This International Women’s Day, March 8, we celebrate not only womanhood but also the scholarly excellence of two remarkable women. Genevieve Balance Kupang writes feature articles and contributes to Pressenza International Press Agency on topics ranging from culture and the arts, mandalas and peace education to indigenous knowledge systems, interreligious dialogue, anti-corruption advocacy and good governance, and the joys and challenges of graduate education, among others. Outside her writing, she serves as Dean of the Graduate School and International Relations Officer of Baguio Central University. She learned that a book she co-authored with Dr. Victoria D. Corral has been named a finalist at the 43rd National Book Awards.
Kupang and Corral’s Religions, Religious Experiences, and Spirituality, published by C&E Publishing, Inc., is a finalist under Best Book in Spirituality and Theology for 2026. It is an honor neither author takes lightly.
The National Book Awards, administered by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) of the Philippines, is the country’s prestigious literary recognition. Being named finalists places their work among the finest publications in the nation. This is no small feat in a field crowded with distinguished Filipino scholars and theologians.
Dr. Victoria D. Corral is a retired theology professor from the University of Santo Tomas. Both she and Kupang are alumnae of De La Salle University, where their formation in religious studies and values education took root. Their collaboration is rooted in a shared intellectual and spiritual vision that has found its way into university classrooms across the Philippines, where the book has been adopted as a general education reference in values formation, spirituality, religion, and theology. It is a quiet but telling measure of its value to students and educators alike.
Front and back cover of Religions, Religious Experiences, and Spirituality by Victoria D. Corral and Genevieve Balance Kupang, published by C&E Publishing, Inc., a 2026 National Book Awards finalist in Spirituality and Theology.
The two authors have also co-authored Introduction to World Religions and Belief Systems, now in the hands of Senior High School students under the HUMSS strand nationwide. Together, their books reflect a writing partnership rooted in shared faith, scholarship, and a genuine desire to serve Filipino learners and beyond.
Both authors express heartfelt gratitude to C&E Publishing, Inc. for believing in their work, and to Mr. Michael Ditchella, Lead Editor, and the C&E editorial team who shaped these manuscripts with care and expertise.
C&E Publishing content developer and editor Michael Ditchella and C&E author Dr. Victoria Corral.
About the Book
What does it mean to search for the sacred?
Religions, Religious Experiences, and Spirituality invites readers into one of humanity’s most enduring journeys — the search for meaning, connection, and transcendence. Drawing from the world’s major faith traditions, this book explores the core beliefs, sacred narratives, and spiritual practices that have shaped human civilization across centuries and cultures.
At its heart, this book examines the transformative power of religious experience — those profound moments of awe, encounter, and understanding that redefine one’s relationship with the divine, with nature, and with others. Through scripture, the voices of influential thinkers, and carefully designed reflective activities, readers are guided not merely to study religion but to encounter it.
Is there a universal truth at the heart of all religions? Can personal experience connect us to the divine?
These are not questions with easy answers. But, they are questions worth asking. Whether through devotion, prayer, or contemplative practice, this book accompanies readers on a journey toward wholeness, self-discovery, and a deeper understanding of what it means to be human.
A foundational text for college students of general education, theology, religious studies, and for anyone who has ever looked beyond the visible world for something more.
This recognition is a reminder of why writing matters. It affirms that words written in faith and scholarship reach further than the writer ever imagines — into classrooms, into lives, and into the ongoing conversation about what it means to be human and to seek the sacred.
Congratulations, Dr. Genevieve Balance Kupang and Dr. Victoria Corral. This one is well deserved.
A moment to remember. A quiet celebration at Athens Tower, Quezon City. Genevieve Balance Kupang poses while co-author Dr. Victoria D. Corral captures this photo after the two wrapped up a discussion on the final enhancements of their book. It is a remembrance of the relief and joy of two authors nearing the finish line together.
