Readers, creators and attendees are thrilled in attending and to celebrate with the Philippine International Comics Festival (PICOF) 2025 from July 5 – 6, 2025 at SM Megamall Megatrade Hall 2, Mandaluyong City.
Sixteen (16) Things You Can Do at PICOF 2025
Support over 200 indie comics creators launching over 100 new komiks!
Check out the exhibits (Mars Ravelo: Tales from the Magic Makinilya; Enter the Mulberry Tree and Fly Free; Country of Highlight; PALESTINE & PICOF Official Selection).
3. Learn from comics professionals from the Philippines and around the world at the comic masterclasses!
4. Watch “Komiks With a K” by documentary film director/producer Jay Ignacio, National Book Award Winning Author For “Alandal.”
5. Early birds get a FREE copy of the TUWA Comics anthology!
6. Get your caricatures made at the Caricature Corner of the Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas!
7. Watch Komiks in the making at the Panels for Palestine live drawing corner!
9. Read your komiks haul at the lounge area of NBDB’s Book Bar!
10. Discover comics from other countries with the international delegates!
11. Learn the lost of art style of Filipino komiks at HAGOD: The Filipino School of Brush Illustrations for Komiks by Randy Valiente!
12. Share the love for komiks by taking a photo of your #picofhaul at the photo booth!
13. Get a limited edition KOMET art toy in the KOMET corner!
14. Support Palestine! This year’s Country of Highlight is PALESTINE!
15. Learn from ‘Itaewon Class’ creator Gwang Jin in his masterclass INK & INDUSTRY: Korean Webtoons and the Industry Landscape!
16. Festival Programming
What to look out for:
COMICS MARKET–support over 200 Filipino comics creators and publishers and international guests releasing over 100 new komiks!
COMICS EXHIBITS–a tribute to Filipino komiks master Mars Ravelo, the country of highlight, Palestine, and the PICOF Official Selection!
COMICS MASTERCLASSES–the Cartooning Workshop with Samahang Kartunista ng Pilipinas, the Live Drawing session, “Komiks With a K” film screening and workshops with our international guests!
FESTIVAL PROGRAMMING–on the stage we have Artist Battles, Panel by Panel Comics Readings, a Komiks Trivia Night–and much more surprises
NBDB BOOK BAR–take a break and lounge in NBDB’s book bar, and take a photo of your #picofhaul at the photobooth
There’s so much more to love at #picof2025. The PICOF 2025 TEAM are glad to have the diverse attendees to celebrate Filipino komiks amongst others of Festival of Delight!
MARAWI CITY, LANAO DEL SUR – The National Book Development Board (NBDB), in partnership with Aklat Alamid, will host the first-ever Marawi Children’s Book Fest on June 27-29, 2025 at the Mindanao State University’s main campus.
The event aims to equip authors, illustrators, and publishers with the necessary skills and knowledge in producing children’s books, while highlighting Meranaw culture and traditions.
“There should be available quality and accessible Maranao books that represent who they are and the way they live. In the 2023 National Readership Survey results, there was a notable decline in reading non-school books, which was at 43% for children. Access to books emerged as the primary reason for the decline, with limited awareness of public libraries and constraints in time and distance,” said NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade.
She added, “NBDB’s grant supports publishing stakeholders in enhancing their skills and knowledge through professional development events such as the Marawi Children’s Book Fest. We encourage other organizations to initiate events such as this.”
In a list compiled by Aklat Alamid, only around 20 children’s books from different regions in the country feature Muslim stories from 1990 to 2012 but were mostly authored by non-Muslim Filipinos. The next year, 2013, marked a new milestone as the number of titles featuring Muslim stories increased to more than 100 titles by 2023. With the implementation of Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education starting in the 2012-2013 school year, different mother tongues, including those spoken by Muslim Filipinos, were used in reading materials for early-grade level students.
“The seminar-workshop aims to orient the participants on the importance of books for Meranaw children and to guide the preselected authors and illustrators in the process of developing the picture books,” said M.J. Cagumbay Tumamac, popularly known as Xi Zuq to his readers, who is also the co-founder and administrative head of Aklat Alamid.
He added, “As part of a larger project, [we aim] to develop four picture books on Meranaw culture, created by Meranaw authors and illustrators, written in the Meranaw language, and for Meranaw readers.”
The festival takes on deeper significance in the context of post-siege Marawi, where the 2017 conflict left physical and emotional scars on the community. In the years since, educators, parents, and cultural advocates have underscored the role of storytelling in rebuilding Maranao identity and heritage, as well as promoting healing and fostering peace.
