Every year when the MIBF comes which I call my Mecca of Books, I bring my family and dive into the mountain of books that literally fills all the spaces of the SMX Exhibition Halls.

MIBF is like paradise surrounded by a million glistening stars represented by books.

This year is my happiest MIBF Experience to date. Why?

I just happened to meet and chat with one of my idols Ambeth Ocampo. You see if I am not an event organizer right now I will be a history professor. Ambeth is the best Filipino historian, for me because he humanized our heroes and talk about the mundane things our heroes do. This makes everybody realize that we can all be heroes for our country.

Another author I met that is very interesting is Dr. Margarita Holmes, her for adults only books are sometimes controversial but it gives adults guideposts on how to deal with relationships (most relationships are complicated, so she really helped a lot of people).

Another interesting highlight of this year’s event is Ramon Bautista, I was supposed to buy his book and fall in line together with hundreds of fans wanting to have his signature. Alas, his book was sold-out. I just took a picture of him. Maybe some other time I will get his autograph.

Even if it is just few days ago when MIBF ended I am already looking forward to visiting this Mecca of mine next year.