The Great Philippine Book Blockade of 2009
May 21, 2009 3 comments Grrrievance
I wanted something to get my cool back about my next door neighbor blasting morning talk shows and Tagalog-dubbed-anime crap on the TV everyday! Whole day! It’s become a routine that in a couple of days I’ve been forever pissed! Blaring thrash music back, with its blast beats and shotguns and growls and screams and what not, is a no go.
Needed something to put away the negative tide that building in me. So I decided to pick up a good book to read. That eventually added sadness to the wanting-to-rush feeling that I tried to control. Why so?
Learning about The Great Philippine Book Blockade of 2009 jacked up what my neighbors did to me more. Philippine government is taxing more on the books, comics, manuscripts and all printed materials that you buy in Powerbooks, National Bookstore, Fully Booked and your trusted local book stores. Taxing is acceptable but what about embargo? What about you waiting, with regular checking, make it weekly, for the next bestseller to hit the local stores and after several attempts made you to decide to check some torrent sites for free download of the book? I’m not really that very much of a book reader, I used to read, but this illogical move by the government specifically with customs officials just added more shame to the wrinkling old lady that is the Philippines.
And this bold move by our Customs Officials to make more tax money violates the Florence Agreement of 1950 and Nairobo Protocol of 1976 that the Philippines is a signatory of that states all books should be tax free when imported to the country.
Such an embarrassment for us Filipinos to be represented by these officials who may not even know how to read. All they understand are the digits that they put in their already bloated pockets!
I haven’t had any first hand experience about this but if you do, please let me know, and we’ll forward it to the right people. This is not something that we could allow to pass.
Education is expensive don’t allow this mindless some(please read) to make learning even more expensive.
mdk on 
fely Acuña on 
eriktuz commented on May 23, 2009 @ 3:16 AM
maapektuhan ba gihapon ko anang book blockade shit kung sa booksale / thrifthouse ko mopalit?
eriktuz’s last blog post..the second transmission : "boy pops girl"
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Nick Nichelle Dael commented on May 24, 2009 @ 3:08 AM
gamay nlang ang books sa thrifthouse.
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