One of the main events at the workshop is a panel discussion titled Stories of Hope: Meranaw Voices from Marawi, which will present peacebuilding efforts in the community and share tools for education and empowerment with the participants.
Meanwhile, there will also be an expressive, interactive, and visual storytelling session on two culturally rich children’s books, Si Jalal Ago So Ranaw and Ranao Monster. These stories are rooted in Meranaw culture and the natural beauty of Lake Lanao, the largest lake in Mindanao.
The three-day event will also include discussions and workshops on the importance of Meranaw children’s books, Maranao orthography, children’s books illustration, and bibliotherapy. In a hybrid format, the book fest is expected to gather 150 participants including students, parents, teachers, authors, publishers, and novice illustrators. The speakers and facilitators are from the MSU-Main Campus, the City Schools Division of Marawi, Teach Peace Build Peace Movement Inc., and Aklat Alamid.
The event is in partnership with the university’s Meranaw Cultural Heritage Center, the City Schools Division of Marawi, and the Division of Lanao del Sur 1 under the Ministry of Basic, Higher, and Technical Education of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
With the Marawi Children’s Book Fest, the NBDB and Aklat Alamid are working together to reclaim narrative spaces for a community whose stories deserve to be read, heard, and cherished.
What a fiesta! Over 40,000 visitors captivated this year’s Philippine Book Festival (PBF) and energized the 4-day event at the Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City. PBF 2025 was held recently and was powered by the National Book Development Board (NBDB).
Rex Education the leading book publisher and education solutions provider in the Philippines, participated joyfully and showcased its latest titles by Filipino authors, including Filipiniana titles. REX’s main booth unveiled academic titles from basic, college, and law education, with every offering thoughtfully developed by various experts in the field.
NBDB aptly chose the fiesta theme to make the event merry and fun-filled. Some of the country’s most famous celebrations, such as the Dinagyang Festival, were highlighted during the occasion. In keeping with the festive and celebratory mood, REX offered exclusive deals and big discounts and joined in the fun with exciting games and prizes.
Moreover, REX held a stamp-collecting activity at its Lakbay Aklat booth to give guests an immersive experience. Those who completed the activity received prizes. Additionally, REX organized a Scavenger Hunt where the participants learned more about the company’s offerings while also exploring the event in a fun, engaging way. Those who joined the Scavenger Hunt also received prizes and tokens or REX keepsakes.
What’s more, REX also brought out its Photoman to give guests and learners alike unique photo opportunities to celebrate their learning journey at PBF 2025. This was a great way to capture the event, preserved in a photograph. All these activities and more were a hit with PBF patrons.
REX’s booths demonstrate the company’s commitment to authors, learners, and all book lovers, providing quality Filipino-made books, learning materials, and a dynamic platform for educators and publishing professionals. This year’s PBF, with its fiesta theme, striking and vibrant visuals, and interactive aspects, truly appealed to young children and the young-at-heart. It was a fusion of engaging, experience-based settings with entertainment, education, and shopping convenience.
The Philippine Book Festival 2025, through NBDB, was also an excellent opportunity for the Department of Education (DepEd) and the country’s publishers to connect and strengthen year-long relationships, just as REX and DepEd did during the event. This collaboration enabled DepEd to make large-scale institutional purchases of various learning materials at competitive prices, with the goal of promoting the love of reading to Filipinos and help resolve issues of access and literacy.
As NBDB and DepEd continue the ever-evolving and challenging task of uplifting education in the Philippines through fairs such as the Philippine Book Festival 2025, rest assured that Rex Education will remain a steadfast ally and will provide support in every way possible.
MANILA, PHILIPPINES – To address the nation’s reading crisis, the National Book Development Board (NBDB), through its Readership Development Division (READ), has organized the Readers Rising! Hackathon, where the youth are invited to pitch their ideas on how to help solve this big problem on readership: How do we rekindle a love of reading for young Filipino adults?
Recent findings from the Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) conducted by the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA) in 2024 highlight the urgency of addressing this crisis. The survey showed alarming gaps in literacy rates, especially among young Filipinos.
This hackathon aims to bring fresh, innovative ideas to the table, empowering the Filipino youth to contribute solutions that can help overcome this pressing issue.
The best part is, the winning idea that can help end the reading crisis can earn PHP 60,000 for the creative thinker.
This unique event, which involves both online and onsite meetups, is open to Filipino citizens, aged 18-25, who are currently university students or young professionals in various fields such as advocacy, policy, information technology, marketing, business, management, community development, social work, communication, social sciences, and humanities.
