How Filipino Writers Can Promote Reading and Build a Stronger Reading Culture

INDEPENDENT PUBLISHINGREADING ADVOCACY

Young children quietly read comic books on the floor.

A thriving community of Filipino writers depends on a thriving community of Filipino readers.

A thriving writing community depends on a thriving reading community. This blog grew out of my exploration of how reading is promoted across the Philippines, through corporate and national campaigns, grassroots initiatives, and independent publications. In one way or another, everyone in the literary community helps cultivate future readers. As Filipino writers, we all have a stake in strengthening this reading ecosystem.

Every Book Begins with a Reader

As Filipino writers, we cannot ignore the state of reading in our country. The Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS) found that while about 93% of Filipinos can read and write at a basic level, only 70.8% can fully understand and use what they read in daily life (Philippine Statistics Authority [PSA], 2025). That means almost three out of every ten Filipinos still find reading for meaning a challenge.

We should not see these numbers as bad news, but as a call to help. Every story we write, every book we share, every school we visit, and every child or adult we encourage to read can make a difference. We write because we love stories, but we also write because we want stories to be read. Together with teachers, parents, librarians, publishers, booksellers, and book lovers, how can we help grow a stronger reading culture?

Who are Cultivating Readers Who Will One Day Discover Our Books?

The two papers I read affirm that reading advocacy begins long before someone buys a novel or memoir. Flor Marie "Neni" Sta. Romana-Cruz champions children's books as a child's first encounter with language and imagination. The more quality books we create, and the more parents, teachers, and caregivers read them with children, the more we nurture lifelong readers. As writers, we are not only writing for children but also helping build readers who will eventually reach for every other kind of book, including our own (Sabido, 2014; Sta. Romana-Cruz, 2012).

The second paper highlights the National Book Development Board's National Alliance of Reading Advocates (NARA), which brings together educators, librarians, publishers, organizations, and volunteers to strengthen the country's reading culture.

These papers remind me that books do not thrive by themselves. They need a community that produces, promotes, and places them into readers' hands. As writers, we can support those already doing this work and find where our own efforts can make a difference. Reading advocacy is part of our mission (National Book Development Board, n.d.).

What Proactive Reading Advocacy Means for Aspiring Filipino Writers

Whenever Beverly Sy speaks at writers' workshops or literary events, she returns to one theme: reading. She brings Filipino books closer to communities because she understands that writers need readers. In discussing her own work, she shows a clear awareness of who her readers are and the needs her books answer, expressed in language they can easily relate to (Beverly Sy, n.d.). As writers, we should ask the same questions: Who are our readers? What are they looking for? Why does our book matter to them?

Finding readers also means helping them discover books. We can recommend Filipino titles, read to children, share books that moved us, and talk about our own work without embarrassment. As discussed in Patronage Publishing: Why Promoting Your Own Book Is Not Vanity Publishing, thoughtful promotion connects books with the people who need them. Our goal is not simply to publish but to write books that are read, shared, and passed on, strengthening the country's reading culture one reader at a time.

Writers’ Events Worth Attending to Promote Reading Proactively

There are many ways Filipino writers can help strengthen our reading culture while supporting Filipino independent publishing, Philippine literature, our literary community, literary tradition, and Filipiniana.

Visit our local library regularly. I have made this a habit because not every Filipino book has been digitized. I browse the Filipiniana shelves to reread classics and history, discover essay collections, and enjoy poetry. This is how I continue learning our literary tradition. The more I read, the more confidently I can recommend Philippine literature to others.
Attend book events with purpose. Let's go not only to promote our own books but also to buy books by fellow authors, discover new writers, and support Filipino independent publishing. By engaging with the literary community, we become active stewards of reading advocacy.
Review and recommend books. Why not share your thoughts on our blog? At LibroKo'to, we encourage readers to help others discover Philippine literature through thoughtful reviews. Every recommendation helps another reader find a book worth reading and keeps the conversation alive.

Every Filipino Writer Can Be a Reading Advocate

Reading advocacy begins with ordinary habits: recommending a good book, visiting a library, volunteering at a reading activity, writing an honest review, or introducing a child to a memorable story. We write for readers, so we must also help find and nurture them by supporting libraries, booksellers, academic and independent publishers, fellow writers, and reading advocates. Every reader we encourage helps ensure that Filipino stories are read, shared, and remembered.

How do you promote reading in your own community?

Tell us about a Filipino book you often recommend or a library, bookstore, school, or reading initiative that has inspired you.

Together, we can help more Filipino stories find their readers..

References

Beverly Sy. (n.d.). Interview [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vj35-8Tody8

Coconuts Manila. (2014, January 18). Interview: Bob Ong, author and man of mystery. https://coconuts.co/manila/features/interview-bob-ong-author-and-man-mystery/

National Book Development Board. (n.d.). National Alliance of Reading Advocates (NARA). https://books.gov.ph/

Page a Writer. (2026). Patronage publishing: Why promoting your own book is not vanity publishing. https://pageawriter.com/patronage-publishing/

Philippine Board on Books for Young People. (n.d.). About PBBY. https://www.pbby.org.ph/

Philippine Statistics Authority. (2025). 2024 Functional Literacy, Education, and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS). https://psa.gov.ph/content/functional-literacy-education-and-mass-media-survey-flemms

Sabido, T. (2014). Interview with Flor Marie “Neni” Sta. Romana-Cruz on August 3 & 11, 2014 in Parañaque City, Philippines. Perspectives in the Arts and Humanities Asia, 4(2), Article 19. Archium, Ateneo de Manila University. https://archium.ateneo.edu/paha/vol4/iss2/19

Sta. Romana-Cruz, F. M. (2012, July 27). Open a book—and get to know us. Philippine Daily Inquirer. https://opinion.inquirer.net/33483/open-a-book-and-get-to-know-us

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