7,641 Ways to Read a Country

As children of the islands, we grow up basking in the eternal summer. A few months out of the year, monsoon rains prevail, whipping our homes with heavy droplets and whirling ípuípo (tornado).

As we go through life, our families are with us, and we are never left alone. At home, rooms are shared, meals are taken together, and boundaries are often blurred to give way to pakikisáma (smooth interpersonal relationships). Our family is not just limited to our siblings, parents, and grandparents. Kinship extends beyond blood, and our neighbors and kababáyan (townmates) are family.

The children of Bathalà (Great Creator) are exposed to epics, stories, and songs in varying languages. It’s all same-same to us but still different. Teachers speak in English, grandparents talk in the language of their home province, parents discuss current events using the lingua franca of the big city, and neighbors might converse in another dialect. Diversity is experienced early on and encourages deeper connection with another.

Children are brought into the spiritual journey early. Most Filipinos are religious but this is mixed with indigenous practice to reflect their experiences through time, no matter how cosmopolitan the city has become.

As kids grow into adulthood, they must learn how to navigate and fight the monsters in their head. They come to terms with loss, grief and suffering, yet the idyllic memories of childhood still prevail.

Myth, Magic, and Children reminds us of Filipino childhood and how magical it is to be a child of the islands, in our archipelago of stories.

This exhibition was developed with Ang Ink or Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan. Ang INK was founded in June 1991, the offshoot of a Children’s Book Illustration workshop sponsored by the PBBY (Philippine Board on Books for Young People) and the Goethe-Institiute Manila which was conducted by visiting German book illustrator Reinhard Michl. Ang INK’sobjective is to set up an effective linkage and communication network among and between artists, writers, publishers and educators engaged in the production of children’s books and other visual materials for children.

Declared as the world’s center of the center of marine biodiversity, the Philippines is known best for its scenic islands and legendary diving spots. Beyond the natural resources, the wealth of the archipelago nation lies in its people who inhabit its 7,641 islands, and speak its over 110 regional languages. Highly literate and exceptionally adaptive, the more than 100,000,000 Filipinos are known well for their contributions in the service and logistics industries, and the massive creative capital they represent.

Its literature is just as rich as its history, with epics , myths, and stories surviving three and a half centuries of colonization, passed from generation to generation, orally and in print. Reflected in our culture and the stories we tell is a uniquely Filipino flavor of cultures melding together: our indigenous and Southeast Asian roots, influences of the European old world, American education, and the clear, undeniable voice of the young and the contemporary.

To say we have a wealth of stories to tell would be an understatement. The Filipino experience is both distinctive and diverse.The vibrant local culture is mirrored in the rich narratives of each region. It could be said that one sun rises over the islands, but the shadows cast are never the same.

The content produced by the Philippines is in English and a variety of Philippine languages. Publications are further translated into European and Asian languages for global consumption. Through the years, the Philippine publishing industry has flourished with publishers, writers, and illustrators making their mark in the international scene.