Gantala Press

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Gantala Press

A Filipina feminist small press based in Quezon City, Philippines.

PDFs of our works may be downloaded from https://payhip.com/GantalaPress

Chicas is available on Spotify and other podcast platforms

31/08/2024

On August 8, 2024, a copy of our book was donated to De La Salle University.

31/08/2024

🎂✨ Happy Birthday to Mary Shelley✨
Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley was an English novelist who wrote the Gothic novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus, which is considered an early example of science fiction. She also edited and promoted the works of her husband, the Romantic poet and philosopher Percy Bysshe Shelley.

28/08/2024

Nasa Quezon City Public Library na ang aming mga libro! As a small press, we can only afford to print a few hundred to a thousand copies of our titles at a time, so having copies of them in public libraries truly increases accessibility to progressive literature especially for students. 📚

(First image by VernieMVE on TripAdvisor)

27/08/2024

TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM
by Delia D. Aguilar
₱550.—

c2024
ISBN: 978-621-8395-05-3

Feminism has a crucial contribution to make in the rebuilding of a new world, however distant in the future that might be. Such a contribution becomes tenable only when we Filipino feminists reiterate the absolute necessity of reinscribing or reinstating the foundational theme of national sovereignty to any formulation of feminism. It is toward this goal that the republication of this book is dedicated.

Delia D. Aguilar
Washington, DC
January 8, 2024

Available at Popular Bookstore, 305 FLP Building, Tomas Morato Avenue, Quezon City. For orders and inquiries, please message us here or e-mail us at [email protected], you may also contact 8332-1567 ; 949 1234 464
BUSINESS HOURS: 09:00 AM - 05:00 PM ; Monday to Friday except Holidays

27/08/2024

100% of sales in our Shopee from August 26 to September 26 will be donated to the peasant sector’s October campaign for Genuine Land Reform, food security & sovereignty, and human rights. If you also wish to contribute to the campaign, please let us know or contact Amihan Women! Thank you in advance for your support! 💚🌾

PS. Recently we’ve been using sturdy recycled materials to pack the items! Save the planet!

shopee.ph/gantala_press

21/08/2024

What a lovely album by the Literary and Cultural Studies Department of Ateneo de Manila University, on the book launch of TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM! 💖

TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM is now available on Gantala’s Shopee, Popular Bookstore, and Baybayin Trade, Inc. ✊🏽

20/08/2024

TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM is now available on Gantala’s Shopee, Popular Bookstore, and Baybayin Trade, Inc. ✊🏽

Delia D Aguilar delivering her accompanying lecture to her book’s 25th ann

18/08/2024

NEWS | Ruth Tindaan and Grace Subido, both teaching at the University of the Philippines Baguio, authored a monograph entitled “Itauli: Reframing Cordillera Women in Photographs,” one of the two books launched on the said date.

The other was a storybook called Apong Lasoy’s Beads, authored by poet and Palanca awardee Luchie Maranan and illustrated by digital artist Zofie Nataño.

Read the full story: https://bit.ly/3yNwSqb

17/08/2024

STATEMENT | Peasant women call out Senator Padilla's misogynist statements

National Federation of Peasant Women (AMIHAN) leader Cathy Estavillo has called out Senator Robin Padilla for his recent misogynist statements.

In a statement, Estavillo said "to hear a duly-elected Senator say that a husband has sexual rights over his wife makes us cringe to the point of vomiting. Senator Padilla's misogynst and macho behavior show that he is unfit to lead the Senate committee on public information and mass media.

"Ang mga pahayag at pagtingin ni Senador Padilla kung paano tratuhin ng mga asawang lalaki ang kanilang mga asawang babae ay hindi magandang ehemplo sa publiko, lalo na sa mga kabataan. Regardless of a person's gender, the absence or lack of consent is tantamount to sexual abuse." says Estavillo, the secretary general of AMIHAN and Gabriela Women's Party consultant on peasant women affairs.

Senator Padilla's exact words during the hearing were: “For example, of course you can’t deny that there is this belief among married people that you have sexual rights over your wife. And you can’t tell when you are in heat. What if your wife doesn’t want to. Is there no other way to give in to the man? So what does he do? Will he just womanize? That would lead to a court case.”

Estavillo also urged women Senators to call out Padilla's misogyny. "Senator Padilla's "caveman" behavior and thinking towards women is dangerous as it can enable a wide range of gender-based violence and especially, violence against women and children. "Given the already backward and feudal-patriarchal culture prevailing in the country, Senator Padilla's statements should be censured."

