21 October 2015 – Drawing on the bayanihan spirit, the Philippine book industry made a collective pitch for the Philippines as 'The Best Source of Content in Asia' at the 67th Frankfurt Book Fair held from October 14 to 18 at the Messe Frankfurt on Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
With previous editions of the trade fair seeing only a handful of Philippine publishers participating, the Philippine collective booth this year was seen as a significant achievement, and one that is hoped to lead to a stronger Philippine presence in the world's biggest book fair in the coming years.
The Frankfurt Book Fair is an important platform to launch new titles and content, as well as to negotiate the international sale of rights and licenses. It brings together more than 7,000 exhibitors from more than 100 countries, including publishers, literary agents, authors, illustrators, media professionals, and trade associations.
The Philippine booth showcased diverse content from key players in the local publishing industry, namely, Abiva Publishing House, Inc., Adarna House, Anvil Publishing, Inc., Diwa Learning Systems, Inc., Lampara Publishing House, Inc. Precious Pages Corporation, Rex Group of Companies, University of Santo Tomas Publishing House.
The Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP), Philippine Educational Printers Association (PEPA), and the National Book Development Board (NBDB), were instrumental in bringing them together for this collaboration.
In a simple reception at the booth on October 14, NBDB Chairperson Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz described the Philippine book industry as Asia's "best-kept secret." She invited the guests to browse through the books on display while at the same time sampling Philippine delicacies such as dried mangoes and lumpiang Shanghai.
Consul Catherine Torres, representing the Philippine Embassy in Berlin, acknowledged the importance of books as bridges across borders. "I am inclined to think that if we are able to encourage people to read more, from a young age, about other countries and other cultures, there might be fewer wars and conflicts for us diplomats to worry about," she said. END