Promoting a culture of reading while developing the publishing industry in the country.
The second Philippine Book Festival welcomes book lovers of all ages but its doors are also wide open for educators and students in an effort by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) to promote a culture of reading while developing the publishing industry in the country.
“The Philippine Book Festival specifically addresses the issue of access to quality Philippine books. We are bringing thousands of books and readers from all over the country in a single space while providing a revenue stream to the book industry. This encompasses our agency’s long-term plans: improve access for every Filipino reader, democratize distribution, and enable our publishers and authors to keep producing Philippine books,” said NBDB chairperson Dante Francis Ang II.
The four-day Philippine Book Festival (PBF) is designed to give ample time for teachers, librarians, and organizations to research the books they require for their schools. The NBDB and Department of Education (DepEd) are expecting more than 750 book evaluators and procurement officers to scope and evaluate books to purchase for public school libraries and library hubs. Evaluators from all over the country will fly in to source educational books for the students of their regions.
Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP)
“The PBF is a recognition that there should be more Philippine books, more Philippine books in local libraries, more Philippine books for Filipino children. It made room for local publishers, especially indie publishers, to showcase their books to the Deped. That is what makes this book festival different,” said Andrea Pasion-Flores, President, Book Development Association of the Philippines.
“Teachers needed a place to see the books. We don’t see them in the stores. Many of our books are relegated to one Filipiniana section. We needed a space to provide access to everyone, that’s inclusive to everyone. So we set up the PBF with four realms by working with different organizations,” said Charisse Aquino-Tugade, NBDB Executive Director.
From April 25 to 28, visitors are invited to the festival’s popular realms: Kid Lit, a land just for children, Komiks, which puts the spotlight on Pinoy komiks, Booktopia, home to an abundance of fiction and non-fiction titles, and Aral Aklat, which is devoted to textbooks and educational materials. There will be a Creators Lab, Main Stage, and Kids-at-Play that highlight exciting talks, activities, and workshops more specific to the interests of readers and fans of those genres. In addition to the extensive collection of published works and titles from the Philippines, this year's festival offers a diverse range of talks and workshops.
Not just a bookfair, the festival offers visitors to experience and participate in the following events:
"A Day with Gwy Saludes," an exclusive book signing and meet-and-greet session with the author;
Historian and bestselling author Ambeth Ocampo will lead the “Ambeth Without the Overcoat" book signing session;
"Trip to Quiapo" presentation by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts, Ricky Lee;
"Dahling Nick: A Tribute to National Artist Nick Joaquin" will honor the renowned writer;
"Aklat Para Sa Accla: New Trends in Boys Love and Girls Love" forum;
"Comics Can Change the World" with Patti Ramos; and
"Zine-making 101," a workshop on crafting independently-produced "fanzines" led by Komiket's Bunny Luz.
Attendees can also visit and check out:
Rare Book Collection by the National Library of the Philippines with rare manuscripts and facsimiles;
Book Bar, a library of sorts filled with award-winning books;
Cosplay Filipiniana, a cosplay competition allowing fans to portray their beloved Philippine literary characters;
Guhit Pambata, an exhibit highlighting the creations of some of our best children’s book illustrators; and the Tabuan Food Hall, wherein guests can feast in between pages.
The festival will be back from April 25 to 28 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.
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