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Tuesday, January 28, 2025
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Tuesday, January 28, 2025

NBDB showcases Filipino authors at the Philippine Book Festival-Davao

Estimated reading time: 8 minutes and 10 seconds
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During Frankfurt Book Fair, producers come from all over the world to see the latest books that can be adapted into films, games, and other types of content

The Philippines will be the Guest of Honor at the 2025 Frankfurter Buchmesse (FBM), a significant announcement from the NBDB’s Philippine Book Festival at SMX Convention Center, Lanang, Davao City, held from August 18 to 20.

The historic agreement was inked on August 18 at the NBDB’s Philippine Book Festival (PBF)-Davao with the following as signatories: from NBDB, Chairman Dante Francis Ang II and Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade; and from FBM, President/CEO Juergen Boos, Vice-President for Business Development Claudia Kaiser, and Guest of Honor Program Head Simone Bühler.

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The FBM or Frankfurt Book Fair is, at 75, the world’s oldest and biggest annual venue for printed and digital content. Producers come from all over the world to see the latest books that can be adapted into films, games, and other types of content.

FBM is where a Filipino author can have the chance to have their book picked up for translation into other languages and publication in other countries, or adapted for a film, or made into a video game. This type of synergy is advantageous to content creators who may see their works have a second, even a third life, beyond their first birth as locally-published books.

Being the Guest of Honor affords the chosen country even more opportunities for exposure as their books will be given prominent display at the Fair. The Philippines is only the second Southeast Asian country to be invited to be a GOH at the FBM, after Indonesia 10 years ago.

PBF highlights: Day 1

The PBF is the country’s largest traveling bookfair, organized and conducted by the NBDB.

This is the festival’s second leg after the highly successful Manila edition held last June at the World Trade Center, the first such held, which saw over 40,000 guests arrive to experience the event’s various “activation areas:” Booktopia, Kid Lit, and Komiks.

The NBDB, the government agency tasked with promoting the creation and publication of books by Filipinos, knocked it out of the park again in Davao with an event that was both enjoyable and thought-provoking.

Not only was the atmosphere fun and welcoming, but the event was graced with cultural performances by Mindanaoan dancers, chanters, and musicians, and exhibits by master weavers, but its activities were intellectually engaging and broadening. It was a party and literary and arts salon at the same time.

Day 1 began early with the Lalang-Banwa opening ceremony graced by Vice President and Department of Education Secretary Sara Z. Duterte, who welcomed book fest guests to the city’s 38th Kadayawan festival saying, “May this festival illuminate our path toward a strong Philippines where the pages of our shared story are etched with the enduring ink of knowledge, wisdom, and inspiration.”

Adarna House publisher Ani Rosa Almario read Senator Loren Legarda’s message on her behalf. The senator, who was instrumental in pushing for the country to obtain GOH status at FBM, said about books:

“As vessels of knowledge, books can inspire, educate, promote critical thinking, and awaken the dormant creativity within people. They hold within their pages a world of information and insights waiting to be discovered, explored, and embraced that we might raise the quality of our people’s lives.”

Various events followed, taking place on the main stage and the activation areas, among them a Lunch Talk with Chef Claude Tayag, author of The Ultimate Filipino Adobo, who discussed the various ways adobo is prepared all over the country, and its significance to Filipinos as an iconic dish.

A meet-and-greet also took place with historian Ambeth Ocampo, whose books of short, easy-to-read historical tidbits are runaway bestsellers; and book signings by Jay Ignacio (his Alandal won the 40th National Book Award for Best Graphic Novel), JB Tapia (of TRESE Presents: Verdugo fame), Randy Valiente (“Sining Killing”), and children’s literature writers Dr Eugene Evasco, Augie Rivera, Russel Molina, illustrator Beth Parrocha, among others.

In the evening, Atty. Dominador D. Buhain, NBDB founding chairman and now president emeritus of the Philippine Educational Publishers Association (PEPA), described PBF-Davao as part of the NBDB’s “gargantuan Filipinization initiative.”He lauded the current NBDB leadership and their “highly competent staff” for inviting “other sectors like the comics and other literary materials producers to form part of the Filipinization advocacy.”

PBF highlights: Day 2

Actor Rica Peralejo, writing as Carla Bonifacio, and her husband Joe Bonifacio discussed their book Eleven Eleven: Painting the Challenge and Beauty of Marriage, which gives advice to couples on staying together and making a relationship work.

