Editorial: Promoting readership

THE Big Bad Wolf (BBW) will finally set foot in Davao City for the first time on November 23 to December 2.

Organizers of the world's largest book sale will be bringing in one million books of over 20,000 titles that will be available for 24 hours during the more than a week-long run of the fair at The Tent at the Azuela Cove.

Many bookworms are definitely excited for the upcoming event. However, Big Bad Wolf is more than making books accessible at discounted prices.

BBW founder Jacqueline Ng said she and her husband Andrew Yap founded the booksale in 2009 with the primary objective of making books accessible to everyone and to encourage people of all ages to appreciate the art of affordable and accessible reading.

Filipinos in general are not readers. Some of the reasons could be that they did not grow up in an environment where reading was encouraged; some would be intimidated with reading; others find it too tiring; people have no access to books that would kickstart their interest in reading; or we simply live in a society where reading was never rooted in us.

However, events like the Big Bad Wolf will somehow help ignite the readership of some Filipinos. Ng said during the press briefing that they want bookworms and readers to bring a friend who is not a reader in a bid to help them gain interest in reading. She also encouraged those who will be visiting the event to buy books for others whom they can share or give it to.

The general public must realize that education through the schools is not enough. We as a society must develop a culture of reading as this will expand our knowledge on various matters. Through reading, the society will be able to develop critical thinking and better understanding on what is going around them.

Reading will open their minds to new things and gain new knowledge that will help advance the society.

With social media, the general public has been reliant too much on what are being posted online. However, they fail to realize there is a very immersive world written with the pages of book. A world that will open them to opportunities and possibilities.

Let us start now and create a society where reading is praised and highly encouraged.

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