The peasant woman leader said marital r**e is a sensitive issue, and heartbreaking as it is, many victims do not come forward due to lack of protective laws and social stigma. "Maraming kababaihan, laluna sa kanayunan, ang posibleng nakakaranas nito. Pero maaaring hindi pa nila alam ang kanilang mga karapatan bilang babae, patuloy na nangyayari ang marital r**e at iba pang pang-aabusong sekswal sa mga kababaihan," Estavillo said, adding that even if the law mandates, many local villages or barangay do not have VAWC officers or desks.

AMIHAN expressed support to House Bill 401 or amendments to fortify the Anti-Rape Law filed by Gabriela Women's Party. The proposed amendments aim to broaden the definition of r**e, establish a presumption of lack of consent, and repeal archaic provisions such as the forgiveness clause for married victims and perpetrators.

"We encourage peasant women and rural youth to always remain vigilant in asserting their rights and welfare." # # #

17/08/2024

Of course, Marxist-feminist scholar Delia D. Aguilar rocks our Feminista shirt! 🩷✨💖

16/08/2024

Best haul from GGSSG Naga! The actual painting by for the cover of our upcoming book, RAINBOW CHRONICLES AND OTHER POEMS, works in English, Filipino, and Bikol by the Albay-based poet Merlita Lorena Tariman, mother of revolutionary writer Kerima Lorena Tariman. Another unexpected gift, since we had only commissioned the artist for a digital copy of the artwork (the artist donated her fee to children in need). Maraming, maraming salamat, Vianca! Mabuhay ka!! 🎨

16/08/2024

Diyos Mabalos, Naga! 🌴🌶️💖

16/08/2024

ATM: Kasalukuyang dinaraos sa Ateneo de Naga University ang Gandang-ganda sa sariling gawa! All-women art fair na inilunsad kasama ang Creative Endeavors Council, Ateneo Literary Association, Naga City Arts & Culture Coalition, at Rigmat 2024.

Hanggang 5 pm sa Xavier Hall! 💖 Books, zines, crafts, prints, at marami pang iba!

15/08/2024

Old, out-of-print, out-of-stock Gantala Press titles at ! 💖

15/08/2024

Nandito na kami! Kita-kits bukas, Bicol! 🥥🌶️💖

15/08/2024

Marhay na aldaw! We go to Bicol! Please visit our booth and those of other women zinesters and craftmakers at the GGSSG! all-women art fair at Ateneo de Naga University! We’ll be there the whole day. Check out our panel on women’s writing as well!

We’ll be bringing super limited copies of Bicol-born poet Kerima Lorena Tariman’s SA AKING HENERASYON, and our new titles! 💖🌋

Diyos mabalos!

GANDANG-GANDA SA SARILING GAWA! goes to Ateneo de Naga University!

CALLING ALL WOMEN AND Q***R ARTISTS 🫵 Gantala Press, in collaboration with the ADNU Creative Endeavors Council and Ateneo Literary Association, will organize GGSSG! an all-women and q***r art fair on August 16, 2024.

REGISTER TO JOIN: https://forms.gle/FfWJcvALn6FngpBx5

GGSSG! Ateneo de Naga will showcase various creative works such as books, zines, stickers and prints, comics, crafts and accessories made by women and q***r artists. The phrase “Gandang-Ganda sa Sariling Gawa!”—finding one’s own work beautiful—aims to give women and q***r artists the avenue to celebrate one another.

15/08/2024

Thank you to the eminent Marxist scholar E San Juan, Jr for his gift! & for everything! ❤️✊🏽

LUALHATI BAUTISTA, NOBELISTA is published by the University of Santo Tomas Press

14/08/2024

13/08/2024

Launch of Delia D. Aguilar’s TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM! 25th Anniversary Edition with new essays! A beautiful, beautiful book 🌹💖✊🏽

Proudly co-published with Kritika Kultura Journal

Order the book here: https://ph.shp.ee/VK8rSUq

13/08/2024

+Ateneo de Manila University + ateneo.eduFollow Ateneo de Manila on Facebook fb.com/ateneodemanila Twitter twitter.com/ateneodemanilauInstagram instagram.com...

12/08/2024

Our presentation at the Tense & Tender Tropics IACS Summer School!

