PHILIPPINES—Seventh-grader Derryn Joi Martirez was recognized as a published iBook author on March 29. Martirez attends the Philadelphia Church of God Albay congregation with her parents, Fred and Noli. Albay is about 250 miles south of Manila.

During Recognition Day at her school, Legaspi Hope Christian School, Derryn received a medal from her school and a plaque from Senco Link Technologies, an Apple reseller in the Philippines. Martirez was one of the 13 pupil authors who had their iBooks published by Apple. Her eight-page work, “Kubiertos at Pluma” (“Utensils and Pen”), is a researched compilation of the favorite foods of Filipino journalists during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.

“I chose that subject because I have always liked ‘Araling Panlipunan’ or Social Studies,” Martirez said. “There were three different topics to choose from, and I picked ‘Mga Paboritong Pagkain ng mga Bayani’ (Favorite Foods of Heroes) because it isn’t a common book.”

Her accomplishment came about as part of their school’s requirement for its students to use iPads in their research, presentation and class assignments for all subjects in order to gradually minimize reliance on textbooks and to institutionalize modern technology. Martirez and her classmates chose their own subjects and used only the software on the Apple tablet to create their iBooks.

Martirez said, “If given a chance, I would like to publish another iBook.”