Meanwhile, among the several talks held at various meeting rooms was the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (Ipophil) lecture on copyright given by Atty Chuck Valerio. There to give support were the agency’s Director Emerson Cuyo and Beng Reyes Gutierrez. Also there to talk about the Korea Copyright Protection Agency (KCOPA) and its purpose and mandate (it’s a South Korean government agency) was its Regional Director Dr. Stella Jun.
LITERARY DISCUSSION. Historian Ambeth Ocampo and National Artist for Literature Resil B. Mojares discuss books, writing, and reading at the National Book Development Board’s Philippine Book Festival-Davao, on Aug. 19, 2023. Photo courtesy of NBDB.
In the afternoon, a much-awaited conversation was held between historian Ambeth Ocampo, who acted as moderator, and National Artist for Literature Resil Mojares. They discussed their home libraries, and Ocampo asked Mojares about his literary influences, among them WG Sebald – “I love all his books.”Mojares said he still writes his drafts longhand. “How can you write, speeding?” the venerable cultural critic said. “You have to slow things down. That goes for reading as well.”

“Get away from the tyranny of the computer,” the National Artist added. “Do more leisurely writing.”

Mojares was later joined onstage by writers Early Sol Gadong (Iloilo), Dr. Jhoanna Cruz (Davao), and Dr. Hope Sabanpan-Yu (Cebu) to discuss “On the Regions and the Nation.” Savage Minds owner and Ateneo de Naga University Press publisher Kristian Sendon Cordero acted as moderator.
They commented on the surge in local publishing, with writers in the regions no longer dependent on Manila to have their voices heard. Instead, niche and independent publishers are at the forefront of publishing in other Filipino languages, and encouragement is given to translations of works in languages other than Filipino into other Philippine languages. Related to this, Cordero, who was also the event’s program director, said later on that the bestsellers at his Savage Mind stall were various translations of Antoine de St. Exupery’s Le Petit Prince: into Ilokano (by Faye Melegrito), Bikol (by Fr Wilmer Tria), and Hiligaynon (by Stephen Matti).

Forthcoming are the Sebwano translation by Maria Cora Larobis and the Buînën (Buhinon, a dialect of Bikolano) translation by Ryan Cuartero. This talk was followed by interviews with women in publishing, who gave insights distilled from years of working in the industry. Ani Almario: “It is high time, and we shouldn’t be afraid, that we push the envelope on children’s books;” Karina Bolasco: “There’s a need for ground-up publishing, and we must aim for increasing community-specific works;” and Neni Sta. Romana Cruz: “Write for something that will last forever: write anything that will contribute to the country.”

Among those present to sign their books on Day 2 were noted cartoonists Manix Abrera (Kikomachine Komiks) and Kajo Baldisimo (TRESE). At his live Q&A and drawing session, Baldisimo gave this advice to budding cartoonists: “Don’t feel pressured to be perfect. You’re really going to encounter mistakes along the way.”
Meanwhile, University of the Philippines film professor Nick Deocampo and writer Tito Genova Valiente had a lively conversation about Philippine history and cinema. The former signed copies of his Sine Tala series and Eiga and the latter, his book Tales from Ticao.
Toward the evening, Davao-based writer Jhoanna Cruz, who edited Tingle: The Anthology of Pinay Lesbian Writing, spoke about the intersec/xtions between lesbianism and feminist writing with Ria Valdez, Nina Alvarez, Sigrid Gayangos, and Early Sol Gadong.
PBF highlights: Day 3
Novelist Candy Gourlay flew in from London to launch her latest young adult novel Wild Song (Anvil Publishing), about the Filipinos exhibited at the St. Louis World Fair in 1904.         There were also talks on creating books for children, inclusivity in Philippine children’s literature, and lectures by fantasy writer Jane Vergara and poet Jerico Silvers on their writing processes. Silvers, who at 25 was possibly the youngest writer and self-publisher at the Festival, has a social media following of over 700,000.
The Tindog/Tingog poetry and spoken word special event brought together cultural creators and performers from all over the country and even outside it, among them Berkeley-based Oscar Peñaranda and Swiss translator Annette Hug, who wowed the crowd with her performance of a Juan Miguel Severo piece.

The event ended with cultural performances, dancing, and much laughter.

Next book event: MIBF

There were many more activities, conversations, and happenings at PBF-Davao. To find out more, visit the NBDB’s Facebook page. Kudos for PBF-Davao’s success go to the agency’s leadership – Ang and Aquino-Tugade — as well as the agency’s other personnel including OIC Deputy Executive Director Ryan Esteban; Director Anthony John Balisi; Project Development Officers Carol Tapia, Kevin Ansel Dy, and Jason Tabinas; staffers Kaye Dean, Charmaine Capuchino, Virgie Nicodemus, and Carol Tapia; and many others who made sure the Festival went smoothly.
The literary community looks forward to the next big book event, the Manila International Book Fair on Sept. 14 to 17 at the SMX Convention Center in Manila.
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Dr. Ortuoste is a board member of PEN Philippines, a member of the Manila Critics Circle, and a judge of the National Book Awards. You may reach the author on Facebook and Twitter: @DrJennyO

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