Together, they will be challenged to come up with their most unique and innovative ideas and novel solutions that will impact the nation’s reading communities to adopt more positive reading behaviors and help develop a stronger reading culture in the Philippines.
This year’s hackathon will be guided by a group of mentor-judges, each a leader in fields like advocacy, technology, communications, and education. Their expertise will be key in evaluating proposals and presentations, which will be assessed based on the following criteria:
Thematic Relevance (30%)
The idea clearly addresses the identified problem and caters to the developmental needs of the target audience.
Innovation (30%)
The idea is original, innovative, and creative. It offers a novel approach to solving the problem and is supported by strong research.
Feasibility and Sustainability (25%)
The project can be realistically implemented and takes into account economic, environmental, and social factors for long-term impact.
Presentation (15%) The pitch is clear, easy to follow, and effectively gets the message across in an engaging way.
The winning idea that will come out of the Readers Rising! Hackathon stands to take home PHP 60,000 as the major prize, with PHP 30,000 as minor prizes. Special prizes worth PHP 10,000 will be awarded as well.
Best of all, registration for the Readers Rising! Hackathon is absolutely FREE! Interested participants can learn more and apply through the official form. Submissions will be judged on how well they align with the hackathon’s mission, as well as their creativity and practicality.
Don’t let this opportunity pass; join us and be part of something that makes a real-world impact!
The press release is published by NBDB on May 23, 2025.
The National Book Development Board (NBDB) is the book authority of the Philippines. The agency is at the forefront of developing the Philippine publishing industry and safeguarding the country’s vibrant culture of authorship and reading. To learn more, visit our social media pages (@nbdbphilippines).
BOLOGNA, ITALY – Following a successful debut participation at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair (BCBF) in 2024, the Philippines is set to return to the world’s foremost event for children’s books, which will take place from March 31 to April 3, 2025, at the BolognaFiere Exhibition Centre in Italy. The country’s participation will be led by the National Book Development Board (NBDB), with support from the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) and the International Board on Books for Young People Philippines (IBBY PH).
Last year marked several milestones for the Philippine book publishing industry. Before its successful presentation at the Frankfurt Book Fair in October, the Philippines made waves in the book world with its children’s book sector being selected as the Country of Focus at the Asian Festival of Children’s Content in Singapore. This set the stage for the Philippines’ debut at the BCBF, where the country showcased over 100 children’s books in a dedicated stand. For 2025, the Philippines is poised to build on last year’s success with an even more robust presence. The delegation will be represented by a talented group of children’s book professionals, including illustrator Fran Alvarez (Dancing Hands: A Story of Friendship in Filipino Sign Language), authors Faye Villanueva-Chelabian (co-founder of Kawangis Publishing), Liwliwa Malabed (Sampung Eroplano), Ergoe Tinio (Editor-in-Chief of Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development), and MJ Tumamac (co-founder of Aklat Alamid), alongside Eli Camacho (Product Development Manager at Adarna House), Sophia Garduce (Southern Voices Printing Press), and Isa Songco (co-founder ofKwentoon).
“This is another win for our children’s book sector, which is an enduring and vital part of our book industry. If our participation at the BCBF last year was an introduction to our children’s books, this year, we’re expanding our participation with a larger book curation focused on themes that represent the true nature of Philippine children’s stories: progressive, endlessly curious, and consider children as smart, imaginative readers with a great sense of agency,” said NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade.
This year’s curation will feature 120 titles that explore a variety of themes, including Philippine culture, diversity, environmental awareness, and sense of self and community. This selection of early readers, middle grade, and young adult books features both old and new voices in the Philippine children’s book sector, highlighting the authors and illustrators behind one of the country’s most widely read and translated genres.
Additionally, the Philippines will host a range of activities, including an art workshop for children, which will take place at the Philippine Embassy in Rome on March 29, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. The event will feature two sessions: Mom’s Best Playdough Activities focusing on Philippine national symbols, and an art workshop by Liza Flores of Ang INK (Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan), encouraging young participants to explore their creativity while learning about Filipino culture. On April 1, 2025, from 4:00 PM to 6:00 PM, the Philippine Collective Stand will host a reception, welcoming Ambassador Nathaniel G. Imperial and Consul General Elmer G. Cato, along with other representatives from the Philippine Embassy in Rome and the Philippine Consulate in Milan.
