500 book titles, 400 Philippine creatives guests of honor at 2025 Frankfurt book fair

 

Artist's perspective of the 2,000-square-meter Philippine pavilion at the Frankfurt Book Fair from October 15 to 19, 2025.

Kathleen A. Llemit - Philstar.com

September 14, 2025 | 3:13pm

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippines will be sending a strong 400-plus contigent of authors, artists, creatives, illustrators and publishers who will be bringing 500 titles with them when the country will be participating as the guest-of-honor at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair (Frankfurter Buchmesse). 

The Philippines was named as guest-of-honor at the largest and oldest international publishing event, which has been around for over 500 years. 

The country has been participating at the centuries-old international book fair since 1998 and yearly since 2014, but it will be the first time that the Philippines has been invited as a guest-of-honor. 

As a milestone participant, the Philippine pavilion will occupy a 2,000-square-meter space during the five-day fair, from October 15 to 19, in Frankfurt, Germany. 

The Philippine pavilion features an open communal space with modular rattan and bamboo seating curated by Patrick Flores and designed by Stanley Ruiz. Its translucent walls double as canvas for works by Gary-Ross Pastrana, Mervin Malonzo, and seminal artist David Medalla.

Bookworms and visitors can view 500 Philippine titles, as well as listen, participate and watch in over 100 talks, readings, and performances curated by Karina Bolasco. Themes include urgent global issues, including human rights, democracy, climate change, geopolitics, children’s literature, religion, race, queer stories, and more.

Notable Filipino artists and creatives, such as National Artist Virgilio Almario, will lead the Philippine delegation, which also includes notable names like Maria Ressa, Marjorie Evasco, Maria Paz Luna, Red Constantino, Patricia Evangelista, and the Philippine Madrigal singers. 

Apart from the main pavilion, the Philippines will also be featured on the Philippine Stand, a central hub for business and rights negotiations featuring 52 publishers; the Asia Stage, which hosts hourly B2B talks on the Southeast Asian market; and the Comics Stand. 

The Philippines' guest-of-honor activities at the Frankfurt Book Fair is spearheaded by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA).

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Beauty queen Jessie Zou tells women: Be independent and confident

    

By Robert Requintina

Published Sep 14, 2025 02:17 pm    
  

Former beauty queen Jessie Zou looked back at her amazing reign as Miss Charity International 2024 as she encouraged women to be independent and confident.

"It was really great because I was able to join several charity events here in the Philippines. The events were interesting," said Jessie when asked about her reign during an interview at the launch of the popular Indonesian makeup brand Skintific held at SM North EDSA in Quezon City.

Jessie highlighted that one of the best parts of her reign was participating in charity work in the Philippines and China.

"I established my own charity projects to help poor women and children. I've been doing business in the Philippines, so it's time to give back to society," the Chinese beauty queen said.

Jessie expressed her gratitude for participating in the Miss Charity International pageant, which empowers women.

"The pageant focuses on inspiring society to change for the better. When I joined the pageant, my advocacy was for women's independence. I want them to be independent, just like me, in terms of their career and personal life. And the pageant promotes charity works aside from my own advocacy," she said.

Even if she had passed on her crown, Jessie said that she is still active in charity work.

"I still pursue my advocacy even after my reign. Even if I have passed the crown, I still want to pursue charity work not only in the Philippines but also in China," Jessie said.

She recalled that in China, she helped build a library for poor children in the province.

Jessie also shared her unsolicited advice to women who want to join pageants. "Do whatever they like. No matter who you are and wherever you are, be the best version of yourself."

She added, "As Miss Charity International, I aim to empower women to become independent and confident. They have the right to empower themselves. One way to empower yourself is to wear makeup to boost your confidence and stay beautiful."

Jessie is the first Chinese woman to win Miss Charity International and the first Chinese contestant to secure a global pageant crown in 2024.

Her advocacy for women’s independence has been a key aspect of her campaign. She is well-positioned to leverage her new title to further her mission.

The Philippines holds a special place in her heart, as it was the site of her pageant victory and has become a “home away from home” for her.

Jessie intends to strengthen her connections with both countries by engaging in charitable projects, addressing local needs, and fostering international solidarity.