This month, we’re featuring our first middle-grade novel of 2025: Wayang Alimagnum by Joel Donato Ching Jacob.
Quick-witted Waya is racing against time, fine-tuning her ali-mech-sag robot for the grand festival. But when she uncovers something from her past, it’s not just her robot that will be pushed to its limits—her courage and determination will be tested like never before, too.
Traversing Alternate Universe Stories
Sometimes, Philippine sci-fi is patterned after a Western milieu of technology. In Wayang Alimagnum, however, the technology shown is very much rooted in Filipino culture. The ali-mech-sags, which are wartime machines repurposed for the modern age, harken back to the iconic jeepney’s own history. Even the world’s “PinyaPanopticon” hints at a fully Filipino-owned social media network, as opposed to a Western Facebook or China’s TikTok.
“Nagsimula yung alimechsag sa jeepney phase out. Noong Filipino-American war, ang jeep ay ginamit bilang portable all-terrain para sa armalight. Noong lumipas na yung Filipino-American war ay nire-tool, binago ng mga Pilipino ang anyo ng jeep at ginawa siyang sasakyang pangkabuhayan. Mayroong ingenuity ang mga Pilipino. Yung mga kasangkapan ng mga oppressor ay ginagamit natin para mabuhay at magtagumpay.”
Said Joel Donato Ching Jacob.
“Wayang Alimagnum is special to us because it asks: what if Filipino farmers had the agency and the technology to create the tools they need to do their jobs as efficiently as possible?”
Said Eli Camacho, Product Development Manager at Adarna House.
“The best books are the ones that draw you in and make you see the world through someone else's eyes.”
In this vision of the Philippines, Joel uses this alternate universe to highlight a unique dignity of Filipino farmers. There is a welcome optimism in this view of the Philippines that runs on truly local innovation and envisions how self-reliant our agriculture industry could be.
Advocating Agriculture
Growing up in Cabuyao, Laguna, Joel was exposed to farming. He witnessed how modernization affected the traditional production of garlic in Cabuyao. When he moved to Los Banos and entered high school, he learned more about agriculture science and how much innovation can actually go into farming.
“Namulat ako na hindi trabaho ng mahihirap ang agrikultura. Kailangan natin ng pag-aaral—talino na sana nailalaan din natin sa agrikultura dahil ito ang nagpapakain sa atin.”
Said Joel.
“Malaki ang sympathy ko sa agrikultura kaya napagpasiyahan ko na magsulat tungkol dito.”
Writing about agriculture has always been a part of Joel’s advocacy as a writer, such as with his other novels Wing of the Locust and Orphan Price: A Novel.
He added that he wrote Wayang Alimagnum to serve as an inspiration for readers to see an ideal Philippines as a reality—a well-developed agricultural country built on scientific innovation.
“Ayaw natin magsimula ang kuwento sa panlulumo sa lungkot ng estado ng ating agrikultura. Gumawa ako ng alternatibong Pilipinas na maihahambing sa Pilipinas ngayon, para hangarin ng mambabasa ang maaaring makamit ng isang lipunan na nagpapahalaga sa agrikultura.”
Wayang Alimagnum, Out Now!
Wayang Alimagnum is indeed an inspirational novel that captivates its readers and evokes a desire for a better Philippines—one where the lives of farmers are valued and placed in high regard.
It can be purchased at several National Bookstores across Metro Manila, or online through the links below:
About the Creators
Joel Donato Ching Jacob is a native of Laguna. He grew up moving from Cabuyao to Los Baños before finally settling in Bay, where he currently lives with his dogs and cats. He works as an HIV/AIDS counselor in Calamba. He is a novelist who wrote the Scholastic Asian Book Award-winning novel Wing of the Locust and its sequel, Orphan Price. He was awarded the Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honors) in 2021.
Ian Sta. Maria is the artist and author of Salamangka, and Salamangka 2. The co-creator and artist of Kadasig, Seven Gifts of the Skygods, Sixty-Six, and Skyworld volumes 1 and 2. He is currently based in Denmark where he works as a Senior Concept Artist for one of the world’s most beloved toy companies, LEGO