In addition to these, the Philippines is supporting a special Happy Hour event called Drink & Draw with the Philippines, organized by German Stories and the Frankfurter Buchmesse. This gathering will take place on April 1, 2025, at 5:00 PM in Hall 30, B24-C11.
Since 1964, the Bologna Children’s Book Fair has been the industry-leading fair where professionals working in children’s content from all over the world meet for networking, rights selling, and other opportunities for cross-media adaptation, as well as expand their knowledge in the art of creating children’s books through fora, workshops, exhibits, talks, and other activities. Over 25,000 visitors attend the BCBF every year.
This year, the BCBF will feature 1,500 exhibitors from approximately 90 countries and regions around the world. The Philippine country stand will be located at Hall 29, B24-C23.
Divine Reyes-Caraecle, Chief of Communications & Promotions
091713963394
news@books.gov.ph
About the National Book Development Board
The National Book Development Board (NBDB) is the book authority of the Philippines. The agency is at the forefront of developing the Philippine publishing industry and safeguarding the country’s vibrant culture of authorship and reading. To learn more, visit our social media pages (@nbdphilippines).
The Philippine Book Festival (PBF), the country’s largest all-Filipino book festival, is back—this time at the Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City, from March 13-16, 2025.
The free four-day festival by the National Book Development Board (NBDB) puts Philippine books at the center of a fiesta brimming with events, performances, and meet-and-greet sessions with authors.
A Fiesta of Filipino Culture through Literature
The PBF 2025 promises to be more festive, putting the spotlight on the country’s famous festivals, each one designed by some of the best Filipino artists working today.
The first is the glorious Dinagyang Festival for Kid Lit (the PBF’s section dedicated to children’s literature), designed by Juno Abreu, and the Komiks realm inspired by the famous Tuna festival in General Santos City, with design by illustrator and painter Paul Eric Roca. Aral Aklat, the section dedicated to textbooks, draws inspiration from the colorful Pahiyas Festival in Quezon courtesy of Joffrey “Pepot” Atienza, himself a native of the province, and finally, Panagbënga or the Baguio Flower Festival for Booktopia (the section for fiction, nonfiction, and poetry), with design by Danielle Florendo.
A design highlight is the Pakyawan Plaza, the festival’s centerpiece which has become a crowd favorite. The intricately designed Pahiyas Festival-themed activation space features a large bahay kubo, inside which fairgoers can browse collections of children’s books.
A New Location for a More Accessible Experience
The festive atmosphere is made all the more exciting as the PBF 2025 moves to a new venue—at the Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall. The NBDB believes this fresh location has brought new energy to the festival and can draw an even larger audience.
For one, the new PBF site is strategically located in a mall at the heart of Metro Manila, making it easily accessible. Visitors can reach it via the Metro Rail Transit (MRT) 3 and the EDSA Busway, providing convenient transport for those coming from surrounding areas like Caloocan City, Quezon City, Makati City, Taguig City, and even from those on the eastern side such as Cainta, Taytay, and the cities of Antipolo, Pasig, and of course, Mandaluyong.
“The decision to move the PBF to a different and smaller venue is definitely a bold one. We hope to offset that with the venue’s accessibility and generate higher foot traffic, as well as provide convenience for more visitors from other areas,” explained NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade.
Strides Toward Addressing Systemic Gaps
Led by Aquino-Tugade and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, the PBF has achieved a groundbreaking milestone—procuring over PHP 925 million worth of Philippine trade books and textbooks.
Through the PBF, the NBDB, an attached agency of the DepEd, provides space for DepEd’s regional and district offices to purchase quality books and engage with fellow educators and professionals from the book publishing industry. The large-scale institutional purchase by DepEd addresses the issues of access and readership, bringing books to thousands of readers all over the Philippines.
“The PBF is our love letter to Philippine books—its creators and its readers, and the many stories they have told about our people. It’s also our response to our country’s reading crisis, which is largely a problem of access. The PBF creates that marketplace for quality Filipino titles, and serves as a bridge between those books and readers across the country,” Aquino-Tugade said.
“We have a large role to play in not just growing the book industry but in shaping the environments that make reading possible for all sectors of the population. The NBDB and its partners will continue to work against lack of access by saturating the market and our schools with quality Philippine-authored and published books,” Aquino-Tugade concluded.
For media inquiries, please contact: Divine Reyes-Caraecle, Chief of Communications & Promotions 09171396394 news@books.gov.ph
About the National Book Development Board
The National Book Development Board (NBDB) is the book authority of the Philippines. The agency is at the forefront of developing the Philippine publishing industry and safeguarding the country’s vibrant culture of authorship and reading. To learn more, visit our social media pages (@nbdbphilippines).
