Legarda leads PHL contingent in Frankfurt Book Fair opening

Frankfurt, Germany – Former Senator, now Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Loren Legarda proudly led the Philippine contingent during the opening ceremony of the 2019 Frankfurt Book Fair held yesterday at the Frankfurt Messe in Frankfurt, Germany.

After a 15-year hiatus, the Philippines returned to the Frankfurt Book Fair in 2015 when it was given a modest booth. In 2016, Deputy Speaker Legarda, in her capacity then as the Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance, gave additional funds to support the participants from the Philippine book publishing industry in the world’s most prestigious book fair.

“The Frankfurter Buchmesse is the world’s most important marketplace for print and digital content, and presents a venue for the Philippines to stimulate the interest of the international community in our own literature,” said Legarda.

“We have many talented and ingenious writers, artists and illustrators whose works should be proudly shown in important venues such as the Frankfurt Book Fair. I want to create more opportunities for them, whether through additional funding or through my personal representation to the organizers of the book fair,” Legarda added.

Legarda met several times with Juergen Boos, President of the Frankfurt Book Fair, and took the occasion to express her active support for the Philippines to bid as Guest of Honor at the book fair. Every year since 1976, a Guest of Honor (GOH) country is chosen to become the highlight of the fair through a special pavilion that features its publishing industry and other cultural products. This year’s GOH is Norway while Indonesia was GOH last year.

“As the world navigates its way through the digital age, our own book publishing industry faces the challenge of sustainability, while having to keep abreast with the latest technological advancements. Our participation in the Frankfurt Book Fair is an important venue not only for intellectual exchange. It is also where stakeholders and representatives of the Philippine publishing industry can network and explore opportunities for collaboration with their counterparts from other countries,” said Legarda.

Legarda also congratulated the National Book Development Board, headed by Neni Sta. Romana Cruz, and the nineteen (19) co-exhibitors for this year’s book fair for making sure that the Philippine stand showcases nothing less than excellent and award-winning masterpieces and publications.

“The Philippines has what it takes to prove to the rest of the world that we can be Guest of Honor: an immense source of creative talent and a strong and competitive publishing industry. We will all continue to work together to make the Philippines shine on the global stage,” Legarda concluded.

The Frankfurt Book Fair is being held at the MESSEGELÄNDE, Ludwig-Erhard-Anlage 1, 60327 Frankfurt am Main, Germany until October 20, 2019.***