Rappler’s Vitug wins Best Book in Journalism award

RAPPLER EDITOR at large Marites Dañguilan Vitug won the Best Book in Journalism award in the 38th National Book Awards (NBA) for “Rock Solid: How the Philippines Won Its Maritime Case against China,”  which was published by Bughaw, an Ateneo de Manila University Press Imprint.

“In 2016, the Philippines overwhelmingly won a historic case versus China over the disputed parts of the South China Sea. Rock Solid is the first book to tell the story of the victory from the point of view of the Philippines,” Rappler said.

Relying mainly on original documents submitted to the tribunal and made public for the first time, Vitug’s book tells of the hurdles that a small country like the Philippines had to overcome in contesting China’s claims.

The National Book Awards are organized by the NBDB with the Manila Critics Circle. The annual awards, according to the NBDB website, are “annual tributes to excellent books written, designed, and published in the Philippines.”

The winners were announced by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) on November 4. The complete list, composed of 13 literary categories and seven non-literary categories, is uploaded on their Facebook page.