|
Friday, August 23, 2002
ROPEROS: Two ‘useful’ books
By Godofredo M. Roperos
THE other Thursday, I was invited to the launching of a book about a town on my side of the island, the northwest coast. I accepted the invitation not only because Asturias is a close neighbor to my hometown, Balamban, but also because I was once a public school teacher there. Only some seven kilometers away from each other, the two municipalities practically share the ebb and flow of their economic and political fortunes. The book, called “124 Years of Asturias” tells not only of its life and times but also of its people.
During the school year 1949-1950, at age 19, I taught in Grades 5 and 6 in the town’s central elementary school to earn enough money to enroll at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
The book’s author, Pedro T. Manuel, was already a seasoned co-teacher then. He belongs to two of the prominent clans of the town, the Alonzos and the Manuels. Asturias is also noted for having a good part of its plain consolidated into the Hacienda Osmeña, which has since passed ownership to the Chiongbians of shipping fame.
The other book is more technical than literary. It is called “The Realty Profession” and functions as a reviewer for those who would like to take the test for real estate agents and a manual for realty brokers. The author, also a seasoned realty broker in Cebu, Manuel U. Del Rosario, is credited for being the first realtor who ventured into subdivisions promotion. This is not the first time, though, that he went into publishing. He wrote his first reviewer in 1980 and had revised editions in ‘89 and ‘93.
To my mind, both authors deserve a kind of kudos from us for having produced something useful. For while both are decidedly far from being products of creative art, the significant information follows a certain line of utilitarian learning. Indeed, it is a rather notable coincidence that the authors themselves are commonly denominated “Manuel,” although one as a first name and the other as a family name. Both are also fond of research, and are deeply in love with gathering useful information.
“124 Years of Asturias” attempts to chronicle the life and times of a small town, its ascent from just being a settlement of a few families to an economically surviving village, and finally to a pueblo. The time-span that the work is supposed to cover—more than a century—somehow comes, I believe, in direct conflict with the limitations of funds and available pages.
Consequently, data that could have been played out for narrative effect are merely cramped together as basic information presented in itemized form.
In any case, the present work of educator Pedro Manuel would make the life of future writers who would want to use the town as setting of future literary works. They would not have to sweat it out looking for materials that delve into the town’s past. It is there for them to have by just merely poring over the pages of the book. But anyone going over the volume would rather have the author take more time to dramatize, with a more deliberate touch, certain aspects of Asturias’s history, especially its transformation into a town.
On the other hand, the Del Rosario book gives the reader a sense that its content is given exactly the space it deserves. This present volume consolidates current laws, rules, and regulations governing the realty profession and the real estate industry. All pertinent laws that have been passed are reproduced in the book, some with cases to illustrate certain processes, the better to enlighten the readers. On top of this, the author saw fit to include some legal forms so practitioners will be guided in the making of documents.
Indeed, “The Real Estate Profession” might as well be considered as a sort of definitive “bible” of the realty practitioners, whether they be seasoned brokers or just starting agents newly passed the qualifying real estate brokers’ examination which is given periodically. Any information that a beginning broker may want to know, he can always take his copy of the book and read. In fact, this is even useful for anyone who desires to get an on-the-job training without first passing the realty examination.
The book’s preface claims: “This book contains information that one would want to know about the real estate as a profession and as a business activity in the Philippines.”
Whether it is true or not, I think it is best to leave that to the realtors and brokers to judge.
|
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
