Rainforest of Knowledge: Philippine Book Festival 2026 celebrates local books’ power

MANILA, Philippines – The Philippine Book Festival (PBF) returns with a sharper lens on Filipino writers, publishers, and readers. From March 12 to 15, 2026 at Megatrade Hall, it traces how books shape lives and define generations.

With the theme Gubat ng Karunungan or The Rainforest of Knowledge, PBF becomes a living literary ecosystem, a nod to the Philippines’ over 7,000 islands that hold diverse stories.

“We have learned that thriving means listening and adapting. That a literary ecosystem, like a rainforest, is never static — it is always reaching, always growing toward the light,” National Book Development Board (NBDB) executive director Charisse Aquino-Tugade said during the fair’s media launch on Thursday, February 26. 

The celebration will unfold across four signature realms that represent distinct corners of Philippine literature and national learning.

Here are the four cornerstones of the event:

Kid Lit

Kid Lit becomes a gateway for young, budding readers and writers to discover stories that teach and inspire. 

Here, educational books plant the first seeds of a lifelong love for reading, shaping the next generation.

It will feature picture books for toddlers, young adult novels, interactive activities, and storytelling sessions that bring the fair to life for children.

Aral Akyat

Aral Akyat will be for students, learners, scholars, and teachers alike.

Textbooks from local publishers and schools will be at the forefront, covering subjects such as mathematics, history, and literature. 

Additionally, the Department of Education will curate and purchase educational content straight from local publishers at the fair, injecting support directly into Filipino publishers.

Booktopia

Booktopia will feature vast Filipino literary voices from many genres such as poetry, nonfiction, contemporary fiction, mystery, romance, and fantasy, among others.

It is expected to attract bookworms and seasoned readers, who may want to dive into new books in the market.

On top of this, the event will also have Lugar Lagdaan, where book signings and reader-author meetups will happen. There will also be workshops and talks for curious-minded readers throughout the event.

Komiks

As the name suggests, Komiks will be for Filipino comics lovers. Here, they can meet some of the country’s top artists and writers behind the comic strips and stories.

It will also be a gateway for new to Philippine comics to understand the genre and introduce themselves to the local illustrations.

For budding illustrators, the festival will have Bahay Ilustrador, where the craft of visual storytelling will be at the center point of discussions.

Rare, legendary works

Aside from new and contemporary books, the festival will also include facsimiles or exact copies of legendary works through the partnership of NBDB and the National Library of the Philippines.

This includes Jose Rizal’s Noli Me Tangere, the national hero’s 1887 novel that tackles corruption and abuse in the Spanish colonial government and the Catholic Church. 

Another featured work will be the Doctrina Christiana, a 1593 book about catechism of the Catholic Church.

Local literary icons

The four-day festival will also see appearances from some of the top literary icons in the country.

National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee and National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario will banner the festival’s slate of personalities.

They will join historian Ambeth Ocampo, comic art icons Pol Medina Jr. and Manix Abrera, and novelist Jonaxx.

On March 14, the 43rd National Book Awards will also take place to recognize works from authors, editors, and publishers in the country over the past year.

All events are free and open to the public. It will be open from 10 pm to 8 pm. – Rappler.com