The world’s biggest and baddest book sale – BIG BAD WOLF has finally landed in the Queen City of the South and is officially open to the public last Friday! Browse through over 1 million books for 24 hours all at 60% – 80% off regular prices. It will be running for 10 days starting July 13 9AM until July 23, 2018 at 11:59PM at the IEC Convention Center Cebu (at the back of Landers). Admission is FREE so make sure to drop by!!

As for me, I was able to get first dibs on the book sale as I was among the invited Cebuanos who got an entry pass to the preview day last Thursday, July 12. I also got to visit again on the opening day, July 13 and the day after. Now let me tell you the things you need to know before going there yourself.

1. Wear Comfortable Clothes and Shoes. You will be walking around a warehouse looking for books and you don’t wanna be uncomfortable especially in heels, do you?
2. Foods and drinks are not allowed inside. Even tumblers. you will ask to leave them at the entrance so make sure you have a full stomach before you enter! You are also not allowed to bring books inside with you. EDIT: Food stalls like potato corner, burger joint etc are available but i don’t think you can bring them inside the main hall. These shops are also not open when we went around midnight so I think only during the day.
3. Bring Eco bags, maleta even! If you are planning on getting a lot of books and don’t want to carry those plastic bags on your way out then I suggest you bring your own eco bags. Especially on no plastic Wednesdays and Saturdays or else you will have no choice but to pay extra P20 for a single eco bag.
4. List all your wish list before going. And by wish list I meant your fave books/authors that you still haven’t read or a hard copy of. This will help you focus of only getting what you need rather than your wants especially if you have a budget. If budget is not an issue then go grab them all! haha
5. Carts are available for use. Grab one just on the right side once you enter the warehouse.
6. Be mindful of the cashier lines. Cashier lines are sometimes long (especially during the day) it will take you more or less an hour to get to the cashier – on peak hours ha. I suggest going with a friend and have a friend check up the lines or line up for you when you both are about to finish picking up books at the main hall. This way, the other can do some last-minute shopping while the other is generous enough to line up for everyone. If you are going alone then make sure you are not in a hurry.
7. Best time to go is on a weekday either early morning or late at night. Avoid going around mid day as people seem to flock around this time. I went back on a friday night Saturday dawn at around 1am and went to the cashier at around 4am and everything was smooth. I went back again late night on Saturday (9pm), went to the cashier around 12am and we only queued for less than 30 mins.
8.  They do accept major cards but not debit cards from BPI. For me its better to bring cash for fast and smooth transactions just in case their system will be down. Also don’t expect super fast hands cashiers as most of them are volunteers and are new to this.
9. Shop Responsibly. Don’t toss unwanted books as much as possible or just don’t pick a book up if you’re not planning to really get them. Return books to where you found them. This way you are giving a favor not only to the volunteers but also the next shopper.
10. Books are categorized by area. There is fiction, non-fiction and children’s area. There are also sub categories like design and architecture, sports, music, romance, fashion and beauty, history, music, travel, business and leadership, self-help, comics, home and gardening, young adults, activity books like Sudoku and adult coloring and so much more!
11. There is a storage area where they can store your chosen books for 24 hours. Come back during off-peak hours and pick up books and go straight to the cashier line while the rest are still browsing.
12. Ready to be in debt. Everything is at its lowest price so make sure to focus on what you only need especially when you have a budget in mind. Like what my dad said, “With the tons of books here, you need to prioritize what new knowledge can feed your brain. Else, you come out from this warehouse really broke!”
13. Donate books if you wish. Big Bad Wolf has partnered with Gawad Kalinga, a Philippine based NGO that aims to end poverty by first restoring the dignity of the poor. There is a little section on your way to the exit where you can buy books and donate it to BBW’s partner beneficiary. Also, part of the proceed of this book sale will benefit programs of Gawad Kalinga.
14. Deliver your books straight to your door step! They have partnered with 2Go Express to make this possible for you especially if you are not from Cebu.
15. Enjoy!  This is only happening for 10 days and we still do not know if they will come back and make this an annual thing so make sure to take advantage and of course, enjoy the whole experience! Share your book hauls by using the hashtags #bigbadwolfph and #bigbadwolfcebu so others can see it and also for them to know what books are available.

To be honest, I am really not a die-hard book reader myself but I do enjoy reading from a book from time to time. I have been to the book sale 3 times in a row since the preview day and it surely is a different experience every time. This is not just a bookworm’s dream come true but this is also an opportunity for others to get into reading as prices are really affordable so you have no excuse not to grab at least one. Besides, the primary aim of the book sale is to provide affordable books to the public and promote global English literacy.

The book sale features a wide range of books across all genres, including fiction and non-fiction bestsellers, young adult fiction, as well as an extensive collection of children’s books.

The Sale, the brainchild of BookXcess founders Andrew Yap and Jacqueline Ng, has been a land mark event in Malaysia since 2009. It has extended its footprint across cities in Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka and the Philippines and arriving in Cebu for the very first time this year. I am hoping they can do this as a yearly thing from now on.

I hope you enjoy this mini guide. Now go ahead and head to the book sale before it’s too late!

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