To write is to leave a legacy.
It was my Dad who nurtured my love for reading. He’s the type who will read newspapers on weekends, almost end to end.
Back then, people still subscribe to the paper edition, so he’d meticulously cut articles that caught his attention and he’d share those that he thought will interest me.
He has already crossed over but these memories of him continue to give me joy. My writing journey is deeply rooted to our bond as a parent and child and through my books and writings, I am sharing his legacy with the world.
Below are books I am working on and those that are already published. Few of the knowledge assets that I have authored or co-authored are at the bottom.
I’m balancing my writing portfolio between /among my interests–nature/environment, social development, sustainability, self-care, and spirituality. However, let’s remember–the separation is an illusion. Who we are is the vessel from which we share our gifts with the world. Our fruits grow from our roots.
#OurPlanetOurRootsOurGifts
Work-in-progress
The Owl Sleeps at 8 PM
Being an environmental professional, I am fascinated by and in love with birds especially owls. Greeting Mama Earth and all her creations is a daily morning ritual, which you can also practice as part of your self-care journey.
This novel’s lead character is Zavi Java (or Za for short). We will journey with Za as she meets and connects with different people who will make a lasting impact on her. Outside her window, perched on a tree, she discovers and becomes friends—awkwardly at first—with an owl who falls asleep each night as her grandfather clock strikes 8:00.
Healing Toward a Magical Living, A Soulful Journey & A 13-Moon Planner/Synchronometer
Another work-in-progress is a book-planner, which will share my channelled writings about healing and empowerment. We have common struggles–separation, grief, physical, mental, and emotional challenges, hopelessness…yet, we are all survivors!
Every one has a STORY to tell. A story of courage, of triumph. And that story can help you and someone you love. This is an opportunity to really look into ourselves, get to know our mission more, share our triumphs from the dark nights (shadow work), our personal/spiritual evolution, and in the process–HELP and SUPPORT you.
A bonus is that this will also carry a planner, following our natural and galactic calendar.
I’m still considering to co-author this so if you think you are called upon, please reach out. This was originally planned to be birthed with fellow friends and soul sisters I met online but it was logistically challenging to work on it as a team living in different parts of the world. Nevertheless, it’s still open for co-authorship.
PUBLISHED and AVAILABLE ONLINE
Two of my co-authored works are published by the Asian Development Bank in 2013. A third one shown here is published by the Department of Health with support from The World Bank. The links to the download page are provided below.
Guidebook on Public-Private Partnership in Hospital Management – is a useful tool for local governments that wish to establish a PPP in hospital project/venture. I’m an advocate of universal health care (UHC) and while I got paid writing this, it was also a passion project for me and I hope that through this link, it cam reach as many local governments as possible. PPP has also been receiving bad publicity–some naysayers say it is just privatization–but I hope you can dig deeper and understand that, if done right, this can help address efficiency and transparency issues in government health facilities.
This (and the book below) had been featured in the PPP Legal Resource Center page of The World Bank. You can find the feature here.
Book cover design is by Glenn Marcelo.
Guidebook on Public-Private Partnership in Pharmacy – similar to the above book, this is also meant for local governments hoping to establish PPP in pharmacy services.
As we know, due to procurement laws, many hospitals sometimes deal with stocking/inventory issues. This often leads to out-of-pocket expenses because patients are forced to buy medicines outside the facilities. Therefore, the noble intents of UHC is impacted if patients–especially the poorest–will always be forced to spend for medicines using their own funds, which are oftentimes borrowed or solicited from government offices.
PPP as a mechanism is not perfect but when done with the best intents and benefiting from best practices from all over the world, it can help governments respond more effectively and efficiently to the health requirements of the people. COVID-19, for example, has turned out to be very difficult for affected governments. PPP can definitely help improve resilience of public health care systems not just in ordinary times but also in the face of pandemics.
A copy of the book is also available from this link.
Book cover design is by Glenn Marcelo.
The Guidebook for a Zero Open Defecation Program is a useful reference for local governments that wish to establish sustainable sanitation systems particularly through zero open defecation programs.
Our health is intertwined with our physical environment and the emergence of COVID-19 clearly albeit sadly proves this point.
Co-authored with Ms. Soledad Dalisay, this was published by the Department of Health and supported by World Bank Manila Office and Swedish International Development Agency, under theSustainable Sanitation for East Asia-Philippines Program [ISBN 978-971-0569-24-3].
A copy of the book may be downloaded from this link.
Book cover is by FolksLikeUs Graphics.
Renewable energy is also among my advocacies so I have authored authored articles about it over the years. I have not really authored a whole book about it yet but for this one (Guidebook for Developing Sustainable Rural Renewable Energy Services), I was assigned as the style editor. I also authored the Foreword as well as the first parts of the background section. I even mentioned Diarabasin, Aurora there, the place where my Mom taught for many years.
The road to a more sustainable future requires cleaner fuels and energy systems. This is likely among the ‘trailblazers’ (at least in the Philippines) in giving communities more practical knowledge products, which will guide them in developing stand-alone RE-based electricity systems.
The book is also available for download from this link.
Graphic design by Lillette De Lara (sorry, I am not sure if she also did the cover page).
Other Authored Works
Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (via Springer Nature)
I also have authored two encyclopedia entries /chapters in this SDG series. Details and links are below.
Velas-Suarin M.A.M. (2020) The Role of Inclusive Transport in Pursuit of Sustainable Development. In: Leal Filho W., Azul A.M., Brandli L., Lange Salvia A., Wall T. (eds) Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. DOI [link will lead to the Springer site].
Velas-Suarin M.A.M. (2021) Labor Migration: Issues and Challenges in the Context of Sustainable Development Goals. In: Leal Filho W., Azul A.M., Brandli L., Lange Salvia A., Özuyar P.G., Wall T. (eds) Reduced Inequalities. Encyclopedia of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. Springer, Cham. DOI [link will lead to the Springer site].
[Note: This is not a paid post. I am an independent author and not officially connected with Springer Nature.]
The Regional Flyway Initiative: Building a Business Case for Sustainable Wetlands
Published by the Asian Development Bank (February 2023), I co-authored this article with Mr. Duncan Lang. You can read or print it from this link.
Nature-Based Solutions that Deliver for People, Nature, and the Climate
Published by Asian Development Bank (July 2022), I co-authored this along with Mr. Duncan Lang (with support from other colleagues). It is available for download from this link.
Let’s build a world where every child can go to school and read books.
For more details on my writing portfolio, my Google Scholar page may be found here. For my articles and blogs, please go to Insights or just click the drop-down menu to go directly to the posts by categories.