PGMA Signs Trust Fund Law for Philippine Authors

PGMA Signs Trust Fund Law For Philippine Authors, as seen on the National Book Development Board website. An excerpt:

Now, local authors, publishers and the reading public have more cause to celebrate.

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has signed into law last 5 March 2009 the National Book Development Trust Fund Act after both Houses of the 14^th Congress have approved R. A. 9521 - An Act Creating a National Book Development Trust Fund To Support Philippine Authorship. A milestone legislation in local book development authored by Iloilo City Rep. Raul T. Gonzalez Jr., Cagayan de Oro Rep. Rufus Rodriguez and co-authored by several members of the House as well as Senators Edgardo Angara, Allan Peter Cayetano, and Jinggoy Estrada, this law will provide authors from all regions of the country a reasonable amount to complete their manuscripts for publication.

The NBDB Chairman, Dr. Dennis T. Gonzalez, says: “this will benefit veteran and promising authors working or researching on topics in which local books are either few or non-existent.” There are many subject areas in which local books are insufficient in number and variety, and most of the books in libraries and bookstores are foreign publications.