilabas last August 28, 2013 under Summit Media. Nasundan naman agad ito nang ikalawa niyang libro na “My Prince,” na ini-release noong Manila International Book Fair, under PSICOM Publishing Inc.

Eros Atalia

Angel Bautista

Angel’s first book in Precious Hearts Romances was published in 2009. Since then, she has written over fifty titles that include the ongoing series, The Reality Show.  Her book, Once A Princess won the PHR Novel of the Year Award for 2012 and is currently a finalist of the 2013 Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards, Novels in Filipino Category.

She has also continued to do freelance work as a writer and has published works of fiction, special feature stories, advocacy and promotions materials as well as research papers on arts and culture management.

Angel works full time as a Program Director of The Philippine Educational Theater Association (PETA), in charge of programming, producing special events and line productions, and spearheading PR campaigns for the PETA Theater Center.

Ronald Lim

Ronald Lim has more books than he has clothes. When he isn’t reading books ranging from YA to turn of the century French writers, he’s interviewing authors and writing about books for a national daily.

Chris Mariano

Chris’ work has appeared in Fully Booked’s Philippine Graphic/Fiction Awards Prose Anthology, The Philippines Free Press TAYO Literary Magazine, Ideomancer, and Philippine Speculative Fiction 7. She was a fellow for Poetry in English at the 34th UP National Writers Workshop in Baguio. She is a member of the Astronomical League of the Philippines and divides her time between Manila and Aklan. Her independently-published romance novella Cover (Story) Girl is available in both print and digital formats.

Gilbert Tan

At the age of 3, Gilbert started reading his Grandma Beatriz’s Reader’s Digest magazines. His being hyper-myopic doesn’t stop him from his lifelong passion for reading. An omnivorous reader, he probably has the biggest private personal library in SocCSKSarGen (Region 12). So, it is no surprise that his book blog url is thebookwormofgensan.blogspot.com. His advocacies include: literacy, reading, and campus journalism.

His best diet advice comes from this quote:

“When I have a little money, I buy books; and if I have any left, I buy food and clothes.”― Desiderius Erasmus Roterodamus

Gabriela Lee

Gabriela Lee has had her short stories and poetry published in the Philippines, Singapore, and the United States. She is currently teaching creative writing and English at the University of the Philippines. You can find her online at http://about.me/gabrielalee

Dan Gaffud

Chad Rosario

Started my marketing career in the pharmaceutical industry and served 4 years as Brand Manager United Laboratories.

• Six years as Team Publisher of Summit Media Men’s Titles Group which include banner titles FHM (the country’s leading men’s magazine), Entrepreneur Magazine and Top Gear, the no.1 motoring magazine in the Philippines
• Has been the recipient of his company’s Honor Roll Award for 3 consecutive years from 2010-2012
• Current Deputy General Manager of Hand Interactive that’s engaged in the business of e-publication sale and distribution
• A dad to a wonderful daughter who turns 3 in January; Loves traveling, experiencing new culture, listening to music and, of course, reading.

Victoria Velasco

Victoria Velasco used to create the window displays for Fully Booked, and is now part of their marketing team. She has loved books, movies and all kinds of stories her entire life, and tries to visit as many bookstores when taking trips abroad. During her free time, she enjoys making paper crafts. Her favorite book is Holes by Louis Sachar.

Kenneth Yu

Kate Evangelista

When Kate Evangelista was told she had a knack for writing stories, she did the next best thing: entered medical school. After realizing she wasn’t going to be the next Doogie Howser, M.D., Kate wandered into the Literature department of her university and never looked back. Today, she is in possession of a piece of paper that says to the world she owns a Literature degree. To make matters worse, she took Master’s courses in creative writing. In the end, she realized to be a writer, none of what she had mattered. What really mattered? Writing. Plain and simple, honest to God, sitting in front of her computer, writing. Today, she lives in the Philippines and writes full-time.

Mina Esguerra

Mina V. Esguerra writes contemporary romance, young adult, and new adult novellas. Her young adult/fantasy trilogy Interim Goddess of Love is a college love story featuring gods from Philippine mythology. Her contemporary romance novella Fairy Tale Fail won the 2012 Filipino Readers’ Choice award for Chick Lit. Through her blog Publishing in Pajamas (minavesguerra.com), she documents her experiments in e-publishing.

When not writing romance, she is president of communications firm Bronze Age Media, development communication consultant, indie publisher, professional editor, wife, and mother. She created the workshop series “Author at Once” for writers and publishers, and #romanceclass, a Contemporary Romance Novella writing class.

Gerry Alanguilan

Gerry Alanguilan is a comic book writer and artist who has written titles like Wasted, Elmer, Humanis Rex, Timawa. He is currently collaborating with Arnold Arre on a tribute to Pinoy fantasy komiks entitled “Rodski Patotski: Ang Dalagang Baby”.

Lourd De Veyra

Eliza Victoria

Eliza Victoria graduated with a degree in Journalism from the University of the Philippines – Diliman in 2007. Her books include the short story collection A Bottle of Storm Clouds (Visprint, 2012) and the science fiction novel Project 17 (Visprint, 2013). Her fiction and poetry have appeared in several online and print publications in the Philippines and elsewhere, and have won prizes in the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and the Philippines Free Press Literary Awards. For more information, please visit her online home, http://elizavictoria.com.

Carljoe Javier

Bebang Siy