Guardians of Tradition Blog Tour + Giveaway

Guardians of Tradition: The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (2012)
By Mae Astrid Tobias
Illustrations by Rommel E. Joson
Photos by Renato S. Rastrollo / National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)

About the Book:

Who are the indigenous and folk artists of the Philippines? Guardians of Tradition is full of facts about 11 of Philippine master weavers, folk musicians, performing artists, mat weavers, and metal smiths whose talents and skills have earned them the title Manlilikha ng Bayan. Designed to help children recognize native Filipino ingenuity and creativity, the book includes fun activities to promote appreciation for culture and arts. Guardians of Tradition has a fun and colorful design that appeals to young readers.

The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan was created in 1992 through Republic Act No. 7355 to honor our National Living Treasures. These are men and women who have helped preserve our traditional crafts. Through their artistry and devotion, these talented Filipinos ensure that our culture's traditional arts are not forgotten.

About the Author:

Mae Astrid Tobias (1979-2009) was a Palanca-award winning author of children's books. In addition to Guardians of Tradition, her books include Blue Bananas (Crucible), Bayong ng Kuting (Lampara Books), My Forest Friends (Haribon), Bakawan (Adarna Books) and two books retelling the Ifugao traditional chant, hudhud. These are Halikpon: A Retelling of an Ancient Ifugao Chant and Pumbakhayon: An Origin Myth of the Ifugao Hudhud. Both are finalists for children’s literature and best design in the 2006 National Book Awards of the Manila Critics Circle.

She also spent several years in the field of children’s television. She served as the Manila Bureau Manager of Kabataan News Network, a project of UNICEF and Probe Media Foundation that trains young people nationwide how to produce their own broadcast quality documentaries. She also also wrote episodes for children shows like Sirit!, and ABS-CBN and Eskuwela ng Bayan, as well as worked for Philippine Junior Inquirer and Shell Foundation. She was a member of Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting (KUTING), an organization of Filipino writers for children.

About the Illustrator:

ROMMEL JOSON is a painter and an illustrator. He graduated magna cum laude and College Valedictorian from the University of Philippines College of Fine Arts. He was also a Merit Scholar and a recipient of the Dean's Awards for Visual Awards from the Ateneo de Manila University, where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Management. He worked in the advertising industry for several years before devoting his time fully to painting and illustration. He has received awards and citations for painting, illustration, comics, and design from various organizations such as the Philippine Board of Books for Young People (Honorable Mention), the Shell National Art Competition (3rd Place Oil/Acrylic Category), the Neil Gaiman/Fully Booked Graphic Fiction Competition (3rd Place in the Graphic Fiction category), the Adobo Design Awards (Silver) and the Philippine Araw Awards (Silver in Art Direction) and the Metrobank Art and Design Excellence Competition (Semifinalist in Oil). He is currently an active member of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (Ang INK).

About the Photographer:
RENATO S. RASTROLLO, is a photographer, graphic artist, book and exhibit designer. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts major in Advertising from the Philippine Women’s University. With over 25 years of experience in the field of documentary photography, his works have appeared in national and international publications. Presently, he is a culture and arts officer at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Guardians of Tradition was recently nominated for the 2013 Filipino Readers' Choice Awards, and is the only non-fiction finalist in the Children's Picture Book Category.

For the duration of the Guardians of Tradition Blog Tour, Guardians of Tradition is available at discounted prize at the Adarna showroom in Quezon City. For international readers and Filipinos abroad, an ebook version is coming soon. You can purchase the print copy through the following links:

Goodreads - http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18070865-guardians-of-tradition
Adarna Order Form - http://adarna.com.ph/featured/guardians-of-tradition.html

Wouldn't it be awesome if we could get an e-book version of Guardians of Tradition? Maybe this can be our small contribution to preserving tradition. We can spread the word to a new generation of readers, who are likelier to hold a tablet than a gangsa. An e-book can reach Filipino children all over the world and ensure that the book and the knowledge that it hopes to impart never goes out of print.

You can start showing your support by joining the Guardians of Tradition giveaway! You can win one of the following prizes (open to Philippine residents only):

One $25 Amazon Gift Card + signed copy of Guardians of Tradition from Adarna + 1 CD of National Living Treasure Bayan Sumaon Sulaiman from NCCA

3 $10 Amazon Gift Card + signed copy of Guardians of Tradition from Adarna + 1 CD of National Living Treasure Bayan Sumaon Sulaiman from NCCA

6 signed copies of Guardians of Tradition from Adarna + 6 CDs of National Living Treasure Bayan Sumaon Sulaiman from NCCA

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