This International Women’s Day, March 8, we celebrate not only womanhood but also the scholarly excellence of remarkable women. Baguio Central University is honored to share that Dr. Genevieve Balance Kupang, Dean of the Graduate School and International Relations Officer, and co-author Dr. Victoria Corral, a retired theology professor from the University of Santo Tomas, are finalists of the 43rd National Book Awards under Best Book in Spirituality and Theology for 2026. Both are alumnae of De La Salle University, where their formation in religious studies and values education was deepened and enriched.
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 most prestigious literary recognition. Being named finalists places Kupang and Corral’s work among the finest publications in the nation, no small feat in a field crowded with distinguished Filipino scholars and theologians.
The book has since found its way into university classrooms across the Philippines, 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.
Kupang and Corral 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.
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 affirms what BCU has always known. Its faculty bring their best to the classroom as well as to the broader intellectual and spiritual life of the nation.
Congratulations, Dr. Genevieve Balance Kupang and Dr. Victoria Corral. This one is well deserved.
Veritas, Equitas, Libertas, Justitia
Baguio Central University — Graduate School Baguio City, Philippines