When I bought the original manuscript of Dr. Jose Baron-Fernandez’ book on Jose Rizal in 1979, I invited him to Manila for the launching of the book in 1981.  He was 77 years old then. 

It was his first visit to the Philippines, but wrote about Rizal as if he knew him all his life. Even his description of Calamba, one can almost smell the flowers.

The manuscripts were all in Spanish and had to be translated into English.

What made his book different was that he had access to the secret archives in Spain and found 34 unedited documents never known to the world not even in the Philippines, on the life of Rizal.

For that reason, Doctor Baron- Fernandez’s book, Jose Rizal – Filipino Doctor and Patriot is the most documented, and I won a “Golden Book Award” for it in 1982.

I own the complete rights to the manuscript. I could have even put my name as the author, but I did not.  It’s better to hear from a foreigner, no less a Spaniard, say that Jose Rizal is one of the greatest heroes in the world, greater than a Lincoln and Gandhi, according to Doctor Baron-Fernandez, for Jose Rizal suffered more and went through greater difficulties, hardships, and sacrifices during his life but was able to do all those heroic things in his short span of life for love of country.

I gave away thousands of copies to all the public and private schools around the country in the 1980s.  Some I consigned to the National Bookstore but sold out. 

I went into second printing and will have to go into 3rd printing, for I ran out of copies except for less than a hundred copies that I kept.

When Ninoy, a childhood friend heard of it while on exile in Boston, I sent him a copy on one of Maur’s (his older sister) trip to the US to visit Ninoy.  Maur and I had to wrap it so well because of my dedication on it to Ninoy. For fear of being confiscated at the airport, Maur suggested for me to wrap it and tape it all over to free it from possible inspection.

Soon I will be publishing the second book of Doctor Baron-Fernandez on the Cavite Mutiny of 1872, also fully documented, including the trial of Gomburza, which were buried in the secret archives in Spain for life, never to be seen again. Spanish law prohibited the release of documents from their former colonies and kept away from any foreigner.

President Quirino and  all the presidents after him attempted to negotiate with the Spanish government to return the documents on the trials of the three priests but were rejected by the Spanish government. I recall that even the late Ambassador Carlos P. Romulo as UN representative tried as well but to no avail.

It took a Spaniard, Doctor Baron-Fernandez to have access to the secret archives by suing his own government. His reason: “I am not a foreigner.  I am a Spaniard.  I want to make amends for what the Spaniards did to Jose Rizal who was totally innocent of the charges.”

True enough, he was able to enter the secret archives accompanied by military officers. But he was able to xerox the documents, sealed by the Spanish government as he did it with all the documents on Jose Rizal which I now own and are with me.

There is another book I published, Some Free Press Pieces authored by Teodoro M. Locsin, Sr. and son, Teddyboy, which won me another award from the “Golden Book Award” in 1982 given by the Book Development Association of the Philippines.

There is another very interesting book I published on Manuel L. Quezon – from Nipa house to Malacanan.

I came across an original copy published in Japan, authored by a Japanese writer G. H. Enosawa in 1940 that never reached our shores. It is an original book that never reached the Philippines, maybe due to the outbreak of the Second World War.

I abided by the law of not reprinting it without the author’s permission. I tried everything to reach the publisher in Tokyo (Japan Publicity Agency), but to no avail.  In all probability, Mr. Enosawa had passed away when I communicated with the publishing company in Tokyo in the 1980s.

I had no choice but to wait for the 50-year copyright (as observed internationally) to expire from the time it was copyrighted in 1940 by Japan Publicity Agency, Nippon Press, Ltd., Tokyo.

In 1990, the doors opened for me to reprint it in Manila, legally.

In this book, President Quezon speaks of his philosophy in life and in public service. It’s a very inspiring book coming from a great man, so full of humanity.

I got particularly interested in publishing it because of the photographs contained with my late father, Tomas B. Morato, with him in Kyoto and elsewhere with the Japanese hierarchy, and Quezon made mention of my father on several occasions.

President Quezon and my father were friends since their teenage days in Tayabas, now Quezon Province.  While Quezon was born in Baler, my father’s hometown was in Calauag.

Quezon and my father were inseparable in life.  Both were only sons and found in each other the fraternal affection between two brothers.

When I was born in 1933, my mother told me that Papa was not even home.  He was a constant companion of President Quezon.  They were together that morning of November 17, at 7:20 A.M. when I was born.

Being his first born from his second nuptial (my father was a widower when he married my mother in 1932), I was named Manuel after the President who, in turn, became my baptismal godfather.  We even shared the same nickname, Manoling.

I only publish books on those that can rectify the errors in our history books; and those that can inspire and can be emulated by our people to make ourselves better persons.

There is so much to learn from past mistakes and too much wisdom to acquire from those who’ve lived an exemplary life.

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