By Lyanne Khaw
Introduction
A country of varied ethnicity and diverse cultural heritage, with both Filipino and English as the country's official languages, the Philippines is filled with bibliophiles all around its archipelago. Buying English books, whether as a pastime or for enhancing your English language skills, is easy because you can find bookstores everywhere in the Philippines, from online shops to book chains scattered all over the country.
Books have a good market in the Philippines because many Filipinos are avid readers and book collectors. The average Filipino would pay around 150Php (3USD) to 350Php (8USD) for a good read for leisure and around 900Php (21USD) to 1500Php (34USD) for school textbooks and references.
However, there are still those who cannot afford the average price of books; this has paved the way for major book chains to regularly offer discount prices for selected books, such as novels, fiction and non-fiction, rare books, and books on learning English. Booklovers on a tight budget are often seen scouting for book sales. Based on my experience, book sales are most common during the "-ber" months — October, November, and December, in preparation for Christmas sales. Sometimes, discounts can be as high as 80%.
Here are the main places in the Philippines for buying books:
1. Book chains
A. National Book Store
http://www.nationalbookstore.com.ph/
Established in the 1930s in Metro Manila, National Bookstore (NBS) is the oldest book chain in the Philippines, selling both English and Filipino books. NBS has a vast selection of books, from English novels to handbooks for learning English and teaching English. NBS offers several titles under the English language learning division, including basic and advanced books.
With 92 branches scattered all over the Philippines, and an overseas branch in Hong Kong, NBS is the biggest book chain in the Philippines. NBS offers discounts of up to 50% on selected books, especially during the month of December. However, prices of books from NBS may vary depending on the location of the NBS shop. NBS shops located in big shopping malls usually have higher prices than those located in a sidewalk NBS shop.
A few years ago, NBS opened an online store, making it more accessible for book shoppers who do not have the time for driving to the nearest NBS.
B. Powerbooks
http://www.powerbooks.com.ph/webinternal/contactus2.asp
The first of its kind in the Philippines, Powerbooks is a bookstore that offers a cozy environment, complete with a coffee shop. Powerbooks is known for allowing its shoppers to freely spend time reading books in the shop’s reading section. Powerbooks offers a wide variety of books under the categories of Arts and Architecture, Audio books in learning English and other languages, Business, Children's books, Computer, Cooking, Fiction, Gift books, Health, Lifestyle, Multimedia, Philippines Publications, Psychology or Self-Help books, Reference, Religion and Philosophy, Science and Technology, World Affairs, and Young Adult Books.
Book enthusiasts frequent Powerbooks not only because of its cozy environment but also because it has the most recent English bestseller books.
C. Fully Booked
http://www.fullybookedonline.com/
Just like Powerbooks, Fully Booked offers a cozy ambiance. Fully Booked boasts of a wide range of book titles from five main categories: Lifestyle, Design, Professional, Humanities, and Children. The bookstore has a comprehensive selection of books, at competitive prices. For English learners and English teachers, Fully Booked has Learning English books and workbooks from Elementary to Advanced levels.
As with many other major book chains in the Philippines, Fully Booked has opened an online store that makes the bookstore more accessible to book enthusiasts all over the country. Currently, Fully Booked has 10 stores in Metro Manila.
D. Central Books
http://www.central.com.ph/bookstoreplus/
Having only 8 branches in the Philippines, Central Books has gained its popularity with its “books on demand” service, where the customer can order a specific book title and have it reprinted in just a matter of minutes.
For example, if your desired book under the category of "Learning English" is unavailable right now, then for selected titles you can employ Central Books’ "Books on Demand" service, so you can take home a copy with you that very same day. Central Books also usually has a collection of English and Filipino or Tagalog humor books.
D. Books For Less
http://booksforless.ph/
True to its name, at Books For Less (BFL), you usually pay less for your books. You can enjoy a wide selection of books every time you visit one of their branches. BFL also engages in several charitable activities, such as book donations and literacy drives.
Having only 10 branches in the Philippines, BFL decided to cater to their growing number of customers in a more convenient way by setting up an online store where bibliophiles may search for new and used books. You can also use your mobile phone to send a request using BFL's book search text hotline. All orders are delivered by courier.
2. Major Academic Bookchains
A. Rex Bookstore
http://www.rexinteractive.com
Rex Bookstore was established in the 1950s. The bookstore offers academic books and reference books, making a name for itself as the most comprehensive education provider in the Philippines. Rex Bookstore has several titles under the category of "Effective ways of learning English". You will also usually find preparation materials for English examinations such as TOEFL, TESOL, and IELTS in Rex Bookstores. For Law and Medical students, Rex Bookstores is one of the best options for buying reference books.
B. Goodwill Book Store
http://www.goodwillbookstore.com/
Goodwill Bookstore not only sells books in retail but also in wholesale with a sizeable discount. They also cater to printing of local and foreign books. Goodwill Bookstore gained popularity with its vast selection of textbooks that are difficult to find in other bookshops. They offer reference books and preparation material for learning English.
Goodwill Bookstore currently has 9 branches in the Philippines; 5 of these bookstores are in Metro Manila. With their growing number of customers, Goodwill Bookstore has established an online store so shoppers can just visit their website and make a purchase.
C. Merriam & Webster Bookstore
The Merriam & Webster Bookstore sells several academic and reference books and has several titles under the category of "English as a second language". Though not as famous as the other bookstores mentioned, the Merriam & Webster bookstore is still considered one of the top 10 bookstores in the Philippines.
4. Online Bookstores
Here is a list of cyber bookstores based in the Philippines.
A. Avalon.ph
http://www.avalon.ph/shop/pc/home.asp
Avalon.ph is the longest-running cyber bookstore in the Philippines. Avalon.ph is one of the few cyber bookstores that sell academic books. You may chance upon good books for learning English as you browse upon their academic book section. Although this online store specializes in used and pre-owned books, Avalon also offers new books.
Books are categorized according to price, from less than 200php (5 USD) to more than 1000php (23 USD). Furthermore, at Avalon.ph, customers can see the amount they save on their purchase since original prices are displayed in comparison with Avalon prices.
B. Mybookstore.ph
http://www.mybookstore.ph/
One of the favorite online bookstores in the Philippines is Mybookstore.ph. This online bookshop sells new, as well as pre-owned, fiction and non-fiction books at affordable prices. You can usually find a book at Mybookstore.ph for as little as 60Php (1.40 USD)
References for learning English are also available at this online bookstore. With just a few clicks, you can browse the bestselling English books. Their catalog contains 6,000 items. As well as English books and English learning references, Mybookstore.ph also specializes in promoting local literature.