38 Dark Days

About the Book

Set on the country’s few month’s old “revolutionary government “, and amidst the euphoria over the victory of the 1986 People Power Revolution, 38 Dark Days is a microcosmic picture of repudiating the much touted ideals that the latter fought for by the action of the former. This novel is a day to day account of the struggles of an academic community that filed a peaceful protest against the surreptitious appointment of somebody to replace the current president. It mirrors the pain, frustrations, and growing hopelessness amid a reticent determination to fight and bring their pleas to the powers that be, locally and nationally. The pervading plea was simply to insulate the academe from political interference so that excellence rather than mediocrity become the norm to inspire them, uphold integrity rather than opportunism, and strengthen institutional structures to withstand political meddling, among others. The roles played in the protest by the local and national politicians, educational leaders, local media (print and broadcast), the military (local and regional), the court of justice , and the local community contribute significantly to paint a gripping view of the crisis that develops. These and their ramifications rock the state college in Metro Ciudad showing a vivid interplay of societal forces and its consequences. The 38th day is not the end all, though. In effect, the events like the search for a new college president to follow days after, turn out to be lengthened shadows of the agony and the painful compromise that had marked the past days. Has the ethos of opportunism, incompetence, and indifference prevailed? Light moments were skillfully interwoven in the story. These serve as catharsis and energizer to keep aflame the hope despite the adversities, while injecting lessons on crisis management on the personal, social, or institutional level. xxx

About the Author

Melchizedek Maquiso or Mike to his friends once worked in the office the President, Malacanang Palace, Republic of the Philippines as Presidential Assistant for the Urban Poor and concurrent Chairman of the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor with the rank of undersecretary. He was awarded a Presidential Medal of Merit by His Excellency Pres. Fidel V. Ramos. He finished his PhD (major in institutional planning and development with minors in Higher Education and Network Analysis ) from the University of Alabama as Fulbright Hayes scholar, 1973. His AB and MA both in literature were obtained from Siliman University as an Osborne scholar and a Graduate Fellow in 1964 and 1968, respectively. Most of his professional life was in the academe. He rose from the ranks starting as instructor to professor while occupying administrative positions in the process (Central Mindanao University, Central Luzon State university, and Don Mariano Memorial Polytechnic State College or DMMPSC). He was college dean, vice president, and OIC president in the latter. Furthermore, he was serving as executive director of the Center for Interinstitutional Research and Policy Studies-Development Council of State Colleges and Universities, Region III, when assigned to the state college in Cagayan De Oro City. He was made consultant for institutional planning and management by various state and private educational institutions, and the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office, among others This “38 Dark Days…” is his sixth book and second novel. The other four are textbooks or reference materials in higher education, namely: Philippine Education, Everything you wanted to know about it but were too shy to ask; Institutional Panning and Development, A Primer; Educational Administration, A rational and Structural Approach; and Policy and Policy Making in Education. This novel is published posthumously.