Big Bad Wolf is back with another million books—and this time they’ve taken their deals and discounts (50 to 90 percent off) to Pampanga. “We wanted to come to the northern region,” said Jacqueline Ng, founder of Big Bad Wolf Book Sale. “Cabalens can look forward to a lot of fiction books from well-known authors such as JK Rowling, Paulo Coelho, Rick Riordan and more.”

Expect to see a lot of new titles, including of their popular Augmented Reality Magical Books. “We have six new Magical Book titles,” said Narisa dela Peña, Big Bad Wolf Books Philippines country manager.

Shoppers can head to LausGroup Event Centre in San Fernando, Pampanga, for the sale, which runs 24 hours a day until July 22.

Super tips

“Wear comfortable shoes,” said Narisa. That’s a must. You’ll be doing a lot of walking and standing so leave the heels at home.

Bring ecobags. Plastic bags are a no-no in San Fernando. “Or bring luggage, we’ve seen people do that,” