THE 2026 Manila International Book Fair (MIBF) drew nearly 240,000 visitors, its highest attendance in 46 years, amid concerns that digital media are drawing readers away from print.
The fair recorded 239,499 visitors during its five-day run at the SMX Convention Center in Pasay from Sept. 9 to 13, nearly double last year’s turnout of 123,000.
Authors who participated in this year’s MIBF pointed to the record turnout as an indication that physical books continue to attract readers despite the proliferation of digital media.
First-time MIBF participants Trish Shishikura and Ma. Cecilia Brainard challenged the notion that readers were veering away from physical books.
Shishikura, who signed copies of her poetry collection “the end comes on without a gasp,” published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press, said physical books offered a different reading experience that could encourage focus and retention.
“You know when you have a book and you’re holding on to it, there’s a certain tangibility that your brain associates with,” Shishikura told the Varsitarian.
She added that reading a physical book could help readers avoid distractions from social media and other notifications.
A study titled “Comparing Comprehension of a Long Text Read in Print Book and on Kindle: Where in the Text and When in the Story?” found that readers who used a printed pocketbook performed better than Kindle users in measures of chronology and temporality.
The crowd at this year’s fair made Brainard reconsider her perception that people were reading less because of digitalization.
“I always thought that people were reading less or shorter material, but I’m just overwhelmed at all these people buying books, being here, and being curious,” she said.
Broadcast journalist Howie Severino, who launched his debut title “People I Knew: And Some I Didn’t, But Wrote About Them Anyway,” published by the UST Publishing House, said digital media had expanded the ways people accessed information without necessarily displacing print.
“I think people just have more options in terms of getting their information,” Severino told the Varsitarian. “But I don’t think books will ever die.”
Former Varsitarian editor in chief and author Cristina Pantoja-Hidalgo likewise pointed to the MIBF crowd as evidence that print continued to have a place alongside newer forms of media.
“I don’t think it’s going to die. I think these two will proceed in tandem, print media and everything else that has happened since,” Hidalgo said.
Creative writing instructor Benjo Gutierrez said the digital divide reinforced the relevance of print, while online platforms influenced how readers consumed information.
“Kapag may access sa digital media, usapin siya ng pribilehiyo rin sa isang banda,” he said.
(Access to digital media is also, in some ways, a matter of privilege.)
Another study, “A Comparison of the Influence of Electronic Books and Paper Books on Reading Comprehension, Eye Fatigue, and Perception,” found that students experienced greater eye fatigue when reading on digital devices, which could affect reading comprehension.
Crowding, bulk buying
The record turnout also prompted complaints about crowding and the availability of some titles.
Some attendees took to social media to complain about limited space and alleged bulk purchases by online resellers.
In a comment on the MIBF’s official Facebook page, user Aki Kho claimed that some resellers bought limited stocks of popular titles in bulk and offered them online at higher prices. Several bookstores reportedly imposed purchase limits on selected titles.
“It’s honestly sad to see, especially for readers who simply want to purchase books for themselves but end up missing out because certain titles are being purchased in large quantities,” Kho wrote.
Initially called “Bookfair Manila,” the MIBF began in 1980 as a month-long exhibition organized by the Book Development Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Center for International Trade and Expositions.
Carrying the theme “GET LIT: Reading in a New Light,” this year’s fair hosted more than 165 exhibitors.
The next MIBF is set for Sept. 8 to 12, 2027. Prince Cassel O. Trono, with reports from Psalmuel D. Reyes
