MIBF highlights

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I can’t believe the 30th Manila International Book Fair is finally over, and that I have to count twelve whole months until the next one. I love this year’s book fair loot, and while a couple of specialty book stores sat this book fair out, I think it served well to highlight local publishers and smaller booksellers.

While I’ve been to the book fair almost every day of the event for five consecutive years, I must say that getting to share it with the readers of this blog has made this year’s book fair extra-special. I hope my posts were helpful to those attending the book fair, and to those away from Manila, I hope you got a peek into the book fair experience.

Here is one last post, with photos of other highlights of the five days of the MIBF.

In case you’re wondering how I got the aerial photos, I had to get special permission to go up to the control room to take them. I’ve been wanting to do this for so long, and finally I was able to this year. It’s a great feeling, getting a panoramic view of this paramount event.

I had to move through different control rooms to take the shots, one portion at a time, but it still wasn’t possible to take photos of the entire floor. I took these on Thursday, but just imagine the weekend attendance– readers browsing through shelves and shelves of books, people spilling out over the booths, mascots dancing, cosplayers parading their garb, shoppers maneuvering their purchases (some brought their own shopping carts!) through the aisles, and exhibitors pushing cartloads of boxes to restock their booths!

Here are some more aerial shots:

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Here is the opening ceremony:

Sen. Kiko Pangilinan (3rd from left) shows support for the Philippine book industry at the opening of the biggest, longest-running book fair in the Philippines on its pearl anniversary. Joining him are (from left): Lirio Sandoval, president, Book Development Association of the Philippines; Dennis Gonzales, chairman, National Book Development Board; Congressman Del de Guzman, 2nd district, Marikina; Socorro Ramos, general manager, National Book Store; Paolo Sibal, president, Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc.; Irene Lloren, president, Primetrade Asia Inc.
Sen. Kiko Pangilinan (3rd from left) shows support for the Philippine book industry at the opening of the biggest, longest-running book fair in the Philippines on its pearl anniversary. Joining him are (from left): Lirio Sandoval, president, Book Development Association of the Philippines; Dennis Gonzales, chairman, National Book Development Board; Congressman Del de Guzman, 2nd district, Marikina; Socorro Ramos, general manager, National Book Store; Paolo Sibal, president, Philippine Booksellers Association, Inc.; Irene Lloren, president, Primetrade Asia Inc.

And I could not resist having my photo taken with someone I really admire:

with "Nanay" Socorro Ramos, the matriarch of National Book Store
with "Nanay" Socorro Ramos, the matriarch of National Book Store

Sen. Pangilinan gets caught reading:

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checking out a textbook at the Anvil booth

He says his daughter Frankie loves Nancy Drew!

Of course, what’s the book fair without books, books and more books?

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I also like seeing old classics getting a new life. Aside from Francisco Coching’s El Indio, look what else is back in circulation:

Kenkoy! It was about P500 (hardcover) but they were out by the 4th day
Kenkoy! It was about P500 (hardcover) at Tradewinds, but they were out by Saturday

The Potter fan in me couldn’t resist taking a photo of the Harry Potter stacks

...which got decimated in half by the third day, and some odd pieces were left on the last day!
...which were halved by the third day, and down to some odd pieces on the last day!

And on to a new fandom

NBS was playing the book trailer for The Hunger Games. That's author Suzanne Collins on the screen.
NBS was playing the book trailer for The Hunger Games. That's author Suzanne Collins on the screen.

Bargain bins are always the best!

My favorite this year, Bookmark, where I got my hardcover El Fili for P200 and great postcards for P10 a pack
My favorite this year, Bookmark, where I got my hardcover El Fili for P200 and great postcards for P10 a pack

Mascots are always fun, whatever age you may be…

INKies Zeus and Joel with the Rex mascot (Joel has his photo taken with it every year)
INKies Zeus and Joel with the Rex mascot (Joel has his photo taken with it every year)

… and so is storytelling!

costumed dude doing a dramatic reading at the New Day booth
costumed dude doing a dramatic reading at the New Day booth
storytelling over at the OMF booth
storytelling over at the OMF booth

I love getting books signed!