“It must be emphasized that although women are often invisible in discourses on peasant communities, they are very much active in the farm production process. The women fisherfolk clean and sell the fish, or prepare them into food products that can be ordered online. The women farmers farm, harvest, and sell their rice, vegetables, and fruits. They also do other jobs like cleaning houses, doing the laundry, or working in other farms to earn extra money.”

12/08/2024

“Developments in the Philippines as well as the international arena warrant a feminism that is vehemently anti-colonial and staunchly nationalist. It is time to reinscribe nationalism into the feminist agenda.”

- From TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM (25th Anniversary Edition) by Delia D. Aguilar
Book launch on August 13, 3 PM, Leong Hall Roofdeck, Ateneo de Manila University

Art by Leah Perez

11/08/2024

REGISTRATION FOR SELLERS IS NOW CLOSED. We'll send an email to all accepted sellers soon. 🥰

09/08/2024

“For the Filipino people, there is no danger of overstating nationalism as the most urgent and pressing struggle today. For Filipino women, feminism that makes sense is a decolonized, distinctly nationalist one.”

- From TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM (25th Anniversary Edition) by Delia D. Aguilar
Book launch on August 13, 3 PM, Leong Hall Roofdeck, Ateneo de Manila University

Image by Galene Bascon

08/08/2024

Cats – saving Cordillerans and our rice harvests since their creation. 😸

According to an Ibaloi legend, there was a time when people had no rice. During these times, a mambunong called Dackbongan was asked to participate in a grand cañao for Kabunian. So Dackbongan traveled to Mt. Pulag. There, he climbed a ladder to enter the sky-world, where the home of Kabunian and Bogan, his wife, is found.

At the cañao, Dackbongan fully enjoyed eating rice, even staying for days after the cañao just to enjoy the food. When Kabunian noticed this, the god asked Dackbongan if he would like to bring some home with him to earth.

The mambunong accepted, so Kabunian gave him some grains and taught him how to cultivate rice, including how to perform a Kosday cañao to honor Kabunian and ensure a good harvest.

Back on earth, Dackbongan carefully planted the rice. The people enjoyed the rice and made the mambunong a rich man. Unfortunately, he forgot to perform the Kosday cañao, and this offended Kabunian.

As punishment, Kabunian created rats to eat and destroy the harvest. This made Dackbongan realize and regret his mistake, so Kabunian extended mercy by then creating cats that ate the rats and saved the harvest. 🌾

Today, as you enjoy your cup/s of rice, thank Kabunian and thank a cat. Happy International Cat Day! 🍚🐈 You can read the legend as published on page 4 of the 1950 edition of the Baguio Midland Courier in the reference linked below.

Reference: Wilson, L. L. (1950, January 1). The Origin of Rice: An Old Ibaloi Legend. Baguio Midland Courier. https://repository.mainlib.upd.edu.ph/viewpdf.php?id=234641

08/08/2024

Written in the early 11th century, The Tale of Genji is a cornerstone of Japanese literature, authored by Murasaki Shikibu, a noblewoman and lady-in-waiting at the Heian court. Murasaki's groundbreaking work not only earned her a place in literary history but also established her as a cultural innovator.

The original manuscript of The Tale of Genji was crafted in the orihon style, a traditional Japanese bookbinding method. This technique involves pasting several sheets of paper together and folding them in alternating directions, creating a durable and compact format. This method was both practical and symbolic, reflecting the intricate and layered nature of the story itself.

In the early 20th century, The Tale of Genji was first translated into modern Japanese, making the text accessible to a broader audience. Since then, it has been translated into dozens of languages, bringing its rich narrative and cultural insights to readers worldwide.

The Tale of Genji follows the life of Hikaru Genji, the son of an ancient emperor, chronicling his romantic exploits, political ambitions, and personal tribulations. Through Genji's experiences, Murasaki Shikibu offers keen observations on court life and aristocratic society during the Heian period. The novel's exploration of love, power, and human emotion provides a timeless reflection on the complexities of the human condition.

The Tale of Genji is often considered the world's first novel, predating works like Don Quixote by several centuries. Its detailed portrayal of Heian-era Japan offers invaluable insights into the culture, customs, and social dynamics of the time. Murasaki Shikibu's nuanced character development and sophisticated narrative techniques have influenced countless writers and continue to be studied and admired today.

The legacy of The Tale of Genji extends beyond literature. It has inspired numerous adaptations, including Noh and Kabuki plays, films, and manga. Its themes and characters have permeated various aspects of Japanese culture, from art to fashion, cementing its status as a cultural touchstone.

