Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte gestures as she delivers her keynote speech during the opening of the Philippine Book Festival Davao held at SM Lanang Premier's SMX Convention Center on Friday. LEAN DAVAL JR.
“Books and other related reading materials could change lives. And through books and other related and relevant reading materials, we want to change the lives of our learners,” she said in her message.“We are fortunate to host this event in our beloved city in time for the Kadayawan Festival,” she said.
“The importance of your work is something that we cannot overemphasize and the same can also be said about the significance of the books authored by people who have dedicated their lives to the profession and advocacy of sharing their expert or academic knowledge with others, giving inspiration to others, or entertaining others through their stories—fiction or non-fiction,” she said.
She added that the book festival is more than gathering the finest book writers, book readers and collectors, illustrators, agents, and publishers.