Winning the 39th Gintong Aklat Awards

The winner of the 39th Gintong Aklat Awards for the Food category is the Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary (PFCDD) of Edgie Polistico.

Every year, the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) accepts nominations for the Gintong Aklat Awards in the following categories: Literature in Filipino, Literature in English, Arts & Humanities, Food, Natural Science, Social Science, Science and Technology, and Inspirational and Self-Help. 

Also for this year, the "Book Design" category is again introduced for the applicant contenders to vie for, which seems to antagonize the famous proverb "don't judge a book by its cover." Lo and behold, the face cover will now win a prestigious award.

For this year's 39th Gintong Aklat Awards, the winners are:

Arts & Humanities

Winner - Bamboo Whispers: Poetry of the Mangyan

Editors - Lolita Delgado Fansler, Quintin Pastrana, Raena Abella, and  Emily Catapang

Publisher - The Bookmark Inc.

Food

Winner - The Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary

Author: Edgie Polistico

Publisher: Anvil Publishing Inc.

Natural and Applied Science

Winner - Fr. Manuel Blanco's Flora de Filipinas (5th edition)

Author - Fr. Manuel Blanco

Editor - Domingo Madulid

Publisher - Vibal Foundation Inc.

Science and Technology

Winner - Science Philippines: Essays on Science by Filipinos, Volume IV

Editor - Gisela P. Padilla-Concepcion

Publisher - University of the Philippines Press

Inspirational and Self-Help

Winner - Lifeline: A Layperson's Guide to Helping People in Crisis

Authors - Queena Lee-Chua, Lourdes Joy Galvez Tan, Melissa R. Garabiles, Ma. Tonirose de Guzman-Mactal, and Mary Jane Bergado-Flores

Publisher - Anvil Publishing Inc.

Social Science

Winner - Imagined Communities

Author - Benedict Anderson

Publisher - Anvil Publishing, Inc.

Winner - The World of the Manila-Acapulco Galleons: The Global and Human Context

Authors - Senator Edgardo J. Angara and Carlos Madrid

Publisher - Vibal Foundation, Inc.

Literature in English

Winner - Aimless Walk, Faithful River / The Poet Learns to Dance (The Dancer Learns to Write a Poem): Poems

Author - Simeon Dumdum Jr.

Publisher - Ateneo De Manila University Press

Winner - All My Lonely Islands

Author - V.J. Campilan

Publisher - Anvil Publishing, Inc.

Literature in Filipino

Winner - Sacada: A Catalog of Commodities From A Period Of Glorious Tumult

Author - Alan Navarra

Publisher - Visprint, Inc.

Winner - May Tiktik sa Bubong, May Sigbin sa Silong

Author - Allan N. Derrain

Publisher - Ateneo De Manila University Press

Book Design

Winner - Sacada: A Catalog of Commodities From A Period Of Glorious Tumult

Author - Alan Navarra

Publisher - Visprint, Inc.

The winning authors/publishers got the coveted prestigious trophy and their moments on stage.

Edgie Polistico with Atty. Andrea Pasion-Flores of Anvil Publishing, and Ms. Ani Almario, BDAP President.

Authors and publishers of selected finalist books were invited by the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) to the Gintong Aklat Awards ceremony on September 13, 2018 held at the Main Stage Area in Hall 1 of the ongoing 39th Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) held in the SMX Convention Center, Mall of Asia (MOA) Complex, Pasay City. The announcement of winners were done and announced only there on that day in the program.

The Opening Remarks and the overview of Gintong Aklat Awards 2018 is by Ms. Ani Almario, the President of BDAP. The Closing Remarks is by Mr. Toots Policarpio, the Vice President-External of BDAP.

In tandem masters of the ceremony are  Mr. John Jack Wigley and Mr. Segundo Matias, Jr.

