37th Manila International Book Fair

Photo from MIBF Official Facebook page

The recently concluded Manila International Book Fair, the longest-running book fair in the country, celebrated its 37th year. Which means the first book fair was held in 1979. Can you imagine? The MIBF feels as if it has always been there (like the universe) and only now did I stop to think and wonder about its roots. (And admire the fact that it's actually older than me.)

I grew up in the province before social media (and I was a very late entrant to the blogging game) so I only heard about the MIBF when I was in college.

How did it all start?

Here's the origin story from a 2013 Inquirer article (emphases mine):

The MIBF traces its roots to the old Philcite grounds in 1980, then known as Bookfair Manila, a month-long, was an in-door exhibit featuring exhibitors from all over the world. Back then there were few local publishers. Bookfair Manila was a joint effort of the Book Development Association of the Philippines (BDAP) and Philcite. 

“It was the early days of the exhibitions industry in the Philippines,” reveals Irene Lloren, president of Primetrade Asia, organizer of the MIBF. “Philcite was the only exhibition venue, and it was difficult to get people to go there, so events usually took the entire month.” 

Back then, reports Lloren, it was all pretty straightforward – books were put on display, and it was all about selling. “People would come in trickles, and the exhibitors would jostle to catch their attention. And at the time, exchange rate was only about P7-8 to the dollar; the generated sales for one whole of month of selling was a grand P5000!” 

In 1986, as the book fair grew in exhibitors, Philcite built on special events to draw more visitors. “We wanted activities to go hand in hand with book selling: story telling, writing workshops, book launches, and author signings – Og Mandino even came to town!” Lloren notes. 

As the local book industry flourished, and the annual book fair gained a regular following, it moved to bigger venues to accommodate both the exhibition and the crowd: the Philippine Trade Training Center in 1990; the Megatrade Hall in 1993; and World Trade Center in 2004-2007; and finally, SMX Convention Center in 2008. The event was officially named the Manila International Book Fair in 2003 because all bookfairs around the world are named after the city where it is held.

Read more here.

Below is a photo of the Philcite Pavilions.

Photo from Retrato

Photo from Inquirer Lifestyle

However, the term "Manila International Book Fair" already appeared in this 1980 Letter of Instruction signed by then President Marcos.

The CCMD [Center for Conference Model Development] to attend to all work necessary to accomplish the objectives set forth in this Conference Model especially the activities of the International Association of Universities-Philippine Organizing Committee (IAU-POC) on the holding of the Administrative Board Meetings, the Seventh General Conference, both of the IAU, and the Manila International Book Fair in August 1980 which is hereby declared “Book and Educational Technology Month”.

Read more here. The CCMD was transferred to the Development Academy of the Philippines in 1985.

Thirty-seven years later, and here we are:

Click here to see the full list of exhibitors. According to Nida Ramirez, Publishing Manager of Visprint, we ran out of booths to rent, so hopefully next year Visprint will have its own booth.

 

Thank you to everyone who dropped by the Meganon/Visprint booth, to Tepai Pascual and the Meganon team, to Ms. Nida and the rest of the Visprint family. I've said this before, but: It's always heartwarming to hear people say that my words meant something to them.

My book haul this year was very small because the Sunday crowd was insane. I couldn't even roam around our own booth! (Which was great news for book sellers and authors, of course.) I hear the best time to go is on its opening day, a Monday. I should try going on a weekday next year.

Till next time.

• Instructions on How to Disappear by Gabriela Lee (Visprint)
• Lait Chronicles by John Jack Wrigley (Visprint)
• Makinilyang Altar by Luna Sicat-Cleto (UP Press) - This volume was translated to English by Marne Kilates as Typewriter Altar, but I'd rather read the novel in the language it was originally written.

 

PS

Me at the MIBF:

What's your name?

*listens*

*name sounds familiar*

*1,2,3*

*realizes person is FB/Twitter/Instagram friend*

OH I KNOW YOU

Sorry about that!