KOMIKS LAND, BOOKTOPIA + MORE: NAVIGATE YOUR WAY THROUGH THE PHILIPPINE BOOK FESTIVAL

(SPOT.ph) Got something planned for the weekend? Well, scratch that and head over to Pasay City because the highly anticipated Philippine Book Festival has finally arrived at the World Trade Center (for free!).

From June 2 to 4, bibliophiles can feast on the stalls of over 140 publishers whose wide range of book offerings are all Filipino-authored. What’s great about the Philippine Book Festival is that it knows who it wants to be. The entire festival is neatly divided into four realms: Kids Lit (children’s literature), Booktopia (fiction and non-fiction), Komiks Land (comics), and Aral Aklat (educational textbooks).

From free entrance to showcasing the talents of lesser known Filipino writers, the Philippine Book Festival is making sure put accessibility at the forefront.

"The Philippines has over 100 million [in] population, with one-fifth of our men and women traversing the world, creating an imprint wherever they go, yet we have a problem. We don’t have access to our own stories. Where are our own books in our own language and in our own context?" National Book Development Board executive director Charisse Aquino-Tugade said in the opening ceremony. "You and I are here to change that."

It’s the largest Filipino book festival to grace the country. The grounds are big, but nothing too overwhelming. Spending one to two hours is enough to explore the entire book festival. Browsing for your newest read should be enjoyable, not tiring!

Also read: Everything You Need to Know About Philippine Book Festival 2023

What to expect at the Philippine Book Festival

Since the four categories are very distinct from one another, we suggest heading right to the one you're interested in first to purchase some books on your to-read list, then feel free to explore later on.

Philippine Book Festival: Komiks Land

Komiks Land is the first category that you will see to your left upon entrance to the venue, while Kids Lit is directly on the right. Komiks Land has Penlab, Kawangis Publishing, Avenida Books, and so many more. Of course, we're just scratching the tip of the iceberg here.

Philippine Book Festival: Kids Lit

In Kids Lit, we have the well-loved Adarna House and Lampara Books. We even found this little table of The Little Prince merchandise at the Tambayang Pambata booth!

Philippine Book Festival: Booktopia

Next to Komiks Land but still on the left side of the venue from the entrance is Booktopia. You’ll find the more popular publishers like Anvil Publishing, Summit Books, OMF Literature, and Milflores Publishing here. 

On the far end of Booktopia near the stage are school publishers from University of the Philippines Press, Ateneo de Manila University Press, UST Publishing House, and FEU Publications, to name a few.

Philippine Book Festival: Aral Aklat

At the opposite side of Booktopia is Aral Aklat. Enter here to find the likes of REX Education, Phoenix Publishing House, Abiva Publishing House, and Vibal Foundation—as in the name, all things educational.

In-between these book lands are 192 events happening simultaneously. From competitive grant programs to sign language lessons to cartoon workshops, there’s a little bit of everything for everyone at this book festival. Like our suggestion earlier, take note of what you're interested in early on. The list of activities can be found on the National Book Development Board - Philippines' Facebook page.

There’s also a special place called the Book Nook where people can sit to browse and read books.

Getting beat from book shopping? There are also a few food and drink stalls at the center of the festival. There’s Coffee+, Koomi, House of Puto Bao, Max’s Corner Bakery, and Raintree Catering to cater to curious brains with hungry stomachs.

To enter the Philippine Book Festival, register at the website to get a QR code. 

The Philippine Book Festival runs from June 2 to 4 at the World Trade Center Manila, Buendia Avenue, Pasay City. For more information, visit the National Book Development Board - Philippines on Facebook.

Also read: Heads Up, Bibliophiles: The Philippines' Largest Book Festival Happens This June

2023-06-02T08:09:02Z dg43tfdfdgfd