Now that the dust has settled over the success of the 2025 Philippine Book Festival (PBF 2025), I look back with much fondness on the experience of my 2-day visit and participation.
On Day 2 of the PBF 2025, I had the pleasure of meeting new people and reconnecting with old friends at the Lampara Booth. I have new books out in the market in September 2025 and the scoping session by the DepEd was an opportune time to talk to teachers and librarian friends about our new titles.
After lunch, I joined the team of Indie Collab PH for a panel on Inclusion and Inclusive Library Services. There I discovered Lean Borlongan's moving poetry. As to the course of our discussion in the panel, I'm reserving a separate post for that -- so, stay tuned!
Day 3 was our moment -- the Lampara Team who helped me and Juno Abreu work on our new book series, the Disaster Ready Kids, as we took the main stage to share our creative process and back stories. I spent the rest of the day buying select books, visiting booths in the Booktopia, Kids Lit and Aklat Aral realms, as well as the PBBY and IBBY booth that featured award winning books by our writers and illustrators.
The Philippine Book Festival was indeed an experience! However, we need a bigger and roomier venue next year.
My deepest gratitude to the incredible team at Lampara Books and to Jun Matias, whose resilience and dedication made the Disaster Kids Series a reality. Heartfelt thanks as well to the National Book Development Board - Philippines for giving us a space on the Main Stage to launch this important series and share what truly matters to us—why we write, why we love stories the way we do, and the dreams that keep us moving forward.
In times as chaotic and uncertain as these, stories remain our anchor. They connect us, challenge us to think critically, and nurture empathy. More than ever, we need narratives that empower young minds, equip them with knowledge, and remind them of their strength and resilience. This passion fuels us, and we’ll keep going—creating, sharing, and believing in the power of stories to make a difference.
Rey Bufi salamat!
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