NBDB launches 25 Book Nooks, network reaches 163
The National Book Development Board is adding 25 community reading sites to its Book Nook Project in 2026, bringing the program’s network to 163 communities nationwide.
The new group includes 16 sites in Luzon, four in the Visayas and five in Mindanao.
The expansion addresses continuing gaps in reading comprehension and access to learning materials, particularly in rural and underserved communities.
The Philippine Statistics Authority’s 2024 literacy survey found that 70.8% of Filipinos ages 10 to 64, or about 60.17 million of an estimated 85 million people, were functionally literate.
The PSA defines functional literacy as the ability to read, write, compute and comprehend.
Established in 2021 under the NBDB’s Readership Development Division, the Book Nook Project is guided by the principle “Aklat Para Sa Lahat,” or books for everyone.
The initiative supports the NBDB’s mandate under Republic Act 8047, or the Book Publishing Industry Development Act.
The law calls for an adequate, affordable and accessible supply of books, particularly through libraries and reading centers in rural areas.
“By empowering local schools, indigenous communities, and local organizations, we are ensuring that children and neo-literates across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao have a safe space to discover homegrown, Filipino-authored literature,” said NBDB Executive Director Charisse Aquino-Tugade.
The READ Partnerships Committee received 130 applications from across the country for the 2026 selection cycle.
Shortlisted applicants completed Tuklas Dunong, a capacity-building workshop series intended to help partners sustain their reading spaces beyond their launch.
The workshops covered site management, resource mobilization, community development and basic book cataloging.
The approved partners include local government units, public elementary and high schools, state colleges, cultural museums and youth-led community organizations.
“It is through these local hubs that we empower communities to take ownership of their own stories and nurture a deeply rooted, nationwide culture of reading,” said NBDB READ officer-in-charge Daniel Mariano.
“These spaces are the hearts of our neighborhoods. We are not just handing out books, but planting seeds of critical thinking and creative expression.”
The 25 new Book Nook sites are:
- Local Government Unit of Barangay Poblacion Sto. Niño
- DepEd – Villa Santiago Elementary School
- Compassion International Inc.
- Umingan Central Elementary School
- North Fairview Elementary School
- Romblon National Institute of Technology
- Kirayan National High School
- Don Marcelo C. Marty High School
- Abra State Institute of Sciences and Technology
- National Museum of the Philippines-Marinduque
- Vicente A. Javier Memorial Community College
- Pilar Elementary School
- Ibajay Integrated School
- Bagasina Sr. Memorial High School
- Maayon National High School
- Francisco Ramos National High School
- Keamanan Inc.
- Pili National High School
- Yanga’s Colleges, Inc.
- DaluBASA/PSHS
- Kinabuhayan Elementary School
- National Museum of the Philippines, Office of the Director, Southern Luzon National Museums, Daraga, Albay Section
- Talaonga National High School
- Oro Christian Grace School
- Malinao Ilaya Integrated National High School
Many of the sites serve communities where learning resources have historically been scarce.
Partner communities reported challenges that include geographic isolation, extreme poverty and shortages of learning materials.
Some communities are also recovering from environmental disasters or long-standing structural difficulties.
For these areas, the Book Nooks are intended to provide accessible reading materials through trusted local institutions.
The project also gives local organizations training to operate reading spaces and develop community-based literacy programs.
The 25 sites will proceed to the setup, cataloging and launch phases this year.
Through its 163-site network, the NBDB aims to bring Filipino-published books closer to students, young readers and other community members nationwide.
Information about the NBDB and its activities is available at books.gov.ph and through the agency’s Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and X accounts.
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