FRANKFURT, GERMANY – The Philippine delegation made a resounding entrance at the opening of the 77th Frankfurt Book Fair on October 14, 2025, marking a historic moment as the country took center stage as this year’s Guest of Honour (GOH). The event was a vibrant showcase of Filipino culture, literature, and creativity, featuring moving performances, stirring poetry, and a keynote speech that reflected the nation’s enduring literary spirit.
Held at Messe Frankfurt, the fair’s host venue since 1951, the opening night was an exclusive affair, bringing together German fair officials — including the city’s mayor — local and international press, Philippine government representatives, and a delegation of creative minds set for a week-long program of talks, panel discussions, exhibits, performances, and demonstrations. The usual bustle of the fair’s halls was replaced by an atmosphere of anticipation and celebration, reserved solely for this special gathering.
The evening’s cultural program highlighted some of the Philippines’ finest artistic voices. National Living Treasure Rosie Sula captivated the audience with a performance steeped in Filipino heritage, while the Philippine Madrigal Singers delivered a stirring musical tribute. Literary excellence was represented by poets Marjorie Evasco, Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta, and Merlie M. Alunan, who took the stage to share the nation’s rich poetic traditions.
The centerpiece of the evening was the keynote address by Senator Loren Legarda, the driving force behind the Philippines’ Guest of Honour program and Chairperson of the Senate Committee on Culture and the Arts. Loren traced the transformative journey of Dr. José Rizal through Germany — his studies in Heidelberg, poetic reflections along the Neckar, and the completion of Noli Me Tangere in Wilhelmsfeld — emphasizing the enduring power of ideas.
“It was not arms the colonizers feared most, but ideas,” Loren declared. “Ideas that roused a nation and ignited the first revolution in Southeast Asia.”
Loren became the central speaker of the evening, referencing the Philippines’ background of colonial governance and “the deep wounds of oppression.” She reflected on the country’s geography and resilience: “I stand before you as a daughter of an archipelago of more than 7,000 islands scattered across the sea like pearls. Geography that some call ‘fragmented,’ we call ‘infinite.’”
Loren shared that she had first imagined the Philippines as a Guest of Honour at Frankfurt ten years ago, believing that the voices of Filipino writers belong among the world’s greatest literature. Evoking the Rizal-inspired theme of the week, “Imagination Peoples the Air,” she posed a question to all in attendance: “We gather here to ask, what kind of imagination will people the air today and in the coming days?”
“Here at the world’s largest gathering of stories and ideas, we bear witness to the power of words to build what is just, not for ourselves alone, but for one another, in a time when walls rise higher than bridges; when children’s bodies shrink to the bone from starvation; when entire families are crushed and buried beneath shattered concrete; when hands are cuffed for nothing more than their color.”
“We return to the threatening truths for which Rizal gave his life and through which a nation rose: that literature must provoke the conscience, break the silence imposed by fear, and ignite courage where misery has been sown by the despotic, the corrupt, and the cruel.”
The Philippines’ presence at Frankfurt 2025 extends beyond the opening night. From October 15 to 19, the Asia Stage will feature illustrators, writers, publishers, and thought leaders from across Asia, sharing stories, celebrating craft, and showcasing the richness and diversity of Asian literature to the world. As the fair unfolds, the Philippines’ participation promises to leave a lasting mark, reminding the global literary community of the power of books to transcend borders and connect cultures.
