big wolf

Bookworms all over Cebu have rendezvoused at the IEC Convention Center as the famous wolf ‘blew open’ its doors on July 12 last week. Big Bad Wolf will grace the Cebuano public with its vast collection of books 24/7. Big Bad Wolf began in 2009, in Malaysia – selling over 120,000. It was not long when its founders, Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng, expanded the horizons to make it the “biggest book sale in the world”. Now, the event is regularly done in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Sri Lanka. The Cebu premiere will mark the second time that the book sale visited the Philippines – the first one was in Manila which launched last February 2018.

The 12th was exclusive only to the people who were able to receive ‘preview tickets’. These preview tickets were earned via invitation from sponsors, lottery and etc. Even so, the number of attendees during the preview was quiet unbelievable. The preceding days will be open for all with free admission.  

As expected, swarms of Cebuano book lovers have rushed to the convention center to take a look and purchase books which are sold at 60-80% off. Different genres of books are available. Ranging from fiction, non-fiction, romance, thriller, to gardening, cooking, engineering and so on, the place is loaded with different kinds of books – each with considerable amount of copies. . An attendee would find oneself more than amazed to browse through overwhelming stacks of books – as the posters suggest, Big Bad Wolf is selling over a million books. This diversity of literature will explain why the book sale is attended by many people. The term ‘many people’ is even an understatement to describe the turnout of attendees.

Queue for payment is unbelievably lengthy. Some waited three (3) hours to reach the cashier and some, strategically went during the wee hours of the night to find lesser people and a shorter queue.       

A few reminders:

  1. Food and drinks are not allowed inside the venue so drink a lot of water before going inside.
  2. The venue is equipped with air conditioner. Make sure to bring jacket or sweater, especially those who have low tolerance to lower temperatures.
  3. Books are arranged in sections to categorize the books (i.e., gardening, murder/thriller, etc.)
  4. Carts are made available so that book shopping will be easier.
  5. Cashier accepts major credit cards.
  6. If you have a kid with you, be sure to keep close attention to them.
  7. In case of emergency, ask staff to make announcements. (i.e. lost child)

When I saw the vast collection of books, I was amazed and I was in awe, because I haven't seen a book store that sold a lot [that number] of books”, said Christian Tampos, still in disbelief after purchasing his selected books. Tampos also added that he was glad to see accommodating staffs and efficient costumer service which both complemented his bizarre experience.

Big Bad Wolf is open to the public until July 23. With its incredible sum of books, it is therefore, a haven for the old, the young, the athletic, the adventurer, the imaginative, the scientist, the architect, the doctor – any individual who finds solace in reading every bit of text in a body of literature. The main beneficiary of this event is Gawad Kalinga – a movement dedicated to alleviate poverty across the Philippine Islands. Gawad Kalinga has done outreach programs, housing projects and etc. in aid of people in need. Hence, by purchasing the books, one does not only satisfy oneself but also satisfy the call of social responsibility.