From the handout copies of today's Gintong Aklat Awards programme of activities, the following  are written at the back page explaining  briefly why and what Gintong Aklat Awards  is all about:

THE GINTONG AKLAT AWARDS
THE TOTAL BOOK AWARD

The prestigious Ginton g Aklat Awards, established in 1981, is given out regularly to outstanding book publishers based on the quality of the books they produced year after year.  Managed by the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), the Awards are meant to recognize excellence in bookmaking in the country's book industry.

Book entries are judged for all-around excellence and are subjected to close scrutiny by professional panels in book quality, design, and content. Entries must merit an excellent rating in each aspect of bookmaking in order to qualify for the gold prize. A book winner of the Gintong Aklat, therefore, will have been judged not only on its contents but on its totality as a book. Contest entries are divided over several subject categories - Literature in Filipino, Literature in English, Arts & Humanities, Food, Natural Science, Social Sciences, Science and Technology, and Inspirational and Self-Help.

Meant to recognize and encourage professional book publishing as an industry, the Gintong Aklat qualifies as participants only bonafide publishers engaged in book publishing as their main line of business.

Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP)

Related posts

• My first book won in 36th National Book Awards
• The stellar night for the 36th National Book Awards winners
• PFCDD chosen for the next Gourmand World Awards competition
• PFCDD won Gourmand Awards in national FOOD WRITING category
• This is how I researched for my Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionar
• A Dreamer Turned Achiever
• Reminiscing the moments gone by

8 Award-Winning Cookbooks for You and Your Loved Ones this Christmas

Christmas is the perfect time to share, not only love, but love for food as well. This year, we’ve got quite a prestigious lineup, as most of our recently released cookbooks have been nominated or have won either at the National Book Awards or Gourmand World Cookbook Awards. We’re sure all moms and dads, chefs and foodies, will enjoy cooking and discovering new recipes in these books.

1.) Philippine Food, Cooking and Dining Dictionary by Edgie Polistico 

From ampapagot (Cebuano for triggerfish) to ligaya (bread with red filling from Bicol) to ukuh ukuh (a Tausug dish resembling a sea urchin risotto), this dictionary gathers more than 8,000 terms relating to food ingredients, dishes, cooking styles, preparation techniques, and utensils, among others. For anyone who cooks or simply loves Filipino food, this book is a vital reference and an excellent cookbook supplement.

“It takes someone with curiosity and discipline to compile the many ingredients, cooking terms, and dishes encountered as one eats the country. Edgie Polistico has done just that in his Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary. The many languages and dialects complicate the process where names are different region to region or a term doesn’t mean the same as one goes from place to place.” — Micky Fenix Makabenta, columnist, editor, and author of Country Cooking

The Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary recently won the Best Food Book Award in the 36th National Book Awards in 2017. It is also the 2016 national finalists in Food Writing Category of the Gourmand Awards and chosen among "World Best Culinary Books" in the 22nd Gourmand Book Award.

It is available for only P795 at National Book Store branches and online at anvilpublishing.com. Order here: http://bit.ly/2ASCQ5Q

You can also purchase online here.

2.) Modern Philippine Confections by Chef Gene Gonzalez

Looking for the perfect pasalubong? This cookbook will help you whip up your favorite confections on your own!

Modern Philippine Confections features recipes to timeless, well-loved sweets from marshmallows, macarons, to truffles and more.  It is a must-have cookbook for chefs, professional or aspiring, and sweet-toothed foodies, too. It has also recently won the Innovative Category of the Gourmand World Cookbook Award in the Philippines, and will compete with other countries to claim the international title.

