“Lindy” Dioso is one of our most important members and supporters in conservation. His passion, however, are books, and he helped Filipino people share this passion by initiating the “1000 Libraries Project”.

Lindy studied at La Salle University and San Beda College and then worked for the United Nations, dealing for instance with peacekeeping missions, refugee projects, technical assistance for environmental issues, crime and drug control. After retiring from full-time service in 2001 as one of the two highest-ranking Filipinos in the U.N. Secretariat, he was able to mind reading opportunities for future generations. He took into account that many regions in the Philippines lack good public libraries in spite of Republic Act No. 7743 demanding a public library in every congressional district, city and municipality in the country. So, he built and equipped the Leocadio Alonsagay Dioso Memorial Public Library in the municipality of Pandan, named after his father. The library was inaugurated in April 2004 by Salvacion “Sally” Zaldivar Perez, the then Governor of Antique. It was the first public library in the region, and is regarded as one of the finest libraries in the Philippines. It provides free reading, a children’s area and Internet access. Having seen the impact, Lindy then aimed at establishing more libraries elsewhere in the Philippines.

Sources:
http://www.filipinoreporter.us/artsa-entertainment/culture/3862-un-retiree-spends-savings-on-gift-of-libraries.html,
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/135437/a-paradise-by-the-bay-for-booklovers

On the Frankfurt book fair on 10 October 2017, German chancellor A. Merkel said that hardly any other art genre represents freedom of opinion as literature does … and that … “books are an indispensable cultural good and not some arbitrary economic asset” … “We need the intellectual and creative impulses emanating from literature in all life situations” she said. “The book invites us to dream and expands the horizon”.