National Book Development Board (Philippines)
 Official Agency Seal | |
 Flag of the National Book Development Board | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | June 7, 1995 |
| Jurisdiction | Philippines |
| Headquarters | 3rd and 4th Floor, Regalado Hive Building, Regalado Avenue, Fairview, Quezon City |
| Annual budget | ₱237.636 million Php (2024) |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent department | Department of Education |
| Website | books |
The National Book Development Board (NBDB) is an attached agency of the Department of Education that develops and promotes the Philippine book publishing industry. The agency was established in 1994 with the enactment of Republic Act No. 8047, also known as the “Book Publishing Industry Development Act.” As the book authority of the Philippines, the NBDB leads the formulation and implementation of policies that support the growth of the book publishing industry in the Philippines.
Among its operational plans include capacity-building initiatives, investment and trade promotion activities, grants and incentives, readership development campaigns, and industry research and data gathering.
History
[edit]The NBDB was established following over a decade of legislative efforts to strengthen the book publishing industry by promoting equitable access to educational materials and eliminating tariffs and taxes. The initiative began with public hearings on July 25, 1994, and culminated in the enactment of Republic Act No. 8047, signed by President Fidel V. Ramos on June 7, 1995. This legislation, consolidating Senate Bill No. 252, authored by Senator Edgardo J. Angara, and House Bill No. 12614, aimed to position the book publishing industry as a key element in education and national development. The Act repealed Executive Order 492 of 1991, which had established the Instructional Materials Development Center under the Department of Education, Culture, and Sports (DECS).
Initially under the Office of the President, the NBDB was led by its first chairman, Atty. Dominador D. Buhain, and was based at A. Ma. Regidor Street, Area XI, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City, from 1995 to 2007. In 2007, the office relocated to the 2nd Floor of the National Printing Office, EDSA corner NIA Northside Road, Diliman, Quezon City, where it remained until 2012. From 2013 to March 2019, the NBDB was based at Unit 2401, Prestige Tower, F. Ortigas Jr. Road (formerly Emerald Avenue), Ortigas Center, Pasig City. The office then briefly occupied the 4th Floor, Dorm E, Department of Education Complex, Pasig City, from April to December 2019. Since January 2020, the NBDB has been located at the 3rd and 4th Floors of the Regalado Hive Building, Regalado Avenue, Fairview, Quezon City.
Mandate and Functions
[edit]The NBDB is mandated to:
- Promote the growth and development of the Philippine book publishing industry;
- Formulate and implement a National Book Policy and a corresponding National Book Development Plan;
- Encourage the publication and distribution of books, most especially the Filipino-authored ones, with emphasis on writing focused on science and technology, education, arts, culture, and literature;
- Ensure the availability of affordable, quality books for all sectors of society;
- Support authorship and readership initiatives through grants, subsidies, training programs, and awards.
Organizational Structure
[edit]The NBDB is governed by a Governing Board composed of representatives from the government, the private sector, and the book industry. The agency is led by its Chairperson, ably assisted by a Secretariat through an Executive Director, who is designated by the NBDB Governing Board.
Governing Board
[edit]The Governing Board assumes responsibility for carrying out and implementing the policies, purposes and objectives provided in the Republic Act No. 8047. It is composed of eleven members: representatives from the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Commission on Higher Education (CHED), Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), and five members appointed from organizations representing private book publishers, printers, writers, students, and the private education sector. These appointees are preferably representatives from the three main islands of the Philippines, reflecting the significant advancements in the book publishing industry across various regions. Board members are selected from three nominees put forward by nationwide organizations registered with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), with membership, where feasible, spanning cities and provinces nationwide. The Board elects its Chair from among its members, while the DepEd representative serves as the ex-officio Vice Chair. Following the appointment of Dante Francis M. Ang II as Chair of the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO) by President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. on October 16, 2024[1], the DepEd representative, Atty. Fatima Lipp D. Panontongan, has served as Acting Chair and concurrent Vice Chair since November 2024.
| Arroyo Administration | Aquino Administration | Duterte Administration | Marcos Administration |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dennis T. Gonzalez | Flor Marie Sta. Romana-Cruz | Dante Francis M. Ang II | |
| Christina P. Hidalgo | Karina Bolasco | Maureen Alexandra S. Ramos-Padilla | Maureen Alexandra S. Ramos-Padilla |
| Queena Lee-Chua | Dr. Isagani Cruz | Teresita Q. Adriano | Teresita Q. Adriano |
| Alegria Sibal-Limjoco | Ruel S. De Vera | Resignation effective June 30, 2020 | Yvonne F. De Mesa |
| Alfredo C. Ramos | Mary Ann A. Ordinario | Mary Ann A. Ordinario | |
| Roland Robles | Ani Rosa S. Almario | Jose Mirasol De Mesa | |
Secretariat
[edit]The NBDB has a permanent Secretariat] under an Executive Director, who shall be appointed by the board. The Executive Director has the authority and responsibility for the day-to-day management and direction of the operations and affairs of the Board. The Secretariat executes, administer, and implement the policies and measures approved by the Board. The structural and functional organization, compensation plan, and the staffing pattern of the Secretariat shall be approved by the Board upon the recommendation of the Executive Director. The Board may create, abolish, merge, or otherwise reorganize positions therein as may be necessary for the economical, effective, and efficient discharge of its functions and responsibilities subject to existing laws.