“…a unique venture into a long neglected area of the nation’s cuisine…of a dedicated chef who not only looks to bring the unique tropical Filipino flavors to the world but who also yearns to reinterpret the national tradition of confections itself.” — Bobby Chinn, TV Host, Chef, and Restaurateur

Available for only P195 at National Book Store branches and at anvilpublishing.com. Order here now: http://bit.ly/2iAiLwW

3.) Feast with Me by Stephanie Zubiri-Crespi  

Savor the flavors of Europe and Asia’s sides of the world with Feast With Me, the first-ever (cook)book by writer, TV host, entrepreneur and chef Stephanie Zubiri Crespi. Start your day with a relaxing Parisian breakfast; indulge in flavorful Moroccan and Filipino lunch, take a quick Mediterranean merienda and munch on Spanish tapas; and bask in the company of family and friends with bucolic Italian dishes and exotic Vietnamese and Indian meals for dinner. Feast With Me is nothing short of a sumptuous feast for the senses.

“Elegant, anecdotal, and deeply personal, Stephanie’s words are as sumptuous as the subjects. Yet for all is romance and luxury, Feast with Me is a practical guide to good, memorable, delightful eating. An epicurean guide to the soul!” — AA Patawaran, Lifestyle Editor, Manila Bulletin

Feast with Me is a perfect gift for the foodie and for those who would like to travel and taste the world. It is a finalist at the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards under the Entertaining Category in the Philippines, and will compete with other countries for the International prize.

Available for only P895 at National Book Store branches and at anvilpublishing.com. Order here now: http://bit.ly/2BruIKI

4.) French Kusina by Xavier Btesh

Forget everything you’ve heard about the complicated French cuisine and step inside the French Kusina,where Chef Xavier Btesh’s delicious French and Mediterranean recipes are foolproof and easy for anyone to whip up. Learn the classic recipes of French homestyle cooking from salads and starters that will add a Frenchy twist to your meals and merienda offerings, to soups that are rich in flavor and open to a sprinkling of your favorite local ingredients. Btesh’s stew recipes will give you a taste of how varied French cuisine really is, and his meat and chicken dishes will add some oomph to your usual menu.

Take our amazing local seafood and surprise your family and friends with a French-style preparation, and serve everything up with a few side dishes and sauces that will add a world of taste and even a little sexiness to your table. But beyond the wonderful flavors, one of the biggest draws of the French Kusina is how Btesh’s dishes are so uncomplicated. Each recipe’s ingredients are measured for one, so that all you have to do is multiply everything by the number of guests you are having over—which is absolutely perfect considering the fact that at its heart, French cooking is about coming together and sharing a family-style meal. It’s relaxed, simple, and open to your own personal touch.

French Kusina is a Gourmand World Cookbook Award finalist under the Mediterranean category. It is available for only P595 National Book Store and online at anvilpublishing.com. Order here: http://bit.ly/2oCUhWw

5.) Breads, Cakes, Pastries, and More by Efren Bunquin

 Breads, Cakes, Pastries, and More features baking recipes originally culled by cereal chemist and food technologist Efren G. Bunquin in his book The Golden Treasury of Baking and Candymaking. Kitchen-tested by the Center for Asian Culinary Studies and with annotations and recommendations from Chef Gene Gonzalez, recipes in this book include popular local breads such as Pan de Sal, Mamon Especial, and Ensaimada; Chinese snacks such as Hopia, Bitso-Bitso, and Pilipit; European breads such as Pizza Italiana, Danish Croissant, and L’ Gateau Sans Rival; and many more.

Breads, Cakes, Pastries, and More is a finalist at the Gourmand World Cookbook Award finalist under the Bread Category. It is available for only P525 at National Book Store and online at anvilpublishing.com. Order here: http://bit.ly/2Bsf8yC

6.) Coconut Kitchen: Appetizers and Main Dishes by Maria Regina Tolentino Newport 

From meat to shell, Coconut Kitchen brings you many ways to make appetizers and main dishes absolutely healthy and delicious! Each recipe has been personally selected, tested and retested by the author with you, the reader and home cook, in mind. This cookbook also features coconut-based recipes from the following well-known personalities in the culinary world: Amy Besa and Romy Dorotan, Norma Chikiamco, Pia Lim-Castillo, Elizabeth Ann Quirino, Ige Ramos, Beth Romualdez and Editha C. Singian.

