Filipinos are not book lovers
July 14, 2008 · Don't forget to leave a comment
Some years ago, a friend of mine observed that in Japan, the bookshop seemed to be the most popular feature of practically every street block. While in the Philippines, instead of bookshop, it was the beauty parlor vying closely with the sari-sari store.
In commiseration, I made the wistful remark that at the turn of the century in London, Virginia Woolf was already making good money doing just book reviews for newspapers and periodicals, and through her highly rarefied novels and short stories, some of which became bestsellers of her lifetime.
Even in those days, a writer as difficult as Woolf had an audience, those who were willing to exchange hard-earned money for her often esoteric experimentation with language and literary forms.
In sad contrast, almost a century after Ms. Woolf was able to support herself with her writing, Filipino writers would starve if he or she depended solely on “literary writing.”
It seems certain now that Filipinos will never become book readers. To paraphrase, George Bernard Shaw, Filipinos will go from being primitives to becoming exhausted as a civilization, without ever having been civilized enough to read books.
Why is this shameful fate of our lot as a nation? There are a few facile reasons that we could cite, we don;t mean sheer poverty either, for even among the richest Filipinos, they hardly read books.
A book, whether a novel, a compilation of poetry, or a collection of essays or short stories, is one of the most demanding forms of intellectual engagement available, a one-on-one relationship and challenge. A book must be met in certain solitude so that the sentences and chapters will seep through the readers consciousness of the reader.
The problem is Filipinos hate solitude. Count the number of Filipinos you know who enjoy being alone, and being in a book. For them, it’s absolutely terrifying.
Reading a book requires time and patience; endurance, if need be. It isn’t over in an hour or two like movies or television shows. And Filipinos with our ningas-cogon tendencies, like our entertainment fast and light, have suitably short attention span.
Furthermore, books deal with ideas, worked out mainly through characters and plots. There is always some horrid symbolism lurking somewhere, and the conflict of one system of thought against another. However for most of us, we prefer our conflicts played out among personalities rather than in ideas–it’s much easier that way and more exciting. Ideas can be so dull.
Another facter could be one reads a book in silence. Solitude na, ideas pa, and then silence? It is too much for average Filipino. It just goes against all cultural traits–the need to move in herds, in exuberance and gaiety, in love songs and dances. Rilke be hung, give Filipino `La Bamba` any day.
A great pity, of course, and dangerous, too, when non-readers like Imelda Marcos (who was never seen reading a book from cover to cover) get positions of power.
How much does Cory Aquino read, does anyone know?
Alas! Perhaps the only Filipino who read assiduously these days are the Marxists with their tones on agrarian reform, Nicaragua on its liberation theology, and the Latin American political novelists. No wonder they’re often ahead in the game.
Still, here’s to the little band of Filipinos who do read, who scrimp and save to buy the expensive pocketbooks of the latest novels from Europe and Latin America, from Japan, from the Philippines. Even rarer than the Filipino reader is the Filipino Writer. But that topic is too sad for words.
-© The Manila Chronicle, 1987
More about the Author: I'm Kevin Georg Paquet, a 16 Year Old Filipino Teenager from Davao City Philippines. The head writer and administrator of Pinoy Teens Online. 
kikamz
emily
Izy Mae
aika
DenneBean
fortunately…i’m a book lover
during my free time si kamahalang book ang kasama ko instead na pumunta sa kung saan-saan.time of relaxation rin ang reading
thank you for dropping sa blog ko and it’s an honor
god bless…
ah I totally agree with that one! However, I would like to count myself as a Pinay Bookworm. I do buy books frequently and since NBS opened in out town I got their card. Sadly though, I have noticed that NBS is never packed and more and more kids these days are glued to a PC screen either playing DOTA or surfing. No one appreciated the fine art of writing.
My English Lit teacher is a Palanca awardee and he introduced me to the fine art of Pinoy literature. There are a lot of really good Pinoy writers out there but alas, readership is scarce, right? Only a handful of Pinoy’s read books these days and if they do read, they don’t bother to read books from Nick Joaquin and others. I find myself guilty on the second count, too. I admit that I have read hundreds of international books but only a few written by Pinoys.
Perhaps school has played a part in the disinterest of Filipinos in the art of reading. Perhaps our parents play a part for us loving books. We really don’t know.
Sadly, the truth is that no one bothers to read anymore. And more and more people watch the boob tube for teleseryes and fantaseryes.
Ah! that was a pretty long comment. I like this article, though.. Xlinks? Sure! Just add my link, msg me, then I’ll link you up.
I’m so happy that a teen like you is still interested in books, there are only a few of us (errrmmm I’m not really a teen…lol) bookworms left.
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hakhak
antagal na niang artikol ah?
hakhak
elyens
XXXxx
eyy…I don’t see my link sa blogroll mo…anyway msg me when it’s up! thanks!
The article was written more than ten years ago. Perhaps, that`s no longer true today. But I really don`t know for sure… What I do know is that there are more books available in the market that are affordable - thanks to Bookshop and other stores that sell second-hand books. Yay!
In a way yes, but there are other media where they get informed. The internet is one, you don’t only read information, you watch them as you get entertained.
@kamotenista - good to hear that there are still a couple of book readers out there, I’ve thought that I’m one of the very few XD
@Zriz of betterthanezrah - did you see it now?
@rimewire - oo nga, mejo matagal na nga ito.. hehe.
hello!
sure, xlinks. let me know if u’ve added me and i’ll do the same. thanks a lot. nice blog.
@lindsay - so, there you go, I’ve added you, kindly add me too.
ps: it’ll take a bit time for the page to update
hi there! i couldn’t find my link here. pls let me know if u’ve already linked me and will do the same. thanks!
i agree but not all namn
@amelia belocura - yes, I’m one of those who does reads
hmmmm. onga naman. tsssssssssssk.,
pero ako booklover ako. weee XP
Consider me as part of the small percentage of Filipinos who do actually love to read. I don’t know who I’d be right now if it weren’t for books.
Honest to goodness bookworm!
@Dresdendoll - the reader count is increasing nga talaga, hehe.
@shaihyie - buti naman book lover ka hehe
books are the best .. kung tutoosin mas gusto ko pa mag basa kesa manoOd nang movie ahahha
Let’s find a way to promote book reading among the people.
@aiiya - talaga lang aiiya hah? hehe
yes, its pretty true. stats showing pinoys who read are declining. and we must do something about it.
nice blog design anyway, link ex?
gnda…..naks i appreciate the person who made this
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