Writer calls for book donations

By Mavic Conde

Award-winning Bicolano novelist and Tiwi resident, Abdon Balde, Jr., has called on individuals and organizations to donate books for the restoration of the Tiwi town’s library.

In a Facebook post, Balde said “May I appeal on all private and public libraries & institutions to help restore the library by donating books, [as] “One of the totally damaged structures of Tiwi is the Municipal Library [with] the roofings and the sidings totally blown away by Typhoons “Quinta,” “Rolly” & “Ulysses in a span of 18 days.”

According to him, “Thousands of books, and [a] dozen of computers and other reading materials were scattered by winds and drenched with rain. Now the books-turned-debris are loaded on trucks for disposal.”

Balde said donations can be sent to the Municipality of Tiwi, addressed either to Mayor Jaime Villanueva or him.

In a related move, Joem Periña, the head teacher of the Sto. Cristo Elementary School in Tiwi, Albay, has appealed to individuals and groups to donate vegetable seeds for the members of the Sto. Cristo Upland Farmers Association (SCUFA), whose plants were totally destroyed by the series of typhoons.

Initially, SCUFA members received donated seeds from the town’s agriculture office and from a Bicol University group. These seeds were already planted and hopefully they could have their harvest by February this year.

They need more seeds so they can plant more, Periña said.