This is as good a time as any to point out that Geejay Arriola is the hardest working staff member of OUR OWN VOICE. As webdesigner, she is the quarterback of the team.

When you access the site and the blue pages serenely unfold, you are plugging into Geejay's unbelievably artistic mind. Whatever concoction she brews, she takes raw text and titles, edits and additions, spontaneous combustible far-out ideas and, "Bibiddy bobiddy boo!" Geejay transforms the garble into pages to delight you.

In this issue, we pick up the thread of recounting stories of the war with an essay by Margarita Francia Villaluz on her memories of wartime Manila. This would have been Margie's first "published" piece on the internet. And Margie doesn't own a PC! I had a difficult time explaining to her how online publishing works so I offered to print out this issue for her perusal.

Margie passed away last April 5 after a long struggle with emphysema. She was two months short of her 76th birthday. We mourn her passing but we hope to share her works posthumously by way of reprinting her books on children's literature.

The premiere issue is now in our archives. If you're visiting us for the first time, we ask you to click on the Archives icon for a peek. The issue was cited One of The Best of Cyberpinoys for February and we thank Tanikalang Ginto for bestowing this distinction on rookies like us!

In this issue, we introduce a BOOK section where we feature three new books: Coming Full Circle by Elenita Strobel; Eye of the Fish by Luis H. Francia; and Names Above Houses by Oliver de la Paz. Click on the Books icon for the publication announcement, excerpts, reviews, as well as information on how to order.

Please note that an "oov sailboat" icon on the page indicates that the author has graciously contributed a copy of his/her book to the Filipino American Library.

Our Own Voice has fondly adopted The Filipino American Library of Los Angeles. We hope that by introducing author to library and vice versa, the Library's collection of writings on the diaspora experience will increase and that new authors' works will be available to researchers and a mainstream reading public through this Library's efforts to promote Philippine Literature.

Please continue to make your views and comments known on our guest pages (Click on Readers icon). You are our primary and sustaining reason for being.

15 April 2001

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THE STAFF

EDITOR
Remé-Antonia Grefalda

ASSOCIATE EDITOR
Nadine Sarreal

EDITORIAL BOARD
Geejay Arriola
Seb Koh
Cisa Payuyo
Zonia Velasco

GRAPHIC AND WEB DESIGNER
Geejay Arriola

COPYRIGHT
2001