Photo-Hunter: Books

Books are great gifts---especially for people who love to read. For friends who are not book lovers, I still try once in a while to give them books, hoping they would discover the joy of reading like I did.

More than a week ago, I went to Fully Booked, a bookstore in Bonifacio High Street, to find a book for my friend who was going back to America. I wanted to give him a going-away gift that will remind him of his native country. Good thing the bookstore has a well-stacked Filipiniana section.

Bookstores are one of my favorite places to hang out, my literary destination on weekends. I get a cozy feeling at bookstores, love the smell of books. In my early 20's when I couldn't afford to buy the books that I wanted, I spent many Sunday afternoons at the National Bookstore in Greenbelt to read. The sales clerks became my nodding acquaintances, and they left me alone in a small, hidden corner---sitting on the floor, sipping a Coke and lost in the pages of a novel. It was my idea of a perfect afternoon. Books are one of my dearest and most constant friends---I can't imagine life without them.

Recently, I was dismayed when I read about the Department of Finance' (DoF) brilliant idea of imposing duties and taxes on imported books. In this tough economic times, books usually are the first to be dropped from the list when we're streamlining our expenses. The tax on imported books would simply be passed on to the reading public, and in effect, this move of the DoF would deprive many of us a much-needed soul and brain food. There were debates whether or not the Philippines was in violation of The Florence Agreement on the Importation of Educational, Scientific and Cultural Materials.

It's funny because for more than 50 years, importation of books and raw materials to be used in book publishing has been duty-free. Until early this year, when a Customs Examiner had a eureka moment and "interpreted" the Florence Agreement, and demanded that duty be paid on a shipment of the best-selling novel, "Twilight" by Stephanie Meyer, because it's not educational (i.e. textbooks). Customs appointed themselves as arbiter of what was and wasn't educational.

Opinions were discussed on TV, radio and print media, lawmakers questioned Customs, some initiated a Congressional inquiry, protests and petitions from book-reading citizens flooded the world wide web. Now I know that the Florence Agreement grants all kinds of books tax and duty-free, as long as these do not directly endanger national security, public order, or public morals.

Finally, the President ordered the DoF on May 25th to scrap the taxes imposed on imported books and reading materials. Good decision, Madam President! I hope, in the future, Customs and the DoF would realize that it's not their job to interpret international treaties to suit their goal of additional revenues. And those bright boys & girls at Customs and DoF who believe books (bestsellers, pop lit, and graphic novels) are nothing but leisure reads should go back to kindergarten!

A book is the only place in which you can examine a fragile thought without breaking it, or explore an explosive idea without fear it will go off in your face. It is one of the few havens remaining where a man's mind can get both provocation and privacy.

~Edward P. Morgan

Photos were taken at Fully Booked using my cell phone camera

Posted for Photo-Hunt