ON WORLD BOOK AND COPYRIGHT DAY: IPOPHL talks about creativity, copyright and stories

The Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines celebrated World Book and Copyright Day last April 23 through a dialogue with various stakeholders on the need for greater copyright awareness and a storytelling session with children to promote reading.

At the event, Dr. Ivan Anthony S. Henares, Secretary General of the UNESCO National Commission of Transforming our world: the Philippines (UNACOM), stressed the importance and pillars of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in the creative world. Basa Bookstore Founding President and Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) Director Rey S. Bufi and Baguio-based Illustrator and Animator and an IGOROTAK Author Tor A. Sagud enhanced discussions with insights from the perspective of an artist.

Antoinette Cherish Flores Taus, Founder of the Communities Organized for Resource Allocation (CORA) and UNEP National Goodwill Ambassador for the Philippines discussed the work done by CORA in achieving the 17 SDGs. Meanwhile, Storyteller and  Victoria Homeschool Teacher Jolizbeth “Dyali” Justo, shared the role of teachers in addressing the education crisis in the Philippines.

“Through these activities, we hope that as a nation, we will be able to inspire and challenge our creatives to be ambassadors of copyright and intellectual property and encourage other creatives to create more.” Bureau of Copyright and Related Right Director Emerson G. Cuyo said.

IPOPHL, Victorious Home School tells stories

As part of the celebration, nearly 30 children gathered at the IPOPHL library earlier that day to learn about copyright and new stories that offered several life lessons.

“As everyone knows, books not only tell our stories. They also carry our knowledge, our history, tradition, culture, experiences, and even desires and feelings. Reading tickles our imagination and transports us to several places,” Deputy Director General Ann Claire C. Cabochan said as she stressed the importance of reading to the young participants and told the story of “Tight Times,” written by Jeanette Patindol and illustrated by Sergio T. Bumatay III.

BCRR Director Cuyo read the story of Super Maya, written by Bambi Rodriguez and illustrated by Nix M. Ilagan, while Teacher Dyali read “When Color Came to Town” written and illustrated by Susan Dela Rosa Aragon. The BCRR also distributed free books to the children with the sponsorship of publishers Adarna Group Foundation Inc. and Bata Ako PH.

The storytelling activity was held in collaboration with Victorious Home School which is based in Marikina City.

The World Book and Copyright Day is celebrated every April 23 to honor authors, illustrators and other content creators in the book industry and to promote stories as a way to learn, gain empathy and understand the copyright system better. (Janina Lim, Information Officer III)