A Spectacular Endorsement from Howie Severino

Doubts and Anticipation

When I reached out to one of the Philippines’ most celebrated documentarists for an endorsement of my book, Batangas: My Sky and Earth—aiming to highlight a Filipino expat’s new memoir and align with the global celebration of our homeland’s heritage, culture, and diaspora around Christmas time, central themes of the 36th Annual Month of Overseas Filipinos in December 2023—I was immediately filled with doubt. With only nine days left in November, it seemed like a daunting request, even with my cousin Karen Galarpe’s introduction. Who was I to ask Howie Severino to read and support my book? He might not even like it!

After all, this is a man who has been named the Philippines’ Broadcast Journalist of the Year twice and Investigative Journalist of the Year twice, and who was voted the sixth most trusted Filipino in a survey by Reader’s Digest magazine.

One day later, however, my doubts began to fade. Howie emailed me back with the words, “It’s evocative so far.” Accompanied by a smiley emoticon, these few words created an echo chamber of thoughts in my mind. Does my book truly have the power to evoke strong emotions, memories, or feelings in others?

The Waiting Game

Six more days passed with no word from Howie. I began rationalizing my self-doubt, and had pretty much decided that sharing my book’s press release without a quote from an influential figure would not be the end of the world.

Then, as I was eating my bowl of cereal on November 28, a notification on my locked phone displayed Howie’s now-familiar avatar. I read his email in stunned silence. On the second read, I let out a muffled cry of gratitude for receiving this wonderful endorsement:

Howie’s Review

This is a remarkable and engaging book on several levels. It is an affectionate memoir of the youngest in a middle-class family living an almost idyllic life in a bygone era.

In remembering granular details of growing up, the author evokes a time and place in the tradition of the best memoirs. This book is important not just to a close-knit family but to anyone interested in Batangas in the 1960s and 70s. History writ large this is not, with little commentary about politics, leaders, and the institutional forces that usually populate history books. Portraying culture through the prism of family memories is what makes this genre a unique approach to history. Colorful descriptions such as the sounds of mahjong tiles, and how the author’s grandmother had the common, and harmful, habit of smoking cigarettes with the lit end in her mouth, add vividness to the writing.

Then there’s that delightful chapter entitled “Batangan, the Local Vernacular” that unpacks the peculiar and unmistakable Tagalog of the province by comparing it to the bland, modulated Tagalog of Manila, which later evolved into coquettish colegiala Taglish. And I didn’t know Dina Bonnevie had a hand in spreading Taglish. If you’re of a certain age, references like that and learning guitar from the Jingle Chordbook will bathe you in nostalgia.

If you’re much younger than the author and I, this book will make you regret missing that era before mobile phones and social media, when kids still gathered in kitchens listening to an elder’s stories and teens looked at the same lyrics in a magazine while singing along to a live guitar.

—Howie Severino, Filipino broadcast journalist, anchor, host, documentarist, and podcaster

A Moment of Validation

I felt a sudden rush of adrenaline, surpassing even the thrill I felt when FriesenPress announced that my book was ready for publication. Receiving this kind of validation was like a slap on the back from an older brother, and given that the book is dedicated to my beloved late brother, it felt all the more fulfilling. Howie, being Howie, has truly captured the essence of my childhood memoir and the personal-meets-historical approach I have taken. Telling my story has been wonderfully cathartic, but knowing that it is understood and appreciated by others has filled me with joy like never before.

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read and review my book, Howie! You’ve joined the ranks of early adopters and champions of my work. Your support means the world to me.

Howie’s quote rounded off my December email pitch and press release, exceeding all expectations. Thank God for answered prayers!

A Well-Deserved Retreat

After this whirlwind of emotions and excitement, I decided to treat myself. I made a trip back to the Philippines and spent a couple of days at Kapusod, a tranquil eco-resort by Taal Lake, to unwind. It was the perfect place to reflect and rejuvenate before diving into a series of book events that would take me back to the heart of my sky and earth as a child, Batangas City. This brief retreat was an after-publishing gift to myself, allowing me to connect not just with nature and reminisce about the stories that shaped my memoir, but also with Howie himself on a personal level.

Click the photos to view their captions.

Thank you, Kapusod, for providing such a peaceful haven. Now, I feel more inspired and ready to share my book with the world, starting from where it all began.