PRESS RELEASE National Book Development Board March 2025
Join the Philippine Book Festival (PBF) 2025: Bigger, Better & New Location.
MAKATI, PHILIPPINES – The Philippine Book Festival (PBF), the country’s biggest all-Filipino book festival is back – this time in a new location that is accessible to many. This year’s PBF will be happening at the Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall, Mandaluyong, City, from March 13 – 16, 2025.
Registration is FREE for the four-day book festival, organized by the National Book Development Board (NBDB). Every year, this project puts Philippine Books at the center if a fiesta brimming with events, performances, and meet-and-greet sessions with your favorite authors.
“In just over a month, we are bringing back the Philippine Book Festival. Now in its third year, the PBF started in 2023 as an attempt to create the largest marketplace for Philippine books that the country has yet to see. Now, it has become an important annual gathering for families, educators, creatives, and avid readers – all in the name of Philippine books.” said Charisse Aquino – Tugade, NBDB Executive Director.
The PBF’s third edition promises to be more exciting, putting the spotlight on the country’s famnous festivals, each one designed by some of the best and brightest Filipino artists working today.
THE CREATIVE MINDS BEHIND THE PBF 2025 REALMS. NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade with National Artist and Scriptwriter Ricky Lee together with the artists of PBF 2025 Realms, Paul Eric Roca, Danielle Florendo, Joffrey “Pepot”Atienza and Juno Abreau.
The first is the glorious Dinagyang Festival for Kid Lit (the PBF’s section dedicated to children’s literature), designed by Juno Abreau, and the Komiks realm inspired by the famous Tuna Festival in General Santos City, with design by illustrator and painter Paul Eric Roca. Aral Aklat, the section dedicated to text \books, draws inspiration from the colorful Pahiyas Festival in Quezon courtesy of Joffrey “Pepot” Atienza, himself a native of the province, and finally, Panagbenga or the Baguio Flower Festival for Booktopia (the section for fiction, non-fiction and poetry), with design by Danielle Florendo.
The festive atmosphere is made all the more exciting as the PBF 2025 moves to a new venue – at the Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall. The NBDB believes this fresh location will bring new energy to the festival and draw and even larger audience.
“The decision to move the PBF to a different and smaller venue is definitely a bold one. We hope to offset that with the venue’s accessibility and generate higher foot traffic, as well as provide convenience for more visitors from other areas” shared Tugade.
The PBF is the largest all-Filipino book fair in the country and is one of the NBDB’s flagship programs. NBDB, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this June has amped its readership efforts in the past four years, shifting to solutions-based programming to improve trade and distribution. Concerned with the lack of quality Philippine-authored books in libraries and bookstores across the country, Aguino-Tugade spearheaded the PBF in 2023, a retail activation space that celebrates Philippine books while bringing in revenue for publishing professionals.
The fair also showcases the creme dela creme of Philippine literature, culture, and content – all situated in an engaging, experienced-based setting that fuses entertainment, education, and learning. Positioning PBF as a favorite pastime (reading) among Filipinos, all for a good cause.
Frankfurt (Main), Germany (Press Release, October 17, 2024) – The Philippines will step into a central role at the 2025 Frankfurter Buchmesse (FBM) as the Guest of Honour (GoH). During today’s press conference, curators Patrick D. Flores and Karina A. Bolasco as well as representatives of the organizing Philippine agencies – Dante Francis Ang II, Chair of the National Book Development Board (NBDB), Eric B. Zerrudo, Executive Director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), and H.E. Irene Susan B. Natividad, Ambassador of the Philippine Embassy to Germany – revealed the visual identity and full theme, providing a sneak peek at the 2025 Guest of Honour presentation. Furthermore, two members of the authors’ delegation, the transfeminine thinker and artist Jaya Jacobo and Ferdinand Benedict „Budjette“ Tan, creator of the Trese Comics, gave an insight into their work.
As a culturally diverse nation of 7,641 islands, the Philippines will highlight the strength of this diversity by featuring national artists, indigenous traditions, global perspectives, and a tribute to national hero Jose Rizal. Inspired by a line from Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, the country’s theme The Imagination peoples the air encapsulates the profound intersection of Philippine literature, vibrant culture, and rich history. It invites the global audience to experience the nation’s literary heart.
