News recently got around that Senator Lito Lapid wants to pass a bill that will create the National Graphic Novel Archive.

The bill aims to “establish and institutionalize the Philippine National Graphic Novel Archive which shall preserve, conserve, restore and identify graphic novels that are historically, culturally, and aesthetically important to the Filipino identity” and “is envisioned to be the treasure house of our country’s indigenous graphic novels.”

In a nut shell: collect, preserve, and make available.

This is certainly welcome news for several reasons:

1. By preserving and restoring Philippine graphic novels, we institutionalize and assign value to Komiks which to date has been thought of as nothing more than a source for entertainment and titillation. Even at the height of its popularity, many comic serials have been used as “pambalot ng tinapa” or fish wraps and had no collectible value except to a few.

2. With the creation of an archive and making it accessible to the general public, we make them aware of the rich history of their own comic book culture. It will certainly give the older generation something to be proud of with our Komiks’ lush illustrations and storytelling while giving the new generation inspiration from local roots instead of looking beyond our shores.

3. If the bill gets passed, it will become the jump off point for other bills and projects to support the comic book industry which will spark more commercial activity within it and make Komiks more attractive to investors creating more jobs.

Pages 1 2 3

No Comments | No Trackbacks