The Philippines' books in the Netherlands - release

To uphold the Philippines not only through travel guide books but also through books on its history and culture, the Philippine Trade and Investment Center of the Philippine Embassy in the Netherlands is bringing selected Filipino books to Selexyz Rotterdam, the biggest bookstore in the said country.

Alma Argayoso, commercial attaché of the Philippines to the Netherlands, said that they partnered with Selexyz to make the books available not only to the Dutch, but more importantly to the Filipino expatriates who do not have easy access to books from home.

The selection includes books on culture, history, languages, travel and even stories by Filipino immigrants who have immersed themselves in the local culture.

One of the books entitled “A Taste of Home, Pinoy Expats and Food Memories”, is a collection of personal stories by Filipino expatriates from around the world, on the major role Filipino food plays in their lives, how they try to prepare the authentic taste of home in their own kitchens in foreign lands while struggling to integrate themselves into the new cultures of their adopted countries.

Other Philippines’ books includes:

·        “The Philippines through European Lenses”, written by a Dutch anthropologist commissioned by the Dutch Ambassador to the Philippines Robert Brinks

·        Rizal Without the Overcoat

·        101 Stories of the Philippine Revolution

·        Philippines: Islands of Enchantment

·        25 Tropical Houses in the Philippines

·        Authentic Recipes from the Philippines

·        Etiquette Guide to the Philippines

·        Tropical Gardens of the Philippines

·        Filipino Cookbook

·        Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories

·        The Tropical House: Cutting Edge Design in the Philippines

·        Tagalog for Beginners

·        Way of the Ancient Healer: Sacred Teachings from Philippine Ancestral Traditions

·        The Politics of Redress

·        Philippine Folklore Stories

·        Filipino Ghost Stories

·        Pan de Sal Saves the Day

·        My First Book of Tagalog Words

·        Filipino Home-style Dishes

The initiative was supported by Tuttle Publishing, Anvil Publishing, North Atlantic Books, Abela Publishing and the Mama Sita Foundation.

NY Times bestselling author visits PHILIPINES

National Book Store brings back New York Times’ bestselling author Lauren Kate for the launch of her new book titled Passion, the third installment to the supernatural romance series, ‘’Fallen,’’ on July 16, Glorietta 5 Atrium, and on July 17, Ayala Center Cebu Activity Center. With the success of ‘’Fallen’’ and its sequel ‘’Torment,’’ debuting at No. 3 and No. 1 in the New York Times Bestseller list respectively, ‘’Passion’’ is one of the most awaited young adult fiction releases this year.

In this new book, Lauren takes the readers into a journey with Luce, a devoted woman who spends her afterlife reliving her love story with Daniel in hopes of finding the key to a world where love transcends time and death. Terrified of what might happen if Luce rewrites history, Daniel decides to chase her through their shared pasts.

K-Zone releases ‘Boredom Buster 2’

K-Zone's latest book release, Boredom Busters 2 introduces kids to cool and fun things to do to bear boredom.

Kids can be spies, a wildlife adventurer, ghostbuster, movie director, rockstar or a mad inventor. The book also features puzzles, riddles and do-it-yourself activities and experiments

K-Zone Boredom Busters 2 also shows how to create your very own K-LEB Automata. Just cut-out the images and follow the simple instructions on how to make your very own miniature K-LEB.

Philippines’ Football “Team Azkals magazine”

Summit Media launches Team Azkals, an unofficial fan magazine featuring everything you need to know about the Azkals.

Featured are more than 45 unknown things about the Azkals—including their respective sports heroes, dream dates, and even their relationship status! The players themselves also reveal who is the team’s funniest, friendliest, and flirtiest member.

The magazine also gives a quick lesson on the basics of football, chronicles the team’s humble beginnings and recounts ten Azkal game highlights.

Team Azkals magazine comes with free pin-ups and posters and even tells you how to snag your favorite player’s heart. Team Azkals is now available in newsstands, bookstores and supermarkets nationwide for only P150.

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US might cancel Taiwan F16 fighter jets Deal - amidst Sea disputes & Taiwan War Plan to West Philippines Sea (South China Sea)

China claimed the whole South China sea down to the shore of Vietnam and the Philippines by issuing a 9 dotted map which worries ASEAN neighbor of the aggressive ambition of the giant dragon.

Senator Jim Webb grasps an electronic pointer and traces an arc on a map of the West Philippines’ Sea otherwise called South China Sea, marking out the maritime boundaries of Beijing’s Asian neighbors.

The map, which reflects Beijing’s claim over the oceans just off the coasts of the Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam, is becoming a new flashpoint in US-Sino relations.

Chinese vessels have clashed with Vietnamese and Filipino boats off the coasts of the two Asian countries in recent months, and Beijing has protested noisily at US efforts to help mediate the dispute.

The issue is testing the Obama administration’s contention that US-Chinese ties are more firmly rooted in the wake of President Hu Jintao’s January visit to Washington. Congress is already pushing for the White House to take a tougher line with Beijing.

“We don’t yield to this type of approach on sovereignty,” says Mr. Webb, a Democrat, who spearheaded a unanimous Senate resolution condemning China’s use of force and calling for a multilateral solution to the issue.

A separate letter, signed by 45 of the chamber’s 100 senators, calling for the administration to approve the sale of F16 fighter jets to Taiwan, may lead to even greater damage to ties with China. “I would hope that we would not step away from Taiwan’s ability to send a credible signal on security,” says Mr. Webb.

The US and Chinese militaries have tentatively resumed contacts in recent months, including a trip to Washington in May by General Chen Bingde, head of the People’s Liberation Army.

The F16s are caught up in politics in both Taiwan and the US. In the US, members of Congress are keen to maintain production of the fighters in Fort Worth, Texas.

In Taipei, Ma Ying-jeou, the president, insists Taiwan wants the aircraft but has refrained from making a formal request without a go-ahead from the White House. Any sale of F16s would be certain to damage relations with China. Beijing cut military ties after the last big US sale to Taiwan last year.

The tension over Taiwan comes as Hillary Clinton, US secretary of state, prepares to renew Washington’s call for a multilateral settlement to disputes in the South China Sea.

The area around the Spratlys, a chain of largely uninhabited islands and reefs in the West Philippines’ Sea (WPS) or South China Sea, has long been the subject of competing claims by China and numerous Asian nations, propelled by a conviction that the area is resource-rich.

After years in which the countries left the issue in abeyance, China has been taking a more assertive approach, sending its vessels and aircraft into waters of 200 Nautical Miles Exclusive Economic Zone claimed by the Philippines and Vietnam.

“This is an area which combines potentially substantial wealth with very important strategic implications,” says Ken Lieberthal of the Brookings Institution.

The rising tension over competing claims, he says, has created “a situation where sooner or later there is going to be an accident and someone is going to get killed”.

Mrs. Clinton angered China last year when she said at a meeting of south-east Asian nations that the US was ready to “facilitate” talks on a code of conduct for the area. China insists the issue should be dealt with bilaterally with each of the countries involved.

After the recent incidents, Mrs. Clinton is set to argue at ASEAN’s meeting in Bali this month that the need for a code of conduct is more urgent than ever. She said after meeting Albert del Rosario, foreign secretary of the Philippines, that the US would “do what we can” to support Manila on maritime defense.

Like many Asian leaders who once shunned the US, only to call for its return to Asia to balance China’s rising power, Mr. del Rosario was more direct, saying Manila would count on Washington’s “unwavering support”.

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