LOOK: Bookworms hunt for bargains at Big Bad Wolf sale in Angeles City

ANGELES CITY, Philippines – Kapampangan bookworms have been flocking to the ground floor of the SMX Convention Center in Clark Freeport in Angeles City, Pampanga, since the start of May for the Big Bad Wolf Books sale, which runs until May 12.

Kapampangan book collector John shared the thrill of discovering hard-to-find books at book fairs such as Big Bad Wolf.

“You really have to take your time checking for books here even though they are categorized. You can ask around here which books you are really looking for but the thrill in finding it myself or checking what other books they have at the lowest price makes it really worth it,” he said.

The book fair offers a wide selection of genres: romance, science fiction, thrillers, cookbooks, architecture and design, business, and self-help books as well as books from local publishers. It also offers a variety of books for children.

Kristina brought her two children with her to the book fair to share her love for books and reading with them. Kristina said reading has become a long-lost habit among young kids.

“This is book shopping. That’s why I bring my children with me here to help nurture their interest in books as well. It’s kind of hard to compete with mobile games or Netflix since I am always busy. So bringing them here also gives them a little excitement to start reading even at least one page a day,” Kristina said in Kapampangan.

This year’s Big Bad Wolf Book Sale first arrived in the country at SM City Cagayan de Oro in February, then at SM City Seaside in Cebu in April. All stops offer the buy-5-get-1-book free promo.

According to its website, the primary mission of Big Bad Wolf Books “is to cultivate reading habits, increase English literacy worldwide and build a new generation of readers, by making books more affordable and accessible, to everyone.”

Launched in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 2009, the Big Bad Wolf Book sale has been to Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, South Korea, Singapore, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, Tanzania, and Kenya. It launched in the Philippines in 2018. – Rappler.com