It’s August. As we reach the midpoint of the year, we can’t help but anticipate the familiar melodies of Jose Mari Chan blasting all over the neighborhood.
But before we put up our Christmas lights at home just yet, let’s take a moment to celebrate the country’s rich culture and history during this “Buwan ng Wika at Kasaysayan.” This month-long celebration puts the spotlight on the narratives that define us as Filipinos.
And what better way to pay tribute to our tales than by reading them? Here are must-read books by talented Filipino authors that narrate our own stories.
Assembling Alice by Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta
Starting off with a literary biography of the author’s grandmother, whom she never met, this book is a portrait of Alice Feria and the stories she told as one of the country’s first women journalists during the Second World War.
If you’re eyeing a short historical read, this book is a must-have. These stories hold just as much significance as the accounts of well-known heroes. Now, we get to also read the stories of the courageous women who battled against oppression.
Inside these pages are the testimonies of the people who have allegedly crossed Alice’s life, her dedication to nation-building, and the questions she posed to her audience about what it might mean to be a true Filipino. All these elements come together to assemble a courageous woman who once lived, along with a myriad of Filipino women like her.
Dear Distance by Luis Joaquin M. Katigbak
Our Filipino identity is deeply intertwined with a shared sense of nostalgia—like the things that spark our memory at random during bus journeys or the experiences we revisit when we meet with an old friend we haven’t seen in a while.
Katigbak turns this nostalgia into a short story collection, portraying the most mundane yet affecting tales that have the power to resonate with every Filipino. One may find themselves in oddly familiar places as they follow along with the stories, peopled by characters going through the joys and griefs of life.
Ang Bangin sa Ilalim ng Ating mga Paa by Ronaldo Vivo Jr.
This crime thriller may not be for the faint of heart. But if you’re fed up with the system that’s supposed to feed you, you’d devour this book chapter by chapter.
As we follow a father fighting against all odds to save his daughter, this book also mirrors the grim facets of the Philippines, especially during Duterte’s regime.
In Ronaldo Vivo Jr.’s genius, his fast-paced and candid commentaries refuse to play it safe as the story unfolds in a society where justice can never come from the system that promises it.
Abi Nako, Or So I Thought by Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz
Memoirs can either be intimidating or boring—if you are reading the wrong ones.
But if it explores the life of a woman in Davao City through poignant words that read almost like a series of confessions, it reminds us of the pains and joys we’ve dealt with just by taking a leap of faith.
Cruz bares her soul in this memoir, detailing the experiences she has survived and the ones she is open to as she starts a new life. Here, we get to witness how she rebuilds her life as a mother, a lesbian, and a writer.