The Tale of Genji stands as a testament to Murasaki Shikibu's literary genius and her profound understanding of human nature. Its enduring relevance and widespread influence underscore its importance as a seminal work of world literature.

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Pagtatanghal ni @aniya.kalinaw ng “Babaylan” sa lunsad-aklat ng TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM ni Delia D. Aguilar sa Leong Hall Roofdeck, Ateneo de Manila University, Agosto 13, 2024 💖 “Libong ulit ng lakas ng tinig Nagpupumiglas ang itinaling bisig At sa bawat babaeng nais lumaya Nagbabangon ang mga babaylan sa diwa”

From Amihan Women: The agriculture sector is in a critical state, as the 2023-2024 El Niño is one of the five strongest on record. The NDRRMC has estimated a loss of P2.63 billion in the agriculture sector. As El Niño continues to ravage crops in farmlands across the country, peasant women and farmers — the country's most impoverished population who already suffer landlessness, a lack of support for agricultural development, and the effects of climate change — face an even greater blow to their lives and livelihood. AMIHAN plans to conduct relief operations for peasant women and farmers critically affected by El Niño; particularly, those in the provinces of Bulacan, Occidental Mindoro, Isabela and Cagayan, from the third week of April until the second week of May. AMIHAN requests your support in the form of cash donations towards these efforts, and sharing this call with your network. Help #SagipKanayunan send cash, food packs, vegetable seeds to farmer families affected by El Niño. You may send donations via GCASH number 09491576537.

We are honored to be included by CNN’s As Equals in this list of 30 individuals who are protecting and expanding women's and LGBTQ+ rights. The Defenders features people from around the world, in academia, activism, publishing, and the law. "As Equals is a CNN series that aims to reveal what systemic gender inequality looks like. There is a gendered dimension to every one of our major global challenges including, but not limited to: climate change, economic or health inequality, the rise of authoritarianism, mass migration or algorithmic bias. Critical, tenacious journalism is required to expose it all. With stories on underreported issues in underreported parts of the world, told by underrepresented voices, As Equals intends to spotlight taboo subjects, use innovative presentations and effect change." https://edition.cnn.com/interactive/asequals/gender-equality-defenders-international-womens-day-as-equals-intl-cmd/

HAPPY BAGUIO DAY! Here's a video documentation of the #Dawwang mural created by Dap-ayan iti Kultura iti Kordilyera, UGATLahi Artist Collective, Sulong Likha, and friends in the beloved northern city, based on our comic book, Dawwang: Kababaihang Tagapagtanggol ng Kordilyera about the struggle of the Kalinga people against the Chico River Dam and Martial Law. An initiative by Goethe-Institut and Goethe-Institut Indonesien

Ang PALAYAIN ANG AKING NANAY! ay mabibili sa Mt Cloud Bookshop, artbooks.ph, at Life on Roast at siyempre, mula sa aming Shopee (shopee.ph/gantala_press). Palayain ang lahat ng bilanggong pulitikal! Itigil ang mga pang-aatake! Tunay na Reporma sa Lupa, Ipaglaban!

Mensahe ng Pagbati para sa Pandaigdigang Araw ng Kababaihan ni Amanda Echanis 2021 Nasa SALOOBIN: mga akda ng/para sa kababaihang bilanggong pulitikal Mapagpalayang Araw, mga kabaro! #IWD2022 #FreeAmandaEchanis

TUMUROD/MANGAHAS DKK Salidummay Performed by Kim Falyao (@katribu_natl) and Kara Malazarte (@pandaysining) for the launch of DAWWANG: Kababaihang Tagapagtanggol ng Kordilyera Tumurod, tumurod, tumurod Tay ung-unga Ya da tayo in-ada Ya da tayo amada Ya alapo tay wa-da Bumangon, bumangon, bumangon Tay ung-unga Ya da tayo in-ada Ya da tayo amada Ya alapo tay wa-da Lumaban, lumaban, lumaban Tay ung-unga Ya da tayo in-ada Ya da tayo amada Ya alapo tay wa-da Tumurod, bumangon, lumaban Tay ung-unga Ya da tayo in-ada Ya da tayo amada Ya alapo tay wa-da #LetOurRiversFlow #DefendCordilleraPh

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On Feminism

Drawn from interview questions by students.

