6200 Book fest concludes inaugural three-day celebration

DUMAGUETE CITY, PHILIPPINES — The inaugural 6200 BookFest concluded its three-day run last July 19, bringing together publishers, authors, booksellers, readers, and creatives in Dumaguete City. 

Filled with book launches, literary discussions, workshops, performances, and publishing initiatives, the festival was held from July 17 to 19 primarily at Filinvest Malls Dumaguete.

Organized by the Arts and Design Collective Dumaguete (ADCD) and the Duma LitFest team in partnership with the Dumaguete City Government, the National Book Development Board (NBDB), and Futura Shores by Filinvest Land, the festival carried the theme “Across the Shores” and served as a host event for the NBDB’s Philippine Book Festival in the Regions initiative. It is also the first regional book fair of its kind in the Negros Island Region.

The festival featured a marketplace of national and independent publishers and literary organizations, including Vibal Group, 8Letters Bookstore and Publishing, Anvil Publishing, Haring Ibon, Everything’s Fine, Aklat Alamid, Sto. Niño de Cebu Publishing House, Central Books, Johnny and Hansel Publications, ABC Children’s Books, DumAlt Press, Sands and Coral, Libraria, Romanceclass, Utopia, and Happy Unicorn. Authors Kate D. Pirate and Joanna Villamor also participated in the festival’s programming and marketplace.

Programming included book presentations and launches, focused group discussions, film screenings, musical performances, workshops, and keynote sessions.

The first day opened with a series of book presentations and launches featuring Geraldine Solon’s “Talk Smarter Live Better” series, Angela Fabunan Flores’ “Migratory Notes,” the 2026 edition of the Sands and Coral literary anthology titled “Maps,” Anna Del Prado’s “The Happy Unicorn,” and Koren Fontelo’s “Tiny Hands, Growing Faith.”

On day two, the NBDB convened a focused group discussion attended by publishers, authors, booksellers, and creatives to discuss registration policies, publishing grants, and the role of Dumaguete as a UNESCO Creative City of Literature in the Philippine literary value chain. 

The day’s program also included a screening of Lilas in partnership with UNESCO Creative Cities Network member Quezon City of Film, alongside book presentations by Central Books authors Dr. Noel Marjon E. Yasi, Dr. Armando A. Alviola, Atty. Marcelino C. Maxino, and Atty. Mikhail Lee L. Maxino. 

Moreover, independent publisher Anvil Publishing presented Ian Rosales Casocot’s “The Last Days of Magic,” while DumAlt Press introduced its upcoming book of Dr. Justin Bulado during the afternoon program.

The festival’s final day featured Andrea Panaligan’s Zine Makeshop, a musical performance by Kate Torralba, the NBDB Primer on Registration, book presentations by Kate D. Pirate Books and Everything’s Fine, a launch of the latest issue of Duma’s local food zine, Kaon-Kaon, and the launch of “Rosa Redux: Women from Southeast Asia,” edited by Katrina Stuart Santiago. 

Historian and author Ambeth Ocampo delivered the festival’s closing keynote address before the official closing program, Panamilit: A Festival Closer.

Meanwhile, “BookFest: The Post-Script” events held on July 20 extended the festival’s programming beyond its official dates. 

Ocampo led a meet-and-greet and booksigning session at LibrAria and delivered a guest lecture at Silliman University. The festival also hosted Pamahaw, a book signing event paired with a traditional Dumaguete breakfast at The Sala. 

The inauguration of 6200 BookFest marked Dumaguete City’s first book festival following its designation as the Philippines’ first UNESCO Creative City of Literature. 

Through partnerships between local and national literary organizations, the festival provided a platform for discussions on literature, publishing, and the role of creative communities in regional cultural development.