MANILA, Philippines — For her awe-inspiring role in building libraries and countering the culture of guns with books and education in Mindanao, 17-year-old Arizza Ann Sahi Nocum recently received an award from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the National Library of the Philippines (NLP).
Arizza, an Industrial Engineering freshman at the University of the Philippines, was recognized by the NCCA’s National Committee on Library and Information Services (NCLIS) “for her exemplary and invaluable contributions in the field of library and information services by building libraries, distributing books, and promoting reading to underserved children.”
The Philippine Librarians Association, Inc. (PLAI) joined the NCCA and NLP last November 4 in giving the certificate of recognition to Arizza for playing a key role in her Christian-Muslim parents’ advocacy to distribute books, grant scholarships, provide the free use of computers, and build libraries in conflict areas in Mindanao since 2001.
The young Arizza, who is now the administrator of the Kristiyano-Islam (KRIS) Peace Library, is the daughter of Armand Dean N. Nocum (a Roman Catholic) and Annora Sahi Nocum (a Muslim).
Armand, a former newspaper journalist, and his wife Ann conceived of the Kariton Y Libro Group (KLG) in 2001 and the A-Book-Saya Group (ABSG) in 2008. The two projects aimed to spread happiness to children in Mindanao through books and education.
These endeavors paved the way for the creation of the KRIS Peace Library in Manicahan, Zamboanga City (a known Abu Sayyaf lair). Two other KRIS libraries were soon constructed in a slum area in Quezon City and in a relocation site for Ondoy typhoon and fire victims in Rodriguez, Rizal; and another two were built near a Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) stronghold in Zamboanga Sibugay. NLP Director Antonio M. Santos noted how three of the libraries were constructed in conflict areas, helping save local children from terrorism, rebellion, and criminality by giving them a better alternative.
“Young Arizza is not a professional librarian, but she is a role-model for all librarians,” Santos said. The NLP head recalled a picture he saw at the KRIS Library website where a seven-year-old Arizza was shown giving a speech to kids during a book-donation program.
Arizza’s dedication to her family’s mission really deserves to be recognized. Just last August, Arizza became the first Filipina to win an award from the Zonta International Young Women for Public Affairs (YWPA), a global organization that aims to advance the status of women through service and advocacy.
She donated part of her US $4,000 prize for the expansion of their Quezon City KRIS Library. From the NCCA and NLP, Arizza received a plaque and books (with a pledge for six more boxes of books from the Asia Foundation for the KRIS libraries, including one to be built in Basilan).
Of her most recent award, Arizza said: “This event has been an eye-opener. What the youth needs today is to hear something like this. To hear that libraries are important, that books are important; that reading, that learning is essential to progress.”
Readers who are interested in helping the Nocums achieve their mission can visit their website, www.krislibrary.com, or contact Arizza at 0999-5609435, (632) 3522313/ (632) 5718997, or e-mail her at arizza.nocum@gmail.com.
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