Gantala Press is an independent, all-women, feminist collective that seeks to enrich and promote Philippine women's writing by publishing works for, of, and by women. Since its establishment in 2015, it has published varied materials such as anthologies, komix, a recipe book, zines, etc. that discuss the status of women in different patriarchal contexts. We also collaborate closely with women from other marginalized sectors, such as peasants.

Feminism is a critical analysis of the socio-economic, socio-political, and socio-cultural aspects of a context / environment to understand how they shape the concept of gender, especially of women. We believe that the fight to destroy oppressive class relations, which is the root of all oppression, is intertwined with the fight to destroy patriarchy. You cannot have one without the other. It is essential to point out that feminism does not and must not detach itself from its economic and political roots: that upholding feminism must also mean upholding better living and working conditions not only for the women and their family but for the nation entirely.

That it is "anti-male," or "extreme," or "exclusionary;" that it is rabid and hysterical. Some so-called nationalists also maintain that the struggle for gender equality is not a priority and must take the back seat, and that all efforts should go towards class struggle; that feminism must wait until after class liberation. Some people also think that feminism is nothing but a western, bourgeois construct and that Filipinos have no use for it. We have also heard of Filipina feminists who dread to be thought of as "anti-Duterte" and who think that feminism should accommodate anyone, whatever her political beliefs are. We think that, especially in these times, a feminist cannot help but be anti-Duterte. We really find it hard to imagine a pro-Duterte feminist. A feminist is against oppression, first and foremost, and Duterte is the embodiment of the kind of oppression that Filipinas have always been trying to overcome. We have heard liberal feminists call feminism a "fun" thing to do, which is very silly. All over the world, throughout history, feminists have been castigated, harassed, or killed for their beliefs and actions. Actually, women in general are still being castigated, harassed, or killed for simply being women. The president constantly puts down women and tries to pass this off as just “having fun.” We cannot afford to "have fun," or in this case at least, to use the language of the oppressor in fighting oppression.

By publishing feminist, class-conscious, progressive materials; organizing events where women are central; and attending rallies. One of our founders is actively working with peasant women, and this deeply informs her literary works, whether poetry or zines. We also try to join as many conversations as possible about feminism in the Philippines, for example by delivering lectures and workshops in schools, and by answering thesis questions like these.

Our main accomplishments are really the books we have produced. We are very proud of each of them. Our first book is an anthology of women's writings which we think includes a good representation not of "women's writings" per se, but of women's experiences in the country (and even abroad). That book includes poems, essays, and stories about le****ns, mothers, biracials, daughters, workers, political prisoners, Muslims, lumad, women in the Cordillera region, artists, writers, and others, written in various Philippine languages. Our second publication is a collection of essays by women on the Marawi siege, followed by a Mranao cookbook which, although written by a man, is a good documentation of a woman-shaped culture that is severely threatened by militarization. We're publishing a second volume on the siege, which will include essays and poems written mostly by women from Marawi / Mindanao. The Marawi project was done in the context of an entire information and fundraising campaign which also opened much-needed conversations about women and war, and connected us to a lot of people who eventually became partners and collaborators. We have just published an anthology of le***an komix created by q***r women, one of the first of its kind in the country. Part of the proceeds of all our books go to various causes: for IDPs, peasant women and children, and student organizations, for example.

More publications, especially those that document women’s lives and histories, and a physical space where women can gather and have meaningful feminist conversations and be creative and productive.

Class oppression and class inequality.

Our women have always been strong, powerful, and revolutionary; many Filipinas in history prove that. However, the so-called gender equality does not manifest itself in everyday life. Our women still suffer from sexual harassment and r**e, domestic abuse and violence, and mockery or denigration by everything and everyone from the president to the media to our fellow women. We have had two woman presidents and a number of women in government but they turned out to be loyal to their class, not to their sisters. Some of Duterte's most rabid defenders are women who insult or blame his victims! Likewise, a great majority of Filipinos still live in poverty. If you're a woman farmer, for example, your suffering is twice your husband's because, as head of the family, it is only the husband who gets paid (almost next to nothing) for farm work even if his wife or children has labored along with him. And after a day's work in the farm, the wife has to take care of the children and other household chores simply because she is expected to. So, as long as many women still live in abject poverty like this, there is no true gender equality.

Feminism is necessary as long as class struggle is necessary. Though the Philippines might appear gender equal on the surface, there will always be women exploitation and abuse unless we call for a national system overhaul. Because Gantala Press envisions not only a gender equal community but a community free from all forms of exploitation, we continue with our publication endeavors that take strength from progressive roots.