“Seldom can you find a powerhouse coconut cookbook with a wide range of tempting dishes plus authoritative information on health issues.” — Beth C. Singian
Coconut Kitchen is currently a Gourmand World Cookbook Award Finalist under the Single Subject Category. It is available for only P395 at National Book Store branches and online at anvilpublishing.com. Order here: http://bit.ly/2yT8JwX

7.) Bake Magic Together: 40 Recipes for the Whole Family to Make by Maya Kitchen 

Bake Magic Together by The Maya Kitchen features 40 baking recipes the whole family will enjoy doing together. This baking cookbook also guides parents in how to include their kids in baking, helping kids develop not only their baking and cooking talents, but also enhance their basic yet important arithmetic, vocabulary, as well as social skills.

Bake Magic Together is a finalist for the Gourmand World Cookbook Awards under the Family category and Pastry category. It is available for only P295 at National Book Store and online at anvilpublishing.com. Order here: http://bit.ly/2yRE9QC

8.) Via Mare: 40 Years by Glenda Barretto 

A look back into Via Mare’s beginnings—from a fine-dining restaurant that it originally was, until changing dining trends led Via Mare to introduce various concepts: a Café that serves classic Filipino meals, an Oyster Bar, and a line of take-out Filipino dishes. Presently, Via Mare’s renowned catering services continue to offer iconic fine-dining experiences, rendering innovative dishes, imaginative settings, and impeccable service to big events both local and abroad.

This book is not only a celebration of Via Mare’s 40 years, but also a tribute to the woman whose vision of excellence remains constant, Via Mare’s fount of ideas and moving force—Glenda Rosales Barretto.Via Mare was a finalist at the 36th National Book Awards under the category Best Book on Food, and is currently a finalist for Gourmand World Cookbook Awards under the Culinary History category and Chef category. It is available for only P795 at National Book Store and online at anvilpublishing.com. Order here: http://bit.ly/2oyK512

This page originally appears at The Anvil Publishing Blog: http://blog.anvilpublishing.com/8-award-winning-cookbooks-give-loved-ones-christmas/

Copyright © 2017 by Anvil Publishing, Inc.,
All rights reserved.
7/F Quad Alpha Centrum building,
#125 Pioneer St., Mandaluyong City, 1550 Philippines

You received this e-mail because in the past you have provided us your email address edgiepolistico@yahoo.com to receive notifications when new updates are posted.

 
Have any questions?
Contact us here.

Winners of 36th National Book Awards (2017)

Our PFCDD won in the 36th National Book Awards under Non-literary Division, Food category. Published by Anvil Publishing.

 Get your copy here

I was at my home last night from work when a friend sent me a private message on my phone that my book, the Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary won the 36th National Book Awards. 

Yoooohohooo!  was my reply.  I can't measure my joy.  

Thank you to everyone who made the book possible. My special thanks to ANVIL publishing for the publication and nomination.  The Anvil team for working hard editing and polishing my book.

Thank you to The National Book Development Board and the Manila Critics Circle for picking our books.  Congratulation to all of us who made it to the National Book Awards.

The following is the list of the best books published in 2016 that became the winners of the 36th National Book Awards:

Short Fiction in English:
Mariposa Gang and Other Stories
Catherine Torres
University of Santo Tomas Publishing House

Short Fiction in Filipino:
Sangkatauhan, Sangkahayupan: Mga Kwento
Alvin B. Yapan
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Literary Division:

Novel in English:
The Music Child and the Mahjong Queen
Alfred A. Yuson
Anvil Publishing Inc.