“The keywords imagination, people, and air allude to the elements of the writing and reading context: the producers and receivers of texts; the talent of the idiosyncratic individual who reads and writes; and the community gathered by the air emanating from and animating books,” said Patrick Flores, curator of the Philippine Pavilion. Literature in the Philippines is more than storytelling; it is a social practice that connects readers to global ideas and future aspirations. Philippine narratives span genres and mediums, offering a unique perspective on history, culture, and contemporary realities. “The Guest of Honour Pavilion will be the space, the climate for sharing: democratic, deliberative, daring, convivial, peopled by imagination, prompted to action by struggle and dream,” Flores added.
The visual identity, Flores introduced, also follows the theme: The imagination peoples the air while conveying the act of ‘imagining’ as a graphic and geometric abstraction brought to life. The main logo visualizes this process by an ascending grid lifting in the air, recalling the collective aspirations of the nation. The color scheme reflects Rizal’s descriptions of vivid tones of gold, blue, red and green in the settings and characters of his book. The typefaces refer to letters used in the first printing of Noli around 1890. Finally, the visual design also includes glyphs, inspired by the baybayin script, an ancient writing system, used by early Filipinos before the Spanish colonization. They represent characters or objects playing a central role in Noli.
Karina A. Bolasco, Head of the Literary Program, emphasized the unique offerings the Philippine Pavilion will feature: “The 2025 Philippine Pavilion will be a showcase of our literary development focusing on pioneering, unique works that represent significant aspects of Filipino culture. Collaborating with experts and stakeholders, the delegation aims to highlight titles that not only delve into Filipino heritage but also appeal to international markets interested in diverse stories.”
The expansive Philippine program at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2024, Bolasco introduced, will already provide initial insights into the ambitious plans of the GoH team, presenting more than 70 publishers, authors, and creatives taking part in various stages in the fair. Moreover, 700 titles will grace the Philippine stand and various sections of FBM including for genres such as graphic novel, children’s literature, new adult, and education. A key event of the 2024 FBM will be the formal handover of the Guest Scroll from Italy to the Philippines in a ceremony at the Italian Pavilion. Additionally, the Philippines will extend its cultural programming through a dynamic four-day launching program titled In the air that will be held in Heidelberg and Wilhelmsfeld where Jose Rizal wrote his Noli Me Tangere in the 1880s.
In 2025, the Philippines will double the numbers of representatives and books to take up space in the 2,000 square-meter pavilion creating a hub for dialogue and inspiration. Moving beyond traditional marketing, the Philippines’ participation seeks to engage with readers, writers, and publishers through a creative exchange: Panels, lectures, and interactive exhibits will explore the role of literature as a catalyst for social change, bridging historical and contemporary realities. The Philippines is working with German institutions to launch a comprehensive cultural program, focusing on Philippine perspectives on global issues and offering a space where past, present, and future come together in a dynamic exchange.
As the world gathers at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2025, the Philippines promises an inspiring vision of literary and cultural exchange. The Philippine Pavilion will be a nexus of ideas, cultures, and history and a vibrant highlight of the fair, where stories come alive, and The imagination peoples the air.
Juergen Boos, Director of Frankfurter Buchmesse, said: “I am very excited about the Philippines’ Guest of Honour presentation in 2025. The motto The imagination peoples the air resonates with the universality of storytelling. Even though the Philippines is the world’s thirteenth largest nation with more than 109 million citizens, I believe for many of us in Europe, Philippine literature is currently still rather unknown territory. As the country steps into its role as Guest of Honour, we will learn a lot about the importance of storytelling and today’s cultural scene for Philippine civil society. With an incredible 183 different languages spoken on its 7,641 islands, the country’s diverse influences are one of the aspects I am looking forward to seeing in Frankfurt in 2025.”
The Philippines as GoH at the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025 is an achievement made possible through the joint efforts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Book Development Board (NBDB), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda.
The journey to becoming the Guest of Honour has been a remarkable one. The Philippines made its debut at the Frankfurt Book Fair in 1998, presenting 302 titles from 45 publishers. After a brief hiatus, the country made a powerful return in 2015, driven by the unwavering support of Hon. Senator Loren Legarda, further cementing its status on the global literary stage. In 2023, the Philippines was officially confirmed as the Guest of Honour for 2025, a landmark moment in its cultural narrative.
“This is a moment of immense national pride,” Senator Loren Legarda, the project’s main supporter, remarked. “With the Philippine government support, we see the country being celebrated at the world’s largest book fair as a testament to the relentless efforts invested in promoting our literary and creative soul. We are excited to share the stories of the Filipino people with the world.”
