Vibal Foundation Publishes Imprenta de Ramírez y Giraudier
Vibal Foundation, Inc. soft-launched Imprenta de Ramírez y Giraudier by Dr. Lino L. Dizon at Vibal's monthly virtual tertulia. In this latest book edition, Dizon lays out the foundational influence of the Imprenta de Ramírez y Giraudier, including an overview of the history of print and publishing in the Philippines and an authoritative listing of the firm’s many publications.
Imprenta de Ramírez y Giraudier
Imprenta de Ramírez y Giraudier is the newest addition to VFI's Academica Filipina+ imprint, an interdisciplinary series that pushes the boundaries of scholarly publishing with smart, literate, and thought-provoking works exploring the past, present, and future of the Philippines. The book presents a fundamental discussion about the Philippine publishing history and its prime movers, writers, and key figures. Decades after its founding in 1858, the impact of the Imprenta de Ramírez y Giraudier and its editor, José Felipe Del Pan, could be felt in the maturing of Filipino intellectuality that manifested in the Propaganda Movement and, ultimately, the Philippine Revolution.
The book is also an important primary reference in understanding the role of the press in a democracy and its role in awakening a dormant sense of nationalism during the period of turmoil at the height of Spanish colonization. It became a platform where eye-opening articles revealed the true status of the nation at the hands of the Spanish rulers. From then on, the press influenced and shaped history and revitalized democracy.
The publishing firm Imprenta de Ramírez y Giraudier, founded by noted typographer Don Manuel Ramírez y Carvajal and lithographer-artist Baltasar Giraudier y Ortega, was pivotal during the period of intellectual enlightenment in the 19th century. The press was a vital medium that enabled Filipinos to discuss the state of the country and bring about political action. The themes and perspectives covered in the books, pamphlets, and other publications produced over nearly three decades of operation—including the influential periodicals Ilustracion Filipina, the Revista de Filipinas, and the Diario de Manila—laid the groundwork for what would be the modern field of Philippine studies.
For interested readers, copies of the Imprenta de Ramírez y Giraudier will be available soon for online purchase at the Vibal Online Shop, Lazada, and Shopee. Further announcements will be made on our social media pages or you may email marketing@vibalgroup.com.