Message of Senator Loren Legarda during the Press Conference for the Philippines’ participation as Guest of Honour Country in the Frankfurter Buchmesse 2025

Embarking on a journey that is truly worthwhile has never been an easy endeavor. We knew this as soon as we began taking our steps towards becoming the Guest of Honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair. For 15 years, the Philippines had been absent from this prestigious event, missing from the international stage of the publishing industry. When we made our return in 2015, it sparked a bold question in my mind: Why not the Philippines? Why shouldn’t our rich literary heritage and diverse voices be celebrated alongside the world’s best?

Our country boasts a wealth of literary heritage, from oral traditions from the pre-colonial era to today’s books that examine the post-colonial nation. We have an abundance of acclaimed writers, of heroes and heroines who have written about what it means to be Filipino. Their works have been translated into many languages around the world, published by leading presses worldwide.

Consolidating all these achievements to the forefront as the Guest of Honour at the world’s biggest publishing fair is a gargantuan feat, as one seeks to create cross-cultural dialogues that integrate the many threads of our culture. Becoming the Guest of Honour is our commitment to presenting Filipino genius and flair in the most esteemed stages of art and culture, just as we did when we brought back the Philippines into the important contemporary art platform, the Venice Biennale.

We stand at the culmination of years of relentless effort, steadfast dedication, and an unshakable commitment to fulfilling our nation’s mandate to elevate and promote Filipino arts and culture on the global stage. Yet, while this moment is undoubtedly a triumph, it is also crucial that government support remains strong. Global projects that amplify Filipino voices on the world stage need more than sporadic backing — they require sustainable, long-term programs. That’s why I am committed to supporting and collaborating with like-minded partners in the government to ensure that the buttresses are steady, consistent, and unwavering.

We are finally launching The imagination peoples the air at this year’s Frankfurter Buchmesse. It will be another long journey, but we are not alone. As National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin once wrote, “Because it is so hard to keep the world going, there is always the temptation to abandon the effort altogether. For there is always the sowing and the harvesting, the building and the repairing, the falling down and the rising up again. Every day, everything has to be done all over again. In our world, it is always Monday morning.”

Our presence here is a testament to the collaborative efforts of passionate individuals, institutions, and government agencies, and we hope that this hard and persistent work can be seen and appreciated by the world.
Thank you.