Night Owl: A Nationbuilder’s Manual

Build, Build, Build Committee Chair Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo’s book, Night Owl, takes users on a 342-page journey across five years termed as the “Philippines’ Golden Age of Infrastructure.” It is a valiant attempt at chronicling where the Philippines has been, where it is, and where it is headed— specifically, in terms of the grand vision of connecting 7,641 disparate islands across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao via land.

With forewords from President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Executive Secretary Salvador C. Medialdea, and Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Mark A. Villar, Night Owl connects readers to the labors of 6.5 million Filipinos who helped pave the country’s road to progress with the construction of 29,264 kilometers of roads, 5,950 bridges, 11,340 flood mitigation structures, 222 evacuation centers, 150,149 classrooms, 214 airport projects, and 451 seaport projects.

Part travelogue and part memoir, Anna Mae Lamentillo also informs readers through the eyes of the program’s chairperson, detailing sub-projects such as the Infra-track App, with its built-in geotagging, satellite technology, and drone monitoring— serving as an invaluable blueprint into the government’s mandate of increased transparency and accountability, as well as a guide for emerging generations of nation builders.

Anna Mae also presents Night Owl as a progress report, with numbers speaking loud and clear— measuring accomplishments in kilometers, reduced travel times, the cost-benefit of projects, and whether funded through government financing, public-private partnerships, or official development assistance.

Edited by the esteemed Manila Bulletin editor, AA Patawaran, Night Owl’s often detailed discussions on roads and bridges remain accessible enough for readers keen on debating policy, and inspired to find solutions to national issues such as identity, poverty, and security— through the framework of infrastructure intervention.

Night Owl is published by the Manila Bulletin and is available at Central Bookstore, Fully Booked and National Bookstore on hardcover. For orders and inquiries, you may call +632-85277522/26 or email subscription.mb@gmail.com. You may also order online via nightowl.ph

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