Here’s another photo of Siege Malvar for the fangirls (andami pala nila) out there:

Siege Malvar signing my copy of Roles.
Siege Malvar signing my copy of Roles.

And it was a pleasure to meet illustrator May Ann Licudine! I am in awe of her talent!

with May Ann at the Adarna booth
with May Ann at the Adarna booth

Am planning to interview both for a feature, so watch out for that.

And to those (like me) who were salivating over AklatEklat’s leather book implements (book cover and bookmarks)

Aklat Eklat, over at the Kraftek booth
aklateklat, over at the Kraftek booth

Here is aklateklat’s contact info: Aya Cabardo, 918.919.3913, 922.833.0033, kalayaanquilala@yahoo.com. Website is down at the moment, though.

Phew. That’s it for the 30th Manila International Book Fair. Will be back to regular blogging soon… until next year’s MIBF!

24 thoughts on “MIBF highlights”

  1. Great post Blooey! I saw the book fair featured on TV last Thursday on Umagang Kay Ganda. They showed the Hunger Games booth IIRC. Will wait for your Hunger Games LARP post. :D

    P.S. I thought the first aerial shot was perfect until I saw the stack of books on the lower right. Hehe!

  2. Yeah, I was there on the actual shoot of UKG, actually (hehe).

    Aww maaan, I didn’t see that… Now I see another stack on the upper right. Haha.

  3. Thanks for all these pics! The top-view photos were great! Wow, all those books! Not one to be missed next year. Would you say that the fair would fit World Trade Convention Center or is it too big for that venue? Have not been to the SMX.

  4. I like your photo with “Nanay” Ramos. Finally, I see THE person behind National Bookstore. And I see you, very clearly of course, and would know who are if I bump into you in a bookstore, perhaps. If you see a creepy woman staring at you, that would be me….Whahahaha!

  5. @Jo- It used to be at WTC until last year. SMX has a bigger floor area (I think) despite the lower ceilings. And more room for special events. Plus the mall’s right across if you need to run other errands or if you get hungry.

    Heehee, I’ve had people (strangers) come up to me at the book fair to let me know they read my blog. Let me know if it is you, ayt? :)

  6. Hiyee! just want to tenk u for posting about MIBF!!! i went there the last day and i’m so happy!!! I got most of my dream buks in so affordable prices!!! sayang lang ndi me nakakita ng hardbound el fili for 200 nevertheless, i bought noli & el fili softbound as u have suggested here. u’re hints were so helpful! tenks again!

  7. Blooey, I think I should get those hardbound Noli and Fili books someday. After all, if they saved my life in Panitikan, I should have some sense of responsibility in owning them. Haha. Seriously.

    So let me know if they happen to be out there once again, cheaper. (You know me, willing to pay anyway.) Same goes with the INK book about the Pinoy creepers. I think I’d pass that to my future kids. Haha.

  8. @Jaja- Glad to help. Last year I got the softbound Noli and Fili at awesome prices and I enjoyed reading them so much that I got the hardbound copies.

  9. Hey Blooey! (glad I remember your name kasi unique ang name mo hehehe!) I lost your mini business card so I can’t remember your site. I tried to search my name on Google and luckily, I found your site, hooray! Awwwwww… thanks for posting! Nice picture! :D Sayang, andun pala si Joel so i haven’t met him yet. It was greatly nice to meet you! ;-)

  10. Thanks Blooey for taking a pic of The Hunger Games display. I just realized I haven’t uploaded the pics from my cellphone. Hehehe.

    1. Augh, I took a photo of the UK edition of HG at Borders but all my photos for the first half of my trip got wiped out!!!!

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