From the Facebook post on 3Ts

 

Our book is out!

I got really emotional when I finally set my hands on the book that we have been working on for the past two years. This is a collaborative work of 35 Igorot Cordilleran authors from all over Europe. In our Introduction, we write, “Self-representation in literature is scanty among Filipinos; more so for Igorot Cordillerans. Very often, we read books that tell about us, about who we are, and we seldom read stories about us written by us. It is about time we write our own stories so that readers of our origin will find someone who looks like themselves in the book they read – the way they think, speak, the values they hold – affirming their own reality.”

Thanks so much to all the 35 writers, especially to my co-authors from Switzerland: iBag-iw, Diana Baldo, Henry Foken, Sarah Foken, George Londob and Airen Rüttimann who courageously wrote their stories and withstood multiple revisions of their work. And to Rebecca Bernet for her self-less contribution, as well as Tuvyan Magkachi Savuy for his patience in editing our work. It’s also been an inspiring experience to have worked with the book committee - Yvonne Belen, Myra Colis, Christina Moncado, Grace Nabus, Evangeline Martinez, Kristine Kawi-Gorans, Averil Pooten-Watan – who were staunchly committed to bring the book to the finish line.

All the 250 initially printed copies were sold out! Thanks to our Netherlands team, including Cesar Taguba for helping in the shipping of the books.

The book will be available in selected libraries in Quezon City and the Cordillera by mid next year. Some books might already be at some schools in Sagada, Mountain Province and Cervantes, Ilocos Sur by January 2023. We hope to come up with a second volume and encourage many more Igorot Cordillerans in Europe to join us. We also hope to continue to improve our craft.