During the period of intellectual enlightenment that produced the ilustrado movement in the nineteenth century, the press was a vital medium that enabled Filipinos to discuss the state of the country and bring about political action. Pivotal to this era was the publishing firm Imprenta de Ramirez y Giraudier, founded by noted typographer Don Manuel Ramirez y Carvajal and lithographer-artist Baltasar Giraudier y Ortega. The themes and perspectives covered in the books, pamphlets, and other publications produced over nearly three decades of operation—including the influential periodicals Ilustracion Filipina, the Revista de Filipinas, and the Diario de Manila—laid the groundwork for what would be the modern field of Philippine studies. Dr. Lino L. Dizon establishes the foundational influence of the Imprenta de Ramirez y Giraudier on Philippine intellectual history. He further enriches his narrative by including a comprehensive overview of the history of printing and publishing in the Philippines and an authoritative listing of the firm’s many publications. The visionary editor and writer Jose Felipe Del-Pan stands out among the many eminent figures who worked for the Imprenta, paving the way for the rise of journalism as an engine of social transformation that eventually led to the emergence of the Propaganda Movement and, ultimately, the Philippine Revolution of 1896.

1. Publishers and publishing - Philippines - History. 2. Newspaper publishing - Philippines - History. 3. Philippines - History - 9th century.