TACLOBAN CITY–KATIG Writers Inc., an organization of writers in Eastern Visayas, and the Institute for Climate Change and Sustainable Cities (iCSC) on June 28 launched its book entitled “Agam: Filipino Narratives on Uncertainty and Climate Change” at the Multi-Purpose Building, University of the Philippine- Visayas Tacloban College.
“Agam reflects the confrontation between climate change and diverse cultures across the country. It combines original new works in prose, verse, and photographs and depicts uncertainty–and tenacity–from the Filipino perspective,” said Janis Claire Salvacion, president of KATIG Writers, Inc.
The book is composed of creative narratives in eight languages–crafted by twenty-four writers representing a broad array of disciplines–poets, journalists, anthropologists, the country’s godfather of climate science, and an indie erotic artist working with twenty-five images from the lens of the photojournalist Jose Enrique Soriano,” added Salvacion, who is also the regional coordinator of the National Committee on Literary Arts-National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
In an emailed letter to reporters, Salvacion said the book launch in Tacloban “holds a special significance for all of us, who experienced firsthand the impacts of climate change.”
This event becomes part of our reflection and rebuilding for a better community, added Salvacion. iCSC, a non-profit group working on sustainable energy solutions and fair climate policy, is the publisher of the book. According to the organizers, the full price of the book is at P1,600 though it was offered at a discounted price of P1,200 during the launching. Proceeds of the book sales will be given to iCSC’s RE-Charge Tacloban, wherein a fleet of electric jeepneys (e-jeepneys) will serve the commuters of Tacloban and will be powered by a solar photovoltaic (PV) facility, and combined with training programs for local drivers, dispatchers, operators, administrators and technicians in the maintenance and servicing of operations, the organizer said.
“As our community rebuilds after Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, we seek to be more responsible to our environment, and utilize a sustainable transport fleet composed of electric vehicles is significant response in that direction while answering the needs of the public transport system,” added Salvacion.(RONALD O.REYES)
