What local publishers are saying about VP Duterte's P10-M children's book

MANILA, Philippines — In a time of slumping morale among reading advocates in the Philippines, Vice President Sara Duterte's planned P10-million-print of her self-authored children's book is souring the mood of children's book publishers. 

It's an "excessive" and "self-serving" endeavor for one independent publisher, and a "wasted opportunity" to support existing writers for another. But above all, they ask: Why should the government cough up millions for Duterte's own children's book? 

Two children's book authors and two independent publishers told Philstar.com that children's book writers often struggle to get their work into the hands of young readers because of the high cost of production and limited runs of local publishing houses, which contribute to steep book prices.

This is why the estimated P10 million cost of printing Duterte's book has brought into sharp focus the government's limited funds to support local authors' publication costs, the writers told Philstar.com.

The process and costs involved with Duterte's self-publication of her book using taxpayer money also come off as "really irregular," Filipino writers Beverly Wico Siy and China Patria de Vera said.

"With VP Sara's book, we don’t know what process was followed or who approved it. It is very different from the regular process, and it’s important that we demand transparency regarding that process and how the amount was determined," Siy said in Filipino. 

De Vera, who also runs the independent children's book publishing house Aklat Alamid, said children's book writers typically go through rounds of workshops and "editorialship" where writers peer review each other's work.

"If Duterte wants the public to fund her book, she should be transparent with everything," she said. 

One independent publisher's curiosity over Duterte's new book led her to consult with the production supervisor of a local printing press. 

The higher the number of prints, the lower the price of each copy. And a book like Duterte's with 16 fully-colored pages would typically cost P12 per copy if 50,000 copies were produced, according to the publisher, who requested anonymity. 

This makes the estimated price ceiling of P50