LOS ANGELES – Veteran Filipino journalist, author and professor Alfredo G. Gabot has published the first book in a series in the United States.
Gabot’s new book, “California: A Philippine Territory – Almost and Other Stories,” is now available in hardcover and paperback from Amazon, the publisher announced on July 7. The e-book edition will also be available later.
The 293-page book is the first volume of the compendium of selected columns and articles by Gabot, the title of which is the centerpiece. Since his retirement as senior editor of the Manila Bulletin, Gabot has been a freelance journalist, writing and editing newspapers, magazines and books, and is a part-time professor and broadcaster.
Gabot’s first three books, published in Manila in 1975 and 1976, were “Manila Revenue Measures” and “Manila Barangay Guidebook and Directory,” and the best-seller “Barangay: Peoplepower,” which was used by then Education Secretary Juan L. Manuel as an approved reference work in high schools and colleges and is listed in the Library of Congress of the United States, among others.
The book, published on Amazon, is in part a tribute to outstanding Filipinos in America such as Carlos S. Bulosan, a famous Filipino author and labor activist in the United States and Gabot’s great-uncle, who is known for his autobiographical novel “America is in the Heart,” his essay “Freedom from Want,” his short story “The Laughter of My Father,” and his poem “I Want the Wide American Earth,” among others.
The book contains the first Filipino translation of the Bulosan poem “I Want the Wide American Earth” by journalist, poet, author and educator Jose Lad. Santos, former chairman of the Commission on the Filipino Language (Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino) and former commissioner of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) like Gabot.
Lawyer and certified public accountant Maritess Barrios-Taran, KWF Director General and professor at the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (PLM), said in her foreword that the book captures the outstanding achievements of Filipinos in the Philippines and America, such as former California Supreme Court Chief Justice Tani Cantil-Sakauye, Attorney General Robert Bonta, sports greats Victoria Manalo Draves and Natalie Coughlin, and celebrity Vanessa Hudgens.
The book also features two governors – Gavin Newsom of California and Ramon Guico III of Pangasinan – whose fates, though miles apart, are linked by a common mission to serve their constituents and a common bond – the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila (University of the City of Manila), where they both hold Doctor of Public Management (DPM) degrees.
The book cover is based on a painting by the artist and historian Florante Villarica from Oriental Mindoro, where centuries ago galleons were built and equipped for the long voyage to America.
The book is scheduled to be published in California and Manila soon. The California release is planned at the Los Angeles Public Library, where Carlos Bulosan immersed himself in reading, writing poetry, and practicing writing short stories and essays while at the nearby Los Angeles General Hospital.
“Gusto Ko ang Malawak na Lupaing Amerika,” the Filipino translation of Carlos Bulosan’s famous poem, is expected to be read at the book launch.
Gabot, a former president of the National Press Club (NPC), former NCCA commissioner, former director and chairman of the board of the Philippine Postal Corporation, and a university professor, is in the final stages of preparation for his next books, including “Rising from Ruins and the Big Dreams Come True” and “Carlos S. Bulosan: The Hometown He Never Returned To.”
“California: A Philippine Territory – Almost and Other Stories” is available worldwide on Amazon.com. The link to the book on Amazon is https://amzn.to/4eXPO5U. n
