Bro. Karl Gaspar launches HANDUMANAN

Bro. Carlito M. Gaspar, CSsR, a known writer, professor, artist, peace-builder, anthropologist and artist releases his new book entitled HANDUMANAN (REMEMBRANCE) – DIGGING FOR THE INDIGENOUS WELLSPRING.

In his invitation, Bro. Karl reveals, “During the lockdown that followed the advent of the pandemic, I finally found the time to write a book I had planned to start writing in 2017. The Claretian Communications, Inc. and the Episcopal Commission on Indigenous Peoples agreed to co-publish this book. Finally it is published and an online book launch is scheduled on March 10 at 3 PM (Philippine/Singapore time).”

In the book review, Ms. Agnes Miclat-Cacayan, author of The Shaman’s Woman’s Dream: How Can we worship God without the Forest? observes, “If you are looking for an exhaustive inter-disciplinary scholarly work about the Philippines that promises not to be too boring and tedious in length, look no more. Handumanan almost reads like a story even if it clearly is a product of the rigors of research, the tenacious industry of the author and his mindfulness in balancing “the light and the shadows” of the legacy left to us by colonial Christianity and Western invasions. For this is not only about indigenous peoples; this is all about us as a people, who we once were and what we have become.”

Dr. Ryan Maboloc of Ateneo De Davao University says, “Lo and behold! I think the manuscript will change the way we look at Philippine colonial history forever. The difference lies not only with your excellent writing style, but more importantly with the author’s way of seeing things…. For this book shows an example of his archaeological method. The book’s author not only see and write about phenomena. He is actually challenging our long held assumptions in terms of unities, traditions, and beliefs.”

Marilen Abesamis, Educator, zen meditator, energy medicine practitioner, comments: “The IPs are the focus of this year’s mission activities of the Catholic Church. The year 2021 also coincides with the 500th anniversary of the coming of Christianity to our shores. But rather than wantonly celebrating, Handumanan — through its nuanced and detailed retelling of IP history — argues for a sober “commemoration” of the 500 years of Christianity, with serious reflection on the church’s successes and failures in its handling of apostolate. Rich with scholarly accounts, Handumanan is divided into six parts — each one intricately weaving Light and Shadows in the act of “remembering” —- the trajectory of the colonizers’ early contacts, the Spanish colonization period, the responses and people’s resistance to colonization, the continuing realities of the IPs, and reflections on the church’s contemporary mission.”

The pre-registration form is in this link: https://forms.gle/bPVUcEkN1mCiDUcj9