MANILA, March 4 (Reuters) – “A good book is easy to find” reads the sign on Hernando Guanlao’s two-storey home located on the outskirts of the Philippines’ main financial district which he has turned into a public library where anyone can borrow books for free.
Called the Reading Club 2000, Guanlao’s library showcases a wide variety of books he hopes will inspire people, especially young curious minds to read, especially at this time when reading ability among Philippine students remains low.
“The books that one can see here are those used in K-12 (elementary books), novels which students and enthusiasts can make use of,” the 72-year-old Guanlao said at his home crammed with thousands of books in stacks.
“There are also spiritual books for those who are looking for religious knowledge, hardbound and softbound books, autobiographies, and many different genre’s that one can enjoy, all for free,” he said.
What started as a 50-book display on the sidewalk fronting his home more than two decades ago, Guanlao’s collection has grown exponentially over the years, thanks to a steady supply of books from donors, some of whom opted to stay anonymous.
“They just leave boxes of books outside my house,” said Guanlao, who has also started shipping reading material to public schools in far-flung communities.
Philippine students are facing learning setbacks with math, science and reading scores among the lowest in the world, according to the Program for International Student Assessment.
“My mission is to give away used and donated books to others at no cost and to promote education through literature,” Guanlao said.
(Reporting by Adrian Portugal and Karen Lema; Editing by Michael Perry)
Our Privacy Commitment
TV5 Network Inc. values and respects your privacy. We are committed to safeguarding your personal data in compliance with Republic Act No. 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and its implementing rules and regulations.
We have developed a Privacy Policy that adopts and observes appropriate standards for personal data protection. While our Privacy Policy sets out the general principles governing the collection, use, and disclosure of our users’ personal information, our Privacy Commitment seeks to inform you more about TV5’s privacy practices.
Why do we collect your personal information (as applicable)?
We may collect and maintain basic information about you as site user of TV5 sites for the following purposes:
Where do we get your personal information?
There are several ways we collect your personal information.
Information that you personally provided.
Most of the personal information we have are those that you have provided us when you:
Information we collect during your engagement with us
We also collect information as you use our products and services, like:
Information we collect from other sources
Other means of collection of information may be through:
When do we disclose personal information?
There may be instances when we are required to share the information you provided us. In such cases, we ensure that your personal information will be disclosed on a confidential manner, through secure channels and in compliance with the Data Privacy Act and other privacy laws.
We will never share, rent, or sell your personal information to third parties outside of TV5 except in special cases where you have given consent, and in cases described in our privacy policy.
In some instances, we may be required to disclose your personal information to our agents, subsidiaries, affiliates, business partners and other third-party agencies and service providers as part of our regular business operations and for the provision of our programs and services. This means we might share your information with our service providers, contractors, and professional advisers who help us provide our services.
How we protect your personal information
The integrity, confidentiality, and security of your information is important to us. We have implemented technical, organizational, and physical security measures that are designed to protect your information from unauthorized or fraudulent access, alteration, disclosure, misuse, and other unlawful activities.
We also put in effect the following safeguards:
TV5 will not collect, use, or disclose your personal information for any purpose other than the purpose that you may have given your consent for.
What are your choices?
We make sure that we have your consent to continue to collect, use, and disclose your personal information for the purposes that we have identified. We want you to know that you may object or withdraw your consent and/or edit your consent preferences at any time.
If you wish to have access to the personal information in our custody or if you think that the personal information you provided is incomplete, or otherwise inaccurate, you may get in touch with our Data Protection Officer through the contact details provided below. In some instances, we may request for supporting documents or proof before we effect requested changes.
Data Protection Officer
TV5 Network Inc.
Reliance corner Sheridan Streets
Mandaluyong City
tv5dataprivacy@tv5.com.ph
What happens when there are changes in our Policy?
From time to time, we may update our privacy policy and practices to comply with changes in applicable laws and regulatory requirements, adapt to new technologies and protocols, and align with the best practices of the industry.
You will be provided notices if the changes are significant and, if we are required by law, we will obtain your updated consent.