BOOK lovers, get ready!
After so much clamor in social media, the world’s biggest book sale is finally arriving in Cebu, bringing with it a million brand new books at bargain prices. Isn’t that exciting?
The Big Bad Wolf Book Sale will run for 10 days, from July 13 to 23 at the IEC Convention Center on Pope John Paul Ave. in Cebu City, with over a million brand new English books in their inventory.
Such a big news for all Cebuano book lovers as this is a rare opportunity to get books you’ve been looking for at very cheap prices.
And here’s a bonus: Have you experienced being literally in a world full of books? This is your chance. It’s a wonderful experience, and organizers of the book sale promise it won’t disappoint.
“Their experience of seeing one million books, of seeing so many titles, you’ll really get several surprises. One, ganyan pala kadami ang books because when you go to the usual bookstores now, you’ll notice that it’s only one fourth of the space, the rest are school supplies or whatnot,” said Miguel Mercado, marketing head of Big Bad Wolf Philippines.
People of all ages are encouraged to visit and explore the book sale featuring a wide range of books across all genres. Amelia Peng, head marketing of Big Bad Wolf, said that 40 percent of the books are fiction, 30 percent are nonfiction, while the rest are a good mix of different genres.
The books will range from P120 to P5,000. With P1,000, shoppers can expect to bring home up to seven books. There is also a special section for premium titles or collectors’ items, which only costs P5,000 for a set of 10 to 15 books.
For those wondering why the books come cheap, Mercado said it’s because they buy them directly from the publishers. “We contact publishers directly and we buy directly from Germany, from the US, from UK... and we buy them in bulk,” Mercado said.
The reason they make it a budget-friendly sale is mainly to raise awareness on their advocacy, which is to promote global English literacy and to let everybody, regardless of status, experience the right to learn.
“We are also doing it because literacy rates in many many parts of the globe have become lower and lower. Fewer people are reading when it is essential for our children and the young adults to keep reading,” Mercado said.
Part of the proceeds will go to the beneficiaries of Gawad Kalinga, a local non-government organization that provides housing for the poor.
How do you make the most of your trip to the book sale? Start by shopping wisely, Mercado says.
“Explore everything first and then come back for it once you are sure with your budget, kasi our budget (for books) is not that much naman,” Mercado said, haring a useful tip to everyone.
For faster checkout, prepare the exact amount before reaching the counters so you don’t make everyone in the line wait longer.
Costumers may also pay for their purchases using credit and debit cards, and G-cash.
So, Cebuano bookworms, mark your calendar and get the chance to personally experience the world’s biggest and “baddest” book sale. No two visits are the same, so plan your trips and be ready to explore! (Louise Sigrid de Dios, CNU Intern)