Villanueva Collection

Around 270 books, pamphlets and serials, mostly published in the Philippines 1900-1965 but also some items from the USA, Spain and Spanish-speaking countries. Most are in English, but also a small number in Spanish and Tagalog. The focus is on the law, government and resources of the Philippines.

Key items in the collection

The Villanueva Collection consists of about 970 volumes, comprising 206 books and pamphlets and about 70 journal titles. Most of the works were published in the Philippines between 1900 and 1965, but there are also items from the United States, Spain and Spanish-speaking countries. The majority are in English, but there are a small number in Spanish and Tagalag.

The collection was assembled by a lawyer and its main focus is the law, government and resources of the Philippines. There is relatively little on the history of the islands and virtually nothing on literature, the arts or culture generally. Instead, it is strong in annual reports and other government publications, economic and statistical bulletins, presidential and political speeches, geological and soil surveys, and books on law, education and public administration.

Most of the runs of periodicals are incomplete, but nevertheless there are some significant holdings, particularly relating to the US administration of the Philippines in 1901–35 and the Japanese administration in 1941–45. They include:

Bataan (Washington) (1945–54)
Montana: revista decenal de la colonia montanesa (Havana) (1918–24)
Gunsei kōhō - Official Journal of the Japanese Military Administration (Manila) (1942–43)
Philippine Journal of Science (1909–51)
Philippine Review (1952–54)
Philippines Free Press (1946–64)
Razon y fe: revista hispano-americano de cultura (Madrid) (1915, 1946–63)
Revista católica (El Paso) (1930–47)
Rosas y espinas (Valencia) (1919–35)
The Tribune (Manila) (1942–45)
Wikang pambansa (Manila) (1950–52)

Background to the collection

The Villanueva Collection was purchased by the Library in 1969 through the Manila booksellers and publishers MCS Enterprises. The owner was the widow of José M. Villanueva, an attorney of Tabaco, Albay, in the Philippines.

The journals in the Villanueva Collection have been catalogued individually and integrated in the general collection. The books and pamphlets have also been catalogued individually and are kept together within the New Series pool. They are numbered NS 7698–7902.