Featured image courtesy of Central Books.
MANILA, Philippines — With historical foundation and inspiration, all anchored on two of the most exceptional and culturally significant pre-colonial artifacts discovered in the Philippines — the Laguna Copperplate and the Golden Tara of Agusan — Filipino author, corporate leader, and tech entrepreneur Atty. Darwin De Jesus Mariano just unveiled his debut novel, Namwaran and the Golden Tara, an epic historical fantasy spanning centuries of Southeast Asian history.
Ten long years into research and writing, Mariano officially launched the novel at the Manila International Book Fair 2026 on September 12, underscoring the importance of preserving the country’s pre-colonial heritage. In particular, the Laguna Copperplate undergoes evaluation for possible inclusion in the Memory of the World (MoW) Committee for Asia and the Pacific (MOWCAP) Regional Register, with results expected in November.
The author with his first novel at the Manila International Book Fair. Image courtesy of Central Books.
Dating as far back as April 21st 900 CE, the Laguna Copperplate serves as the earliest known historical document of the Philippines, offering a glimpse of the country’s deep connection with Southeast Asia before the Spanish colonization. It is among the documentary heritage submissions put forward by UNACOM MoW Technical Secretariat for the 2026 Cycle of the MOWCAP Regional Register alongside the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group Audiovisual Archive and Baybayin Documents in the Archivo de la Universidad de Santo Tomas.
On the other hand, the Golden Tara of Agusan, another key inspiration for the novel, is a 21-karat gold statue from the 9th-10th century discovered in 1917 along the banks of the Wawa River in Esperanza, Agusan del Sur. It is currently housed at the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago, United States of America.
Namwaran and the Golden Tara at the Manila International Book Fair. Image courtesy of Central Books.
These pieces of heritage come to life in the world of Namwaran and the Golden Tara, which trails the tales of three siblings — Namwaran, Angkatan, and Bukah — all named in the Laguna Copperplate and whose lives change after their mother, Pandi, disappears and the priceless golden statue is stolen.
Given three black-stone amulets that grant long life, the siblings embark on a centuries-long journey across the Srivijaya and Majapahit Empires and into the Spanish arrival in Luzon, following the trail of the Golden Tara and searching for their mother. Through its centuries-spanning story, the novel explores family, grief, identity, survival and the cost of living far beyond one’s own time.
Set across the Philippines and Southeast Asia, the novel also brings together creative voices from across the region, with art and illustrations by Filipino comic book artist Miko Pica, cover art coloring by Indonesian colorist Fauzi Nugraha, and a custom typeface by Singaporean artist John Poh.
Atty. Mariano delivering an excerpt of Namwaran and the Golden Tara. Image courtesy of Central Books.
For Mariano, the book is borne from a decade-long effort to build a Filipino historical fantasy rooted in the region’s past while telling a deeply personal story of family and loss.
His years of working across technology (as the founder of Ticket2Me), entrepreneurship, public policy, government affairs (as a current UNACOM Commissioner), and the creative industry have all found their way into Namwaran and the Golden Tara.
His background in Psychology, Law, and Science Communication, along with his experience working across the Asia-Pacific, to him, gives a unique perspective in bringing together the research, history, and human stories that shaped the release of his first-ever novel.
The centuries-spanning story of family, survival and Philippine heritage with Namwaran and the Golden Tara, is now available at CentralBooks, nationwide.
To order and for more information, visit the CentralBooks website.
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