Lawyer debuts historical fantasy novel on pre-colonial Philippines
MANILA, Philippines — It took 10 years of research for lawyer and techpreneur Darwin De Jesus Mariano to debut his historical fantasy novel inspired by pre-colonial Philippine artifacts.
“Namwaran and the Golden Tara” is an epic historical fantasy that draws inspiration from two artifacts: the Laguna Copperplate and the Golden Tara of Agusan.
The Laguna Copperplate, dated April 21, 900 CE, is considered the earliest known historical document of the Philippines. It provides evidence of the country's links with other parts of Southeast Asia before Spanish colonization.
The artifact is among the Philippine documentary heritage submissions for the 2026 cycle of the Memory of the World Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) Regional Register. The other submissions are the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group Audiovisual Archive and Baybayin Documents in the Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomas.
The Golden Tara of Agusan, meanwhile, is a 21-karat gold statue believed to date from the 9th or 10th century. It was discovered in 1917 along the Wawa River in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur, and is currently housed at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago.
“Namwaran and the Golden Tara” follows three siblings — Namwaran, Angkatan and Bukah — whose names appear in the Laguna Copperplate. Their lives change after their mother, Pandi, disappears and the Golden Tara is stolen.
Given three black-stone amulets that grant long life, the siblings embark on a centuries-long journey across Southeast Asia, including the Srivijaya and Majapahit empires, and eventually into the period of the Spanish arrival in Luzon.
The novel explores themes of family, grief, identity and survival as the siblings search for their mother and follow the trail of the stolen Golden Tara.
The book also features artwork and illustrations by Filipino comic book artist Miko Pica, cover art coloring by Indonesian artist Fauzi Nugraha and a custom typeface by Singaporean artist John Poh.
For Mariano, the novel is the product of a decade of research and writing. His professional experience in technology, entrepreneurship, public policy, government affairs and the creative industry informed the book.
Mariano is the founder of Ticket2Me and currently serves as a UNACOM commissioner. He has a background in psychology, law and science communication and has worked across the Asia-Pacific region.
His debut novel was launched at the recently concluded Manila International Book Fair 2026 on September 12. A special book launch and historical tour followed at the National Museum of Anthropology on September 13.
The event was supported by the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines (UNACOM) and attended by Senator Risa Hontiveros and British Ambassador to the Philippines and Palau Sarah Hulton OBE.
National Museum of the Philippines Director-General Jeremy R. Barns, who also chairs UNACOM’s Committee on Culture, welcomed the guests during the event.
Representatives of the Philippine Memory of the World Committee, led by UNACOM Secretary-General Ivan Anthony Henares, PhD, also attended the launch.
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