Philippine Book Development Month – November 2025

History of Philippine Book Development Month

The birth of Philippine literature occurred in the 19th century in the form of a newspaper. During the Spanish regime, on December 1, 1846, the first Philippine newspaper called “La Esperanza” was published. This marked the first piece of written media published in the Philippines. Years later, other publishing companies started releasing newspapers such as the “Estrella” in 1847, “Diario de Manila” in 1848, and “Boletin Oficial de Filipinas” in 1852.

During Spain’s colony in the Philippines, poetry and other metric literature were also introduced. They were known as the ‘tanada,’ ‘ladino,’ ‘corridos,’ and ‘awit.’ The movement of Filipino poems influenced many up-and-coming writers at that time to write poems in their local dialects.

The literary landscape in the Philippines during the Post-Colonial era was dominated by American and English literature. Not only did this have a significant impact on the future of books and novels, but also the country’s educational system. In the Philippines, English became one of the most widely spoken languages, and English-language publications and novels grew in popularity. Zoilo Galang’s work “The Child of Sorrow,” published in 1921, was the first Filipino novel written in English. Future Filipino writers such as Bienvenido Santos, Carlos Bulosan, Manuel Arguilla, and Jose Garcia Villa were significantly affected by this.

However, it wasn’t until 2011 when former education secretary Armin Lustro declared that the 11th month of the year should be devoted to commemorating reading and writing in the Philippines. It was then that the Philippine Book Development Month was launched.