Affiliations
[edit]The NBDB partners with educational institutions, non-government organizations, local government units, and international bodies to help promote book development in the region.
Programs and Initiatives
[edit]The NBDB implements various programs aimed at developing both the supply and demand sides of the book ecosystem. These include:
- Readership programs, such as: The Book Nook Project, Philippine Book Festival, National Alliance of Reading Advocates (NARA), Read Pinoy Tele-Radio Program, Booklatan sa Bayan, Children's Book Summit, and Philippine International Literary Festival, among others;
- Authorship and publishing grants to support writers, independent publishers, and translators, such as: Creative Nation Grant, National Book Development Trust Fund, Publication Grant, NBDB Translation Subsidy Program, The Book Shelf, Great Trade Book Offset, Tax and Duty Free Importation of Raw Materials, and EO 226: Omnibus Investment Code of 1987 (Tax Holiday);
- Accreditation and support for publishers to uphold industry standards, such as: National Book Awards, National Children's Book Awards, and Filipino Readers’ Choice Awards;
- Research and policy development to guide strategic interventions in the industry.
The free registration initiative in 2024 and extended until December 31, 2025 further incentivized industry participation by waiving fees for professionals registering with the NBDB
The NBDB is also engages as an active partner and participant of the World Book and Copyright Day, Manila International Book Fair, Asian Festival of Children's Content in Singapore, Asian Rights Fair in Malaysia, Angoulême International Comics Festival (FIBD) in France, Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, London Book Fair in United Kingdom, and PEN International.
Accomplishments
[edit]As of December 31, 2024, the publishing industry comprises 2,080 registered individuals and 473 enterprises, totaling 3,546 professionals across various roles. This marks a significant increase from approximately 600 registered individuals in 2020, representing a growth of over 246% in four years. This continuous rise is attributed to the initiatives and campaigns led by the NBDB, which have encouraged more professionals to participate in the industry. The increase in active registrants is also attributed to the simplification of the registration process, which eliminated the requirement of notarization of documents and made it fully online and free.
| Registration Category | Number of entities registered per category |
|---|---|
| Book Publisher | 360 |
| Book Importer | 124 |
| Book Exporter | 24 |
| Book Seller | 244 |
| Book Printer | 73 |
| Book Industry Association | 5 |
| Author/Writer | 1,916 |
| Editor | 213 |
| Illustrator | 129 |
| Designer | 128 |
| Translator | 104 |
| Educational Technologist | 23 |
| Instructional Designer | 37 |
| Librarian | 11 |
| Literature Educator | 35 |
| Subject Matter Expert | 91 |
| Publishing Specialist | 24 |
| Literary Agent | 5 |
| TOTAL | 3,546 |
| Active Registrants | New | Renewal | TOTAL |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individuals | 1,556 | 524 | 2,080 |
| Enterprises | 196 | 277 | 473 |
| TOTAL | 1,752 | 801 | 2,553 |
See also
[edit]External links
[edit]- Republic Act No. 9521 (National Book Development Trust Fund Act)
- Executive Order No. 119 (National Book Policy)
- Executive Order No. 226 (Omnibus Investments Code of 1987)
- Executive Order No. 528 (Prescribing uniform fees for copies of official records and documents or for certificates furnished private persons and entities)
- Executive Order No. 885 (Modifying the nomenclature and the rates of duty on imported Educational, Technical, Scientific and Historical or Cultural books under Section 104 of the Tariff and Customs code of 1978 (Presidential Decree No. 1464), as amended
- Republic Act No. 8293 (Intellectual Property Code of the Philippines)
- Executive Order No. 189 (Transferring the National Book Development Board from the Office of the President to the Department of Education)
- Proclamation No. 120 (Declaring the Month of June 1999 and every year thereafter as Philippine Book Development Month)
- Proclamation No. 1436 (amending Proclamation No. 120 series of 199, by resetting the celebration of the Philippine Book Development Month from June to November of every year starting 2008)
Media related to National Book Development Board (Philippines) at Wikimedia Commons- Official website
- ^ Abad, Michelle (October 18, 2024). "Marcos names Dante Ang II as new Commission on Filipinos Overseas chair". RAPPLER. Retrieved May 28, 2025.