Philippine Book Festival Continues to Subvert Book Fair Expectations

The Philippine Book Festival, hosted by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), was unlike anything we expected. To preface, we’ve been to several book fairs in the past: Manila International Book Fair (MIBF), Big Bad Wolf (BBW), etc. But we wouldn’t exactly go so far as to say that we’re book fair connoisseurs. Still, when you think book fair, you expect rows upon rows of booths whose walls are covered in shelves from floor to (booth) ceiling, or a sea of tables stacked with towers of books almost precariously balanced, looking like a city skyline when viewed at an angle.

This year, we went to the Philippine Book Festival expecting exactly that – and got the exact opposite. Upon entering, we were greeted by armed guards: Guardia Civil, to be precise. And no, we kid you not. Decked in their costumes – our apologies, uniforms *wink wink* – these guards were protecting legitimate literary treasures at the booth of the National Library of the Philippines.

Securely inside a glass enclosure, there were facsimiles of Jose Rizal’s “Noli Me Tangere” and “El Filibusterismo,” plus original manuscripts of Rizal’s version of the Brothers Grimm’s “The Two Brothers.” Widely recognized as the Father of Philippine Comics or Komiks, Rizal also illustrated the fable, “The Tortoise and the Monkey,” and the original manuscript was also on display for guests to look at.

All of this, before even seeing the rest of the venue, and it was a good sign that the rest of the festival was not going to be your typical book fair. And spoiler alert: it wasn’t (and we loved it)!

Moving on, we walked down a long hallway of tall panels that hid the rest of the venue. But the suspense made the reveal all the more exciting and the Philippine Book Festival did not disappoint. With bright colors, lively design, and fresh patterns, the venue was like stepping into a mix of Alice in Wonderland and Dr. Seuss novels.

Divided into four sections, guests were encouraged to visit “Booktopia” for your fiction and non-fiction novels, “Komiks” for comic and illustrations booths (see: cat stickers, which are endlessly adorable, and yes, we will die on this hill), “Kid Lit” for age-appropriate reading for the little ones, and “Aral Aklat” for academic publications.

Aside from the books – we know what you’re thinking: “What do you mean aside from when it’s a book fair?” – but yes, the reason why this is called a festival is because it’s more than just selling books, comics, illustrations, merchandise, and the like. It’s a celebration, a fiesta with everything happening everywhere all at once. Hence their tagline: “It’s not just a book fair, it’s a book experience.” Attendees were treated to cultural presentations, panel discussions, book signing, author talks, storytelling, workshops, live drawing, and games, and in the midst of it all, they were even able to grab authentic Palestinian food made by refugees.

If you had the stamina to experience them all during the entire four-day festival, then you will have undoubtedly made the most out of that free entrance ticket! It may have been a lot to digest, but the space was well-designed to manage everyone’s fluctuating energy levels. There were numerous tables and chairs and colorful benches to rest and participate in the talks and discussions in the Main Stage or the Creator’s Lab, listen to stories in the Kid Lit area, or simply dine in the Tabuan Food Halls.

Still, strolling around the festival for several hours was enough to be reeled into the world of Philippine literature. Within minutes, we were already knee-deep in a conversation with Marie Silva Vallejo who spent a decade writing “Dauntless,” the untold story of Filipino infantries who went on top-secret missions in World War II. The book, thick and heavy as you would expect, is a labor of love that came from wanting to know what her late father did in the war.

Soon after, we spoke to Virgilio Leynes whose book, “The Filipino Tragedy and Other Historical Facts Every Filipino Should Know,” aims to enlighten people about the Philippine Revolution. He laments how our history books often distort the truth behind our nation’s war heroes, glamorized or villainized or made to appear larger than life.

Beyond history, however, there were also numerous Filipino authors who have released fiction, fantasy, or adventure novels that incorporate our culture. Radio personality-cum-author C.J. Edmunds (or Caz Copengco) shared his series: Tales from the Dark District. The prequel, Sojourn, is about a half-Filipino call center trainer whose life took a turn for the supernatural.

In a completely different universe, Jane Vergara’s Breaking the Scroll series is a Young Adult story about Kino Amark who wants to be one of the Citizens. There’s a catch, though, he doesn’t have any special ability — and it’s a requirement to belong in the mythical and magical place called Akea.

Then there’s the mix of the two: supernatural, but based on cultural realities. The Awakening by Kadi Serafica is about a ragtag group, composed of an esperitista (spiritualist), an orphan mind-reader, and a child, who is trying to save the world from the rage of ancient Filipino gods who are threatening to bring out the dark world.

On the other end, there’s reality — the type that seems unreal and unnatural. Unfortunately, it’s every bit as real as you and me. In Kat Martin’s At Home With Crazy, Cayt is a high-school teenager who struggles to keep her school life and family life separate. Living with someone who has a mental illness is not simple, add in the typical teenage anxieties and you have a story that’s familiar to many.

And this is just the tip of the iceberg. Quite literally, this is merely one section of the book festival. Throughout the day, countless stories and experiences were shared between authors and eager visitors. Merchandise was bought, especially in the Komiks section where illustrators and comic artists gathered. Aside from the comic books, there were plushies, stickers, paintings, stickers, keychains, and more. Oh, did we mention stickers?

Beyond merch, there’s another thrill that never goes away: meeting an author or comic artist that you idolize. Inconspicuously tucked away in his booth was legendary comic artist Pol Medina Jr. who eagerly signed the Pugad Baboy books bought by fans. His energy made it nearly impossible to believe this was the same man who’s been writing the iconic comic series for nearly four decades (Pugad Baboy’s first comic strip was published in the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 1988).

And there are the newer comic artists whose works are now popular through social media: Tarantadong Kalbo by Kevin Eric Raymundo whose comic work tackles social issues with a humorous take and Sskait by AJ Bacar whose viral comic series, “Multo Serye” has gained him loyal followers — over 700,000 followers, as of writing — that eagerly await what happens to 7/11 employee, Evelyn, and a ghost, Oliver.

All in all, we regret having spent only a day exploring the book festival. As we left, more people continued to file into the venue, eager to give in to the budol and buy tons of books, comics, merch, and more. Both the main stage and the smaller stages were full of people: Historian Ambeth Ocampo was talking about “Rizal Without the Overcoat,” while Tepai Pascual revealed the 3rd volume of her “Duty Ka Ba?” comic series. Outside, there was a cultural presentation by dancers from Lanao Del Sur.

Trust us, it was difficult to tear ourselves away from the World Trade Center. Bags in hand, we left the venue in good spirits, hopeful that the Philippine book industry is alive and well.