Novel In Filipino:
Tito O.
Charmaine Lasar
PageJump Media

Non-Fiction Prose in English:
Marcos Martial Law Never Again
Raissa Robles
Filipinos for a Better Philippines

Non-Fiction Prose in Filipino:
"Sulyap sa Aking Pinanggalingan"
Roque J. Ferriols, SJ
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Poetry in English:
Snail Fever: Poems of Two Decades
Francis C. Macansantos
The University of the Philippines Press

Poetry in Filipino:
Banayad: Mga Tula
Rowena P. Festin
The University of the Philippines Press

Poetry in Waray:
Taburos Han Dagat
Victor N. Sugbo
The University of the Philippines Press

Anthology (Bilingual):
Remembering/Rethinking EDSA
JPaul S. Manzanilla and Caroline S. Hau
Anvil Publishing Inc.

Anthology in Filipino:
Batang Rizal at iba pang Dula
Christine S. Bellen
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Anthology in Waray:
Susmaton: Oral Narratives of Leyte
Merlie M. Alunan
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Graphic Literature:
Meläg
Bong Redila
Adarna House Inc.

Literary Criticism/Literary History:
Migrations and Mediations: The Emergence of Southeast Asian Diaspora Writers in Australia 1972-2007"
Jose Wendell P. Capili
The University of the Philippines Press

Essays:
To the People Sitting in Darkness... and Other Footnotes of Our Pasts
Jose Victor Torres
University of Santo Tomas Publishing House

Translation:
Shir-Bishaya
Ramon Muzones and Maria Cecilia Locsin-Nava
New Day Publishers

Non-Literary Division:

Food:
Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary
Edgie Polistico
Anvil Publishing Inc.

History:
Feeding Manila in Peace and War, 1850-1945
Daniel F. Doeppers
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Science:
A Field Guide to Flight: Identifying Birds on Three School Grounds
Amado C. Bajarias, Jr.
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Social Sciences:
Out of the Shadows: Violent Conflict and the Real Economy of Mindanao
Francisco J. Lara Jr. and Steven Schoofs
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Journalism:
Peryodismo sa Bingit: Mga Naratibong Ulat sa Panahon ng Digmaan at Krisis
Kenneth Roland A. Guda
The University of the Philippines Press

Leisure:
Pinoy Manners: A Modern Guide to Delicadeza for All Generations
Joy Lumawig-Buensalido, Christine Jocelyn Buensalido

Professions:
Gusto Kong Maging Voice Talent: Mga Sikreto sa Likod ng Dubbing, Voice-over at Voice Acting
Pocholo Gonzales
PSICOM Publishing Inc.

Art:
Eiga: Cinema in the Philippines During World War II
Nick Deocampo
Anvil Publishing Inc.

Language Studies:
Capampangan Roots
Papa Osmubal (Oscar Balajadia)
Holy Angel University Press

Book Design:
Colonial Manila, 1909-1912
Karl Fredrick M. Castro
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Publisher of the Year:
Ateneo de Manila University Press

Read the original post on the page of NBDB and see photos of the winning books here:

Related posts

• PFCDD won the 39th Gintong Aklat Awards
• PFCDD was chosen for the next Gourmand World Awards competition 
• PFCDD won Gourmand Awards in the national FOOD WRITING category
• This is how I researched for my Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary
• A Dreamer Turned Achiever
• Reminiscing the moments gone by
• Micky Fenix partly featured Edgie's dictionary in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

  


 

A Dreamer Turned Achiever

Edgie Polistico

Q. What do kerosene lamp, mimeographing paper, computers, and food have in common?

A. They were all instrumental to the realization of a 14-year old boy’s dream of writing and compiling his own dictionary.

While many his age were busy balancing their studies and “social life” (hanging out with friends, gossiping, writing love letters to their crushes only because internet, mobile phones and other gadgets weren’t available to them yet) this young man was already busy weaving an extraordinary dream of writing a book, a dictionary, to be specific. Thirty-three years later, the dream would become a reality with the publication of his book, the Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary (PFCDD), published by Anvil Publishing, and launched during the recently-concluded Manila International Book Fair at the SMX Convention Center in MOA, Pasay City.

The boy-turned lexicographer, a loyal employee of IL for 23 years, 20 of which has been spent with the Company’s Legal unit, now known as Legal and Corporate Services Division.

Fueling the dream.

Edgie was all of 14 when his dream started. Born to a humble family in Inopacan, Leyte, his school did not have enough reading and reference materials. “My classmates would ask me for English translations of Cebuano words every time we had a theme-writing session in English. We mostly spoke ‘carabao English.’ We actually had a very big Webster Dictionary displayed at the school’s hallway. The trouble was, we did not know how to use it because the book’s main entries were all written in English. What we needed was a Cebuano – English dictionary.”

This piqued his curiosity. At night, he used a kerosene lamp to help him read. (At the time, electricity was not yet available in his hometown.) “I spent time browsing  through (my) notes, some old books, and a worn-out copy of a Webster Dictionary belonging to my grandfather.” 

A page in Edgie’s mimeographing paper-turned high school notebook.

In order to have money for kerosene, he resorted to various means of earning with his mother: he farmed in the mountains, harvested coconuts to be made into copra and peddled different kinds of food around the town. “One day, while in town, my mother bought a small English-Cebuano dictionary from a street peddler. It was thin, and contained lexicon-type of entries. I read it every day and brought it with me even to wakes, to keep me awake. They all thought I was reading a prayer book! Then a thought occurred to me. I reversed the entries of that small dictionary and made the Cebuano words as the main entries. I compiled and added a few more Cebuano words. That was the start of my Cebuano-English dictionary.” With the money he earned, he would buy reams of mimeographing paper he turned into notebooks which he later used not only for school but also for his researches for his little project. 

After high school, one of Edgie’s uncles sent him to the Divine Word University in Tacloban. While there, he had money enough only for transportation. “I didn’t have money for textbooks and snacks so I frequented the library. And because I was always in the library, my desire to complete my Cebuano-English Dictionary continued. The Filipiniana section became my favorite for researching new entries.” On weekends, to supplement his reading habit, he would take the big Oxford Dictionary from his Uncle’s study room. 

After college, he worked as the personal secretary of his uncle who was elected provincial board member of Leyte. Guess what he bought with his first salary? You guessed it right, his first own dictionary, a pocket Collins Gems English Dictionary. It took him 2 years to translate all the entries of this dictionary into Cebuano.
 

Fulfilling the dream.

In 1993, Edgie was hired by Insular Life’s Tacloban District Sales Office as a data encoder and service clerk. Three and a half years later, he was asked to join the Company’s Legal office, being told that “my 201 file spoke for itself, which is why they needed me to join the team. My life here enabled me to develop my other talents, such as the creation of electronic logbooks that became an indispensable tool for monitoring and data storage of cases we handle until now. Above all, it is here where my writing skill was honed because of the reports we have to write.” 

Even with full-time work in Insular Life, Edgie never lost sight of his dream. Realizing that part of the fulfillment of his dream involved the use of computers, he went on to read about computer programming during his free time. When he was able to set aside money, he went back to school, studying design at AMA Computer Learning Center in Makati City and Alabang.

Finally, in 2004, he wrote and designed his first software application for his Edgie Polistico’s Cebuano- English Dictionary, a dictionary listing thousands of Cebuano words and their meanings in the English language. Still, this dream Edgie had was not easy to sustain. It needed time, and most of all, money. But with persistence, heart, and passion for it, he produced hundreds of CDs of his dictionary. These CDs were given for free whenever he would travel in the Visayas and Mindanao.

Today, a free downloadable version of the dictionary may be accessed at https://sites.google.com/site/pinoydictionary/

Beyond the dream.
 

With the fulfillment of his dream of writing a dictionary, Edgie set his sights on another project, this time, making use of his thousands of photographs gathered during his travels around the country. Aside from writing, he also dabbles in photography, something that goes back to his high school days as his town’s commercial photographer, covering school and social activities, and later, as a photojournalist for his campus publication in college.

Cover of the Philippine Food, Cooking, & Dining Dictionary, now available via Anvil’s website  for P795.00

In 2008, he started the Philippine Food Illustrated (PFI), a blogsite meant to accompany his Edgie Polistico’s Encyclopedic Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionary, the latter, the precursor of what would now be called PFCDD.

Related post:

• My first book won in 36th National Book Awards
• PFCDD chosen for the next Gourmand World Awards competition
• The stellar night for the 36th National Book Awards winners
• This is how I researched for my Philippine Food, Cooking, and Dining Dictionar
• Reminiscing the moments gone by
• Micky Fenix partly featured Edgie's dictionary in the Philippine Daily Inquirer

PFI is a compilation of photos of Philippine food from Luzon down to Mindanao, most of which are not the type one usually sees on the streets or even restaurants, and are usually native to a particular area. (I happened to stumble upon this website while I was researching for photos that would accompany articles for the Life Cycles Magazine. Needless to say, I was happy to find out that the person who took all those good, high resolution photos was just literally 21 floors below me. And as generosity comes natural to Edgie, he allowed the use of his photos for free.) 

On September 18, 2016, Edgie’s years of research and hardwork bore fruit, when his publisher, Anvil Publishing, launched PFCDD. In the words of culinary author and cultural advocate Felice Prudente Sta. Maria who provided the Foreword to the book, “Edgie’s list of food from all over the archipelago offers a lot to signify as cultural heritage. He records variations of a cooked food not only by region but also sometimes from town to nearby town…Indeed food feeds body and soul. This dictionary will feed both as well as a national hunger for celebration of Philippine cultural heritage.” 

The 380-page reference material on Philippine food, cooking and dining will be available soon in branches of National Bookstore. You can also get a copy from Anvil's website.

Edgie says that now is the perfect time to publish a dictionary on Philippine food, cooking and dining because “…culinary courses are now among the popular courses in colleges and universities. Pinoy cuisine and delicacies are also now gaining recognition in other countries, some of which even attract foreign food enthusiasts. Moreover. during my years of research, I realized how rich we are because of our culinary treasures. My dictionary tries to introduce less commonly-known culinary terms from all over the country, aside from the usual terms we already know. If we are not able to record and preserve them, there will come a time when we will lose part of our identity as Filipinos.”

To date, Edgie maintains 11 blog sites, a feat he is able to accomplish all during his free time away from work. “My blogging habit is not so demanding as I don’t update them frequently. However, the site Philippines Illustrated is my main blogsite.” The site lists the other blog sites he currently maintains. The fact that he is now a published author, however, has not diminished Edgie’s passions outside of work— whether for writing, or photography. “I aspire to finish and publish more books that include the following: my true first dictionary, the Cebuano-English Dictionary; the 2nd edition of the PFCDD with twice more entries - expanded and more detailed entries to include our food culture, history, legacy and culinary development; the first Philippine Illustrated Dictionary (on food, transportation, places, etc.); and my biggest and most ambitious project, the Philippine multi-language dictionary. The last will be my contribution to unifying our diverse culture. This is my ‘Tower of Babel,’ an impossible dream that I would like to make possible.”
 

For someone like Edgie who dreams big dreams and goes on to fulfill them, even the impossible might one day give way. 

* Edgie is the featured author of Anvil Publishing in October 2016.

http://www.anvilpublishing.com/2016/10/edgie-polistico/

Written by Kaye Liangco-Plata

PR Specialist
Public Relations Staff
Office of the Chief Executive Officer 

This article is a reprint from "In-Focus" a section of the Life Cycle, a monthly magazine digitally published by the Insular Life (IL). This section features employees and their hobbies/activities/passions outside of work so as to inspire fellow employees to take up something different, reach for their dreams and enrich their personal lives.