Aside from thousands of books for sale, also featured are talks, book signings, workshops, puppet shows, storytelling with celebrities, live performances

Words Pocholo Concepcion
April 23, 2024

If knowledge is power, one of the best ways to have a grasp of it is through books. A good chance to widen one’s knowledge is at the 2nd Philippine Book Festival (PBF), which runs from April 25 to 28, 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the World Trade Center in Pasay.

The PBF is open to the public with no entrance fees.

A project of the National Book Development Board Philippines (NBDB), the event gathers publishers, authors, artists, educators, and readers in what is described as “the country’s biggest traveling book festival.”

The four-day celebration showcases the richness of Philippine literature, culture, and the arts, integrating education, entertainment, tourism, and shopping into a single family-friendly event.

Aside from featuring an extensive collection of published works and titles from the Philippines, the PBF has scheduled the following talks and workshops:

“A Day with Gwy Saludes,” with an exclusive book signing and meet-and-greet session with the author; and “Ambeth Without the Overcoat,” with historian and bestselling author Ambeth Ocampo to personally sign his books.

National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee will discuss his book “Trip to Quiapo,” while “Dahling Nick: A Tribute to National Artist Nick Joaquin” will honor one of the country’s best writers. 

Other sessions include “Aklat Para Sa Accla: New Trends in Boys Love and Girls Love,” “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.

‘Rare Book Collection’

This year’s PBF will likewise mark the comeback of the National Library of the Philippines’ “Rare Book Collection,” featuring a new selection of rare manuscripts and facsimiles; the Book Bar, a space full of award-winning books; “Cosplay Filipiniana,” a competition for cosplay enthusiasts to portray Philippine literary characters; and “Guhit Pambata,” an exhibit highlighting the creations of some of country’s best children’s book illustrators. 

The 2024 PBF will also launch the Tabuan Food Hall, where guests can eat in between devouring all the books they can get hold of. 

Popular sections

Back, too, are the popular sections “Kid Lit” for children; “Komiks” which spotlights Pinoy comic books; “Booktopia,” which has an array of fiction and non-fiction titles; and “Aral Aklat,” which is devoted to textbooks and educational materials. 

Other attractions to look forward to are “Creators Lab,” “Main Stage,” and “Kids-at-Play” which consist of talks, activities, and workshops for specific interests of readers and fans, as well as puppet shows, storytelling with celebrities, and live performances.

“This year, we have more authors, and we bring together the best of Philippine books for the entire family,” said NBDB executive director Charisse Aquino-Tugade. “The country needs more reading spaces that encourage conversation, creation, and collaboration. Ang Philippine Book Festival ang nagsisilbing panghikayat ng NBDB sa iba pang mga organisasyon na lumahok at makiisa sa mga programang nagtutulak sa mga Pilipino na magbasa, dahil ang aklat ay para sa lahat.”

The 2nd PBF is part of the NBDB’s program to promote a culture of reading and develop the publishing industry in the Philippines.

“The PBF is a program which, on one hand, celebrates Philippine culture, and on the other hand, encompasses our agency’s long-term plans to improve access for every Filipino reader, democratize distribution, and enable our publishers and authors to keep producing Philippine books,” said NBDB chair Dante Francis Ang II.

For more information and to register for free, log on to www.philippinebookfest.com.