Ready for MIBF?

We’ve been going to the Manila International Book Fair as a family for three years already. It is one of the big events that we look forward to each year. My husband and I love reading and thankfully, our children are equally delighted in books. This is why we allot time and money for large-scale, annual book fairs.

Last year, we have planned for our trip and as a result, had a great time at the 40th Manila International Book Fair. We spent plenty of time browsing at the kiosks of the following publishers and bookstores:

• Adarna House
• Tahanan
• Lampara Books
• Anvil Publishing
• Kahel Press / St Matthew’s Publishing
• OMF Literature
• ABS-CBN Publishing
• National Bookstore

Check out our book haul from MIBF 2019 in the gallery below.

From the previous years, the organizers of MIBF typically do this grand book fair every September. But because of the pandemic this 2020, MIBF pushed through two months after its usual schedule. Instead of doing it on-site at SMX Manila at the Mall of Asia complex, which has been their venue ever since, MIBF was launched last November 24 online and would run until November 30. Head over to their website, www.manilabookfair.com, to browse on their wide selection of books. Most of the books in the gallery that I have shown above are still being offered online this year. 

We started shopping for our (more like our children’s) much-awaited books last November 24. I’d like to share our experience and some tips on how to go around the MIBF website.

• Each time we added to our cart, for some reason, the items added would appear in a scrambled sequence and sometimes, books that we have chosen before wouldn’t appear on the cart. To solve this problem, we do a final review of the books that we really wanted from one publisher, then proceed to checkout to purchase them right away. We had to do it so we wouldn’t have to backtrack each time an item surprisingly gets removed from our cart.
• Shipping is via Ninja Van. Shipping cost is computed based on the delivery address that you indicate in the required field. Delivery fee is not an exact amount unlike those in shopping apps. In our first batch of books, we were charged with Php85.42.
• Payment options are via DragonPay and GrabPay. Under DragonPay, you may choose over-the-counter, online banking, and GCash. No option to pay using credit cards. We paid using my GCash, which is very convenient and safe for us since we get notifications in real-time, faster than when we use online banking for other transactions. 
• Use coupons and vouchers offered from the MIBF website. We took advantage of the 20% off voucher of WS Pacific Publications and saved a lot from our first purchase.

December 1 Update:

• MIBF is extended until January 3, 2021! Woohooo!
• They are now accepting payments via credit cards.
• MIBF gift cards in Php500 and Php1000 denominations are now available so you let friends and family choose whichever book they like to buy. Take note, though, that these gift cards may only be used for one vendor only.
• National Bookstore vouchers for selected publishers are now available.

Give yourself that much needed gift, shop for your loved ones and/or send the bookworms in your life with a book or two from MIBF online!