2003 Philippines Yearbook launched tonight

The 2003 Philippines Yearbook will be launched at 7 tonight (Nov. 25) at the Grand Ballroom of the Dusit Hotel Nikko in Makati City. Established by Dr. James Go Puan Seng in 1936, founder of The Fookien Times, which published the largest Chinese daily newspaper in the Philippines until the implementation of martial law in 1972, The Philippines Yearbook is one of the longest running annual Philippine publications as well as one of the most respected. The editorship was handled for many years by the late Betty Go-Belmonte, founding chairman of The Philippine STAR. Dr. Go’s youngest daughter, Grace Glory Go, is currently the president and publisher of The Philippines Yearbook.

Since the editorship of the publication was turned over to Dr. Go’s sixth grandson, Vernon Go, concurrently editor-in-chief of PULP magazine and associate publisher of MTV INK, The Philippines Yearbook has expanded its coverage. While maintaining its initial raison d’etre as a chronicler of business and economic progress, The Philippines Yearbook is now characterized by powerful imagery and graphic design used to convey a single theme that represents an area or aspect in the country’s history that plays a crucial role in growth and development.

This year, The Philippines Yearbook focuses on education and its role in the development of Philippine society and how it can improve.

Cocktails and a light dinner will be served at the launch party to be held this evening at the Dusit Grand Ballroom.

The 2003 Philippines Yearbook will soon be available in all major bookstores for P1,250. During the launch, guests who wish to purchase the latest edition will receive a P250 discount as well as the new 2003 Yearbook Reference Edition, which contains key government reports as well as the top 1,000 corporations and a directory of foreign, government, and Philippine diplomatic posts worldwide.