Academic Book Fair July 10-14
LEONORA Vinluan, Master of Arts in Values Education (Mave) graduate, had long dreamed of running her own school.
In 2005, she finally realized that dream. She opened St. Josemaría Escrivá School in her hometown of Paniqui, Tarlac. There she “educates the children in the mind and in the heart” while doing public service through community projects.
Vinluan said Mave was the key to her dream, and the wisdom that she gained from the teachings of St. Josemaría encouraged her to work better and dream big.
St. Josemaría Escrivá, the founder of Opus Dei, taught that everyone was called to be holy in and through his/her ordinary life and work. He was canonized by Blessed Pope John Paul II on Oct. 6, 2002.
Opus Dei started in the Philippines in 1964 and the University of Asia and the Pacific (UA&P) in Ortigas, where Vinluan studied, was one of its corporate undertakings.
Vinluan was already teaching, first in Baguio then in Paniqui, when she heard about the Mave program of UA&P.
While pursuing her Mave course, she said she was inspired, especially in the classes of Gladys Golo, Severina Villegas and Zenon Udan, and started visualizing having her own school, which she would run the way she was taught.
She named her school after St. Josemaría Escrivá, whose teachings she learned through Mave. She said when she started promoting her school, everybody asked who the saint was.
Vinluan said she realized it was her mission to spread St. Josemaría’s life and teachings.
She said that opening the school, with financial help from her brother, was a matter of faith and determination, as her family is not rich.
When the school opened on June 13, 2005, it had only 50 pupils and three teachers. It has 145 pupils and 10 teachers, including Vinluan, and four nonteaching and utility workers.
The school has preelementary (nursery, kindergarten and preparatory) and ele- mentary (Grades 1-6) classes.
Vinluan said “the school’s vision and mission is to create a culture of excellence” and she uses her Mave experiences and learning as power tools in running it. THE 16TH Philippine Academic Book Fair will be held July 10-14 at the Megatrade Hall 1, 5th Level, Building B, SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City.
The annual event, organized by the Academic Booksellers Association of the Philippines, features major local and international publishers who will showcase academic books, Filipiniana, Catholic publications, magazines, journals, educational video and audio materials, publishing aids, and electronic references.
It is supported by the Department of Education and the Commission on Higher Education.
Exhibitors include A-Z Direct Marketing, Academic Book Sales, Alexan Commercial (Ace Electronic Technology Inc.), Asiatype Distribution Inc., Ateneo University Press, Book Trends Enterprises, Cambridge University Press, C&E Publishing, CD Books International, Cengage Learning Asia, Claretian Communications Foundation, Creative Mind Books Center, CRWMarketing Services for Publishers, EDCA Publishing & Distributing Corp., F&J De Jesus, Fastbooks Educational Supply, Forefront Book Co., Golden Books Services, Goodwill Bookstore, High Access Line Philippines, and Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Also joining the book fair are IBC Book Consolidators, IBON Foundation, Info-Ed Marketing, Jesuit Communications Foundation, Linar Educational Materials, Manila Bulletin Publishing Corp., McGraw-Hill Education, Megatexts Philippines, New Century Books, Paulines, Pearson, Phoenix Educational Systems, Promind Solutions, Rarebook Enterprises, Reader’s Knowledge Bookstore, St. Paul’s, University of Santo Tomas Publishing House, and University of the Philippines Press.
The book fair is expected to draw school officials, librarians, teachers, professionals, reviewers, tutors and book enthusiasts.
Call 8960682 or 8960661 or e-mail bookfair@primetradeasia.com.