Philippine literature and culture will soon take the global spotlight as the country becomes the Guest of Honor at the 2025 Frankfurt Book Fair — the world’s largest and most influential publishing event.
In a recent episode of The Chairman’s Report, Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) Secretary Dante “Klink” Ang II spoke with National Book Development Board (NBDB) Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade about the milestone, calling it an unprecedented opportunity to present Filipino narratives to an international audience.
“Books are not merely tools for learning, they are vessels of memory, imagination, and identity. They document our stories, express our values, and create a bridge between generations and across geographies,” Secretary Ang said.
Aquino-Tugade explained that the fair serves as a global marketplace for selling intellectual property rights. “After Indonesia, about 10 years ago, was Guest of Honor, we would only be the second Southeast Asian country to be bestowed this great honor… We’re never front and center. And now is really the time we’re given the opportunity where there will be more space for us and our narratives in the different languages that we speak,” she noted.
The Philippine pavilion will cover 2,000 square meters and feature more than 120 creatives — from authors and illustrators to editors — alongside 50 publishing houses. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will lead the cultural programming, while the NBDB will curate the literary showcase.
Beyond the fair, Aquino-Tugade highlighted the growing reach of the Book Nook initiative, community-based spaces filled with Filipino-authored books that also serve as cultural hubs. Currently featuring 1,200 titles in various local languages, the program is expected to reach up to 170 locations by 2028, including sites in Korea and Michigan for the Filipino diaspora.
Secretary Ang expressed interest in partnering with NBDB to extend the program to the CFO’s network of 34 Philippine Schools Overseas, underscoring its potential to connect Filipinos abroad with their cultural roots.
