Filipino readers are always on the hunt for the next must-read book. With the influence of BookTok, the delicious popularity of fantasy romance fics, an increase in Filipino authors getting published internationally, as well as our very own novels receiving more international translations, it’s safe to say that reading in the Philippines is more engaging than ever. And with the 2025 Philippine Book Festival (PBF) running from March 13 to 16, it’s the perfect opportunity for avid readers to discover new titles.
First organized by the National Book Development Board in 2023, PBF is slowly to becoming the country’s largest all-Filipino book festival. This year’s iteration of PBF takes place at the Megatrade Hall in SM Megamall, spotlighting works from both established and independent publishing presses. PBF is free and open to the public, emphasizing the event’s commitment to making new and beloved books accessible to all audiences.
“There’s such a wide range of readers here, and definitely more publishers out here than I thought,” says Mara Coson, publisher of the independent press Exploding Galaxies. “For our books, the reception that we’ve received from Filipino readers has been really heartening.”
Katrina Stuart Santiago, co-founder of small press Everything’s Fine, noted how this year’s PBF is more welcome to emerging independent presses than previous editions, particularly because the vendor fee to participate in the fair has been waived. “As a government-funded fair, [PBF] shouldn’t be charging money at all, especially from smaller publishing groups,” Santiago told Rolling Stone Philippines. “So we boycotted them for a few years. But this year NBDB waived the fee and insisted we apply. There seems to be more support for small presses this time around, so we wanted to give it a chance.”
With so many exciting developments in the Filipino literary scene, PBF is a good place to find your next favorite read. Whether you’re into contemporary fiction, graphic novels, or exploring works from emerging independent presses, the festival has something for everyone. With that, here are some of the highlights you can look forward to at this year’s festival.
‘Insect Hag and Other Stories’ by Yvette Tan
The Queen of Philippine Horror returns with her third anthology of short horror stories, Insect Hag and Other Stories. Published by Anvil Publishing, the anthology is a masterclass in blending elements of tropical realism, folklore, and an ever-present feeling of unease so distinct in all of Tan’s work. From a story that critiques the hoarding addictions of an older Filipino generation to a novella that explores the lengths a woman will go to when her beloved is killed in a drug war, Insect Hag and Other Stories dives deep into the unsettling realities that haunt both the living and the dead.
‘The Greatest Fight of Sunny Granada and Other Stories’ by Kenneth Yu
Another release from Anvil Publishing is award-winning author Kenneth Yu’s latest collection of short stories, The Greatest Fight of Sunny Granada and Other Stories. The sci-fi anthology follows a variety of characters, from a professional intergalactic fighter, a spider hunter, and a shrinking woman, among many others. But lying underneath all the high-stakes space battles to close encounters with a third kind comes Yu’s tales of “survival, resilience, and what it truly means to fight for a place in the universe.”
‘how to grieve’ by Jade Mark Capiñanes
While Capiñanes’ story collection on coping with heartbreak was first published in 2022 by Everything’s Fine, how to grieve proved so popular that it merited a third anniversary edition. The collection resonates with readers due to its meditation on grief, healing, and the complexities of emotional recovery, all through a distinctly Filipino lens. This edition features “additional instructions,” with new stories.
‘Of Love and Other Lemons’ by Katrina Stuart Santiago
Another new reprint from Everything’s Fine is Of Love and Other Lemons, a collection of essays on womanhood by Katrina Stuart Santiago, originally published in 2012. Centered around being raised as a girl in Manila, feminism in academia, and the act of being a woman in the Philippines, Of Love and Other Lemons is a poignant take on what it means to be a modern Filipino woman. This latest edition also comes with new content.
‘What Light It Can Hold’ Edited by Gerald Burns and Jose Dalisay
What Light It Can Hold is an anthology of short stories that reflect the “concerns of Filipinos in the 21st century.” The book includes stories centered around a variety of familiar subjects, such as a Filipina navigating the world on her own as she studies abroad, an ex-expat trying his best to assimilate into Manila, and a family unable to find the words to communicate their secret hurts. Authors in the anthology include Ian Casocot, Lysley Tenorio, Anna Felicia Sanchez, John Bengan, and Mia Alvar.
‘Wayang Alimagnum’ by Joel Donato Ching Jacob
Wayang Alimagnum is a sci-fi read that centers around high school student Waya, who uses a giant mechanical crab to help collect the harvests from her community’s rice farms. As Waya prepares for the grand festival where mechanical-crab-wielding locals can compete with one another, she faces a surprising challenge when she comes face-to-face with her biggest competitor: her stepmother. This light-hearted novel from publishing press Adarna House is perfect for intermediary readers or those looking to dive back into reading after a long break.
‘Global Battlefields: My Close Encounters with Dictatorship, Capital, Empire, and Love’ by Walden Bello
Walden Bello’s personal and political memoir is an exploration of the Filipino activist and academic’s life. From “street battles in Salvador Allende’s Chile” to the “deepest recesses of World Bank’s document vaults,” Global Battlefields is the author’s honest reflection on his long struggle against dictatorial regimes and the complex inner workings of Filipino politics. Published by the Ateneo University Press, Bello’s memoir has been deemed by Nobel Laureate Maria Ressa as “a raw and honest examination of what it takes to challenge power and money.”
‘Mapping New Stars: A Sourcebook on Philippine Speculative Fiction’ edited by Gabriela Lee, Anna Felicia Sanchez, and Sydney Paige Guerrero
Published by the University of the Philippines Press, Mapping New Stars collects essays “tracing the history and practice of speculative fiction in the country.” Mapping New Stars offers insights into a unique historical context, the genres that have shaped it, and the community of writers who have contributed to its growth. Some of the contributors include Edgar Calabia Samar, Charles Tan, Eliza Victoria, Vida Cruz-Borja, and Dean Francis Alfar.
‘Sonambulista’ by Erwin C. Lareza
Sonambulista, Filipino poet Erwin C. Lareza’s second collection of poetry, is a poignant exploration of dreams, identity, and the human subconscious. This is the latest release from Grana Books, a small independent press devoted to publishing challenging contemporary works that “expand the possibilities for creation.”
‘Mga Kalansay sa Hardin Ng Panginoon’ by Ronaldo Vivo Jr.
Filipino novelist, musician, and graphic artist Ronaldo Vivo Jr. brings his first collection of short stories to Filipino readers. After self-publishing the collection and winning the Gerardo P. Cabochan Prize for Best Book of Short Fiction in Filipino at the 2024 National Book Awards, Vivo was picked up by independent press Balangay Productions, which will be re-releasing the collection at PBF. “Vivo is not the second or third coming of the [M]essiah we have been waiting for, but he’s the block and crippling of the system we all needed,” wrote Filipino author Arlo Mendoza on the collection.
