A Decade of Celebration: CCFI Collaborators’ Appreciation Event

by John Robert Santiago, CCFI FORD Coordinator

On November 7, 2024, Claretian Communications Foundation, Inc. (CCFI), also known as Claretian Publications, held its 10^th Collaborators’ Appreciation Event, hosted by a long-time CCFI collaborator, Ms. Rosario “Charo” Garcia. This hybrid event delights the Claretian collaborators as they have celebrated once again face-to-face at Sunday’s Café and Restaurant-Maginhawa after four long years of virtual gatherings since the pandemic hit globally. Those who did not come to the venue were present online through Zoom. CCFI gathered their authors, writers, translators, contributors, and collaborators to commemorate their years of partnership and show gratitude for their support.

The event began with a heartfelt opening message from Rev. Fr. Dennis G. Tamayo, CMF, CCFI’s Executive Director. He expressed his deep appreciation for the unwavering support that the collaborators showed. Following his message, Rev. Fr. Amador Tumbaga, CMF, the newly appointed Provincial Superior of the Fr. Rhoel Gallardo Province of the Claretian Missionaries in the Philippines, shared an inspiring quote from the autobiography book of St. Anthony Mary Claret, the father founder of the Claretian Missionaries “Not everyone wishes to or is able to hear the Word of God, but everyone can read or listen to the reading of a good book.”.

Claretian Publications’ Senior Marketing Manager, Ms. Ma. Agnes “Agie” Simona Inocencio, shared insights into her marketing team’s relentless efforts to promote and expand the reach of Claretian books. She highlighted the dedication of the sales executives to go around all over the Philippines, engaging in events such as the Manila International Book Fair and the Philippine Book Fair and displaying various books in one of the biggest bookstore chains in the Philippines, the National Bookstore. Moreover, CCFI reached more customers when they started operating e-commerce platforms like Lazada, Shopee, and TikTok. On May 1, 2024, they successfully launched the first-ever Conference on Mary with the theme “You are the most blessed among women” (Luke 1:42).

This year, CCFI invited the National Book Development Board (NBDB) Director I, Mr. Anthony “Tuni” John Balisi as a resource speaker. Tuni encouraged and shared with the participants the benefits of becoming an NBDB member. He also discussed the current concerns in the publishing industry and upcoming events, especially the 77^th Frankfurt International Book Fair on October 15 – 19, 2025, as the Philippines will serve as the Guest of Honour (GoH) to this prestigious event. This will be the second time the book fair welcomes a guest country from Southeast Asia after Indonesia in 2015. This opportunity will help the Philippines book industry showcase Philippine books globally, as well as their arts and cultures.

Mr. Robert “Bob” Laurio, Production Manager, brought us to his exciting experiences as a first-time Frankfurt International Book Fair participant. He finally met many of CCFI’s long-time partner publishers, with whom he has been keeping in touch through email for many years. His time at the book fair helped him understand and see new perspectives in publishing and international marketing to improve the quality of CCFI’s offerings. He also revealed the upcoming projects as CCFI explores new platforms that sell e-books, like Kobo Rakuten and Amazon Kindle, to provide greater accessibility and new audiences globally. Before ending his updates, he invited the participants to join Word Conference 2025 with the theme “Praying the Word of God: “Lord, teach us to pray.” (Luke 11:1). This will happen on November 30, 2024, at the Claret School of Quezon City and via Zoom.

Mrs. Teodora “Lhai” Abobon, Admin and Finance manager, also made a brief but important announcement. She had successfully updated and distributed the royalties to the respective authors. Additionally, she announced the schedule for next year’s royalty payments. This indeed creates excitement among all participants eligible for the royalty.

To formally close the event, Diocese of Cubao Bishop-Elect, Rev. Fr. Elias A. Ayuban, Jr., CMF, took a moment to honor the invaluable contributions of CCFI’s collaborators in helping the Claretian Missionaries achieve their mission. As the gathering continued, participants enjoyed conversations over the sumptuous meal and shared their personal experiences. Indeed, this event was a testament to CCFI’s achievements and a reminder of the enduring partnership between them and its collaborators. Together, they are united in the shared mission – “Read, Live, and spread the Word of God.”