DReAM Children at the PLAI Congress

It's a few hours before the American presidential elections as I write this post. But no, I am not going to write about it anymore, lest this blog be misconstrued as socialist; that's how Obama is desperately being portrayed by the conservatives at the homestretch of the campaign, hoping to scare the centrists among the American populace into McCain's fold.

Let me instead share the news that is making me more upbeat and excited for two weeks now (i.e. besides the MBS2 euphoria). Last October 22nd , I received an email from Prof. Corazon M. Nera, Chairperson of the Professional Regulatory Commission's (PRC) Board for Librarians, requesting for a presentation of the DReAM Children project during her own talk at the annual congress of the Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI). The presentation is going to happen come November 22nd in Davao City where PLAI will hold its gathering for this year.

Prof. Nera actually addressed her email-invitation to both me and Ms. Fraulein A. Oclarit, herself a professional librarian and a co-consultant at Sagittarius Mines Inc. (SMI) and an active volunteer of DReAM Children. The latter was most instrumental in providing me and DReAM the opportunity to initially talk to the professor about the project during my last networking activity in Metro Manila.

When we (Ms. Oclarit and I) visited Prof. Nera at the Lyceum of the Philippines University (LPU) in Manila (she is also its Director of Libraries), I was only then able to show her photos of the various activities and a general overview of the SMI-sponsored reader development project; but she nonetheless expressed keen interest on its prospects.

I have to admit I kind of least expected that Prof Nera's enthusiasm was that deep to have me get invited to PLAI's annual congress. PLAI is a big, if not the biggest, organization of licensed professional librarians in the country. The prospect of delivering in front of this group excites me a lot as it will certainly provide huge opportunities for DReAM Children and the overall advocacy towards reader development in the region.

This year's PLAI congress is themed The Multicultural Landscape of Philippine Librarianship.

-ooOoo-

Photos of the Sotero H. Laurel Library of the LPU
[click on photo to view larger image]