Philippines

I want you to meet Bishop Catalino Llana. He is in his 80s and was one of the first CLC workers in the Philippines. He is still a very active member of many pastoral associations in the Philippines. I also want to introduce you to the oldest piece of CLC technology, which Bishop Calalino used to great effect – our typewriter! She has been working with CLC Philippines since 1957 and is a hard worker. She fills out forms that could not be filled online, works even when there is no electricity and there are no digital interruptions while writing. She provides instant printing, requires no password and needs little care and no updating of software and programmes. She can be transported and set up anywhere. There is something about the noise and instant results that makes me happy.

We had been looking for a good bookstore location in Malolos City, and it was not an easy job. After looking at various places, we finally went to a shopping mall that was still under construction! We walked around the site and saw a place we thought would be good for CLC. We then met with the administrator who told us that the space we were interested in had been reserved for a Philippine Games and Amusement company and a deposit had been made to secure the reservation. Romualdo Macinas, Director of CLC Philippines, responded by saying, “Ok, but we will still pray about it.” He then went on to explain that “Whatever we do has an impact on other people. If it happens that you accept the gaming people, what influence or what impact will that have on the whole community? People will learn to gamble, some will rely on gambling to support their lives, and children will learn to play games of chance. What a pity! CLC is a very special kind of bookstore. We are here to serve God through books. We are introducing people to God.” After two weeks, we received a call from the administrator, “Mr. Macinas, the space is yours.” Truly an answered prayer and, since 2010, CLC Malolos has been one of our best selling bookshops.