Alleged book hoarding and crowd control became concerns during the 2026 run of the annual Manila International Book Fair (MIBF).
The MIBF is among the most anticipated events for bibliophiles who want to buy beloved reads at lower prices and have opportunities to meet authors.
This year, it was held at the SMX Convention Center from September 9 to 13.
The event drew thousands of attendees, with some claiming the venue was full even on weekdays.
Others alleged seeing customers who “hoarded books” or bought several titles, raising concerns about potential reselling at higher prices.
A Threads user claimed to have seen a “well-known book seller from TikTok” who appeared to be “hoarding” the book “Taiwan Travelogue.”
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The Threads user later shared a post from National Book Store, stating that customers were limited to purchasing only one copy of the book.
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The same Threads user also claimed to have seen some books from university publishers being sold online “for three times their price.”
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Another patron suggested that the event organizer “limit book buying to three to five per customer,” citing alleged instances of hoarding.
“Hakot na ginagawa ng resellers, as in boxes kinuha na, first day pa lang,” a Facebook user wrote.
“During the event, I came across several frustrating experiences and reports regarding hoarders and scalpers. It’s honestly sad to see, especially for readers who simply want to purchase books for themselves, but end up missing out because certain titles are being purchased in large quantities,” another commented.
“Perhaps MIBF could consider implementing a limit on how many copies of the same title a person can purchase, especially when someone is buying books in bulk. This could help ensure that more readers have a fair chance to purchase the titles they want, particularly when certain books are in high demand,” the Facebook user continued.
“T*** *** hanggang MIBF may scalpers? Wdym [you’re] reselling it for P279, eh P225 lang ‘yan sa MIBF,” another wroter. “Wdym” is internet shorthand for “What do you mean.”
Others, meanwhile, claimed that some perceived “hoarders” may simply be doing “pasabuy” duties.
“Pasabuy” refers to when someone offers to buy items for those who cannot purchase them themselves due to schedule conflicts or geographical constraints, or other reasons.
A Threads user said that someone who was thought to be a “hoarder” of “Perfect Marriage” was actually buying copies for others who could not attend the MIBF.
“We are thankful na kahit nasa liblib na lugar kami, nakakakuha pa rin kami ng magagandang libro dahil sa pasabuy nila,” the Threads user said, in response to a photo of someone buying the title in bulk.
Concerns over personnel
Another Threads user, on the other hand, shared their “embarassing, humilitating, and deeply disappointing” experience after buying “more than 50 books” at Fully Booked and being scrutinized by the security personnel upon exiting the booth.
The Threads user claimed they were also asked to present receipts for every book they had purchased from other sellers, a practice they found unusual but were told it was supposedly part of “protocol.”
They were also asked to present physical receipts for their books, but the Threads user said some were purchased through cashless methods and that the vendors did not give them receipts.
The Threads user said they were willing to present their bank records to verify that they had purchased the books, but the offer was “declined.”
“We explained where the books came from and even offered alternative proof of purchase. Despite our cooperation, the situation made us feel as though we were being treated as suspects rather than customers. Whether intentional or not, the tone felt accusatory, as though simply purchasing a large number of books had become a reason for suspicion,” the Threads user said.
The Threads user, who claimed to be a “loyal Fully Booked customer for years,” hoped that the bookstore would “review” its protocol so that customers could be “treated with dignity and respect.”
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Others expressed support for the Threads user, saying that buying several books is expected at such an event, which is intended to offer books at discounted prices and allow buyers to find good deals.
“So base sa reasoning nila, bawal bumili ng madami kasi magiging suspicious activity ‘yun? Eh, anong point pumunta ng fair pala,” one wrote.
“Hala, ang lala. Eh even other publishers advises people to bring their own bags if they are planning to buy many books. And I agree, it’s a book fair, natural marami kayong bitbit na libro,” another said.
Better crowd control
Meanwhile, some suggested that the event could implement additional “crowd control” measures, citing the number of attendees at this year’s edition, which they said was “larger” than in previous years.
“I was anxious — the venue’s capacity was exceeded. It is a dangerous place to be if there is a fire. The space a merchant gets should match the inventory they intend to bring,” content creator Mighty Magulang wrote.
“This year’s MIBF was the WORST in my experience. I went twice this year kasi baka na-timing-an lang ako the first time, but nope. I really didn’t feel na may effective crowd control (kung meron man) especially when it felt like the volume of people this year doubled or even tripled compared to last year,” another commented.
“No improvement sa space ng NBS and Fully Booked, kahit we all know sila ‘yung may pinakamalaking crowds every year. Same floor, same cramped experience,” the Threads user added.
“This was my worst MIBF experience in [five] years: There’s no crowd control. It’s absolutely overflowing in every booths, the volume of people was probably [five times] more than the previous years, I just wished it was handled well,” another Pinoy said.
The MIBF is an annual event where book merchants sell titles at discounted prices or offer deals to readers.
It also serves as a venue where authors and other talents converge, collaborate and share their works with the public.
