On Friday, September 11, 2026, at the Manila International Book Fair, the Main Stage of the SMX Convention Center Manila became a gathering place for lawyers, law students, educators, colleagues, friends, and admirers who came together to celebrate a remarkable milestone in the life of Atty. Rodel Dascil.
The occasion, aptly titled “Law, Life and Legacy: A Father-and-Son Conversation on the Legal Profession,” was more than a book launch. It was a celebration of a lifetime devoted to law, public service, scholarship, and mentorship. Atty. Rodel and his son, Atty. Barachiel Dascil, shared reflections on the legal profession and on how knowledge and love for the law can be passed from one generation to another.
The event also marked the launch of Atty. Rodel’s latest works, Introduction to Law and The Customs Modernization & Tariff Act (CMTA): Annotated (RA 10863), published by REX Book Store.
These books could not have been authored by a more qualified person. As Director General of the Senate Tax Study and Research Office, Atty. Rodel has spent decades at the center of the Senate’s technical work on taxation. His expertise goes beyond the classroom or the pages of a textbook. He has been involved in studying tax proposals, analyzing their policy implications, assisting in drafting tax legislation, and providing technical support during legislative deliberations. In other words, he writes about tax law not merely as a scholar, but as a practitioner who has witnessed how laws are conceived, debated, amended, and ultimately enacted.
Having served the Senate since 1996, Atty. Rodel has also reached another remarkable milestone: the launch of his 30th book.
Yet yesterday was about more than credentials and accomplishments. It was about legacy.
It was inspiring to see so many people come to support, congratulate, purchase books, have them signed, and simply celebrate a man whose work has touched generations of lawyers and public servants.
Perhaps the greatest legacy of a lawyer is not the number of cases won or books published, but the knowledge shared, people mentored, and values passed on. But to Attorney Dascil, in particular, it is “to bear a son, to plant a tree, and to write a book.”
Congratulations, Atty. Rodel Dascil. May your books and the example you have set continue to guide generations of lawyers, students, tax practitioners, government officials, and public servants.