Appreciate the connection between Calamba and Frankfurt at the National Library of the Philippines

The exhibition at the National Library will run until October 17 and is free and open to the public.

Similarly, the participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair has been planned to include cultural programming outside the event’s location, Messe Frankfurt. The Philippines has partnered with leading German institutions and museums to represent Philippine art, scholarship and exhibitions on topics such as ethnographic collections, photography, architecture, folklore, comics and graphic novels, and Rizal’s ties to Heidelberg, alongside film screenings, concerts, performances and publications.

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Curated by Patrick Flores and designed by Stanley Ruiz, the Guest of Honour Pavilion, which spans 2,000 square metres, will highlight the integrity of Philippine materials and technologies, a dialogue between industrial elements and the ingenuity to repurpose and refunction. The open communal space, with modular rattan and bamboo seating, offers visitors a flexible setting to explore 500 Philippine book titles on display. The translucent walls double as canvases for works by conceptual artist and curator Gary-Ross Pastrana, comic book artist Mervin Malonzo and internationally respected pioneering artist David Medalla.

The Pavilion will feature over 100 talks, readings and performances curated by Karina Bolasco. They will explore urgent global issues, including human rights, democracy, climate change, geopolitics, children’s literature, religion, race, queer stories and more, from the perspective of our diverse culture and multiple languages.

A distinctive element of the programme is that conversations end with performances that echo the topics. An example is the discussion “How Do We Write About Climate Change?” featuring poet Marjorie Evasco, with Maria Paz Luna and Red Constantino, that ends with a performance of National Artist Ryan Cayabyab’s song Paraiso by The Philippine Madrigal Singers and Song Weavers Philippines.

Panels on human rights and democracy are extensive: “Framing Stories: Art and Film Resist”, “Philippine Media: Struggles for Freedom” and “West Philippine Sea: Ecology and Assertion”, among others.

“Poetry for Freedom, Justice, and Peace” will run twice a day to present readings and performances as expressions of solidarity with Gaza and Ukraine, and all other struggles in the world. “A Solidarity for Hope” will feature National Artist Virgilio Almario, Turkish writer and President of PEN International Burhan Sönmez and Indonesian author Ayu Utami.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa and trauma journalist Patricia Evangelista will hold talks at the Philippine Guest of Honour Pavilion, as well as on central stages.

Performers span traditional and contemporary sounds: Morobeats (hip hop), violin duo Justin and Janna Texon, Kuwerdas Filipinas (symphonic rondalla) and Akayu (Kalinga music), to name a few. National Living Treasure Rosie Sula joins the world-renowned choir The Philippine Madrigal Singers and Song Weavers Philippines.

Similar to its previous participation at the Frankfurt Book Fair, the Philippines extends its presence with the Philippine Stand, the Asia Stage and the Comics Stand, alongside other countries. The Philippine Stand serves as the central hub for business and rights negotiations, bringing together 52 major, indie and academic publishers. They will present titles under the genres of fiction, graphic novels, children’s books and young adult, nonfiction, poetry and new adult.

The Asia Stage (co-sponsored by Rex Education and FBM) hosts hourly B2B talks on the Southeast Asian market, covering topics like censorship, comics and the role of generative AI in universities. Across the three venues, there will be 65 sessions of talks, workshops and discussions.

The offsite literary programme features readings and signings by translated authors, conversations, discussions and workshops and participation in German and Swiss literary festivals. Highlights include “Jose on the Go: A Rizal Stroll” with Ambeth Ocampo in Frankfurt and “Booked at Zentralbibliothek: Filipino Plot Twists” with writers Jose Dalisay and Beverly W Siy.

At Romanfabrik, Komiks Live! brings graphic novels to life. In Hanau, Liwaliw at Kulturforum offers Filipino games, food and music.

Today’s Guest of Honour participation would not have been possible without the visionary leadership, dogged determination and unrelenting passion of Senator Loren Legarda, the primary moving force of arts and culture in the Philippines. The vision is executed by PHL GOH co-directors: NBDB’s executive director Charisse Aquino-Tugade and NCCA’s Aurea Brigino Lopez. In support is a core team composed of veteran players in publishing and creatives themselves—including Bolasco, Ani Almario, Kristian Cordero, Neni Sta. Romana-Cruz and Nida Ramirez, alongside a broad coalition of cultural workers and partners.

The PHL GOH is a project of the National Book Development Board (NBDB), the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda. The book fair will run from October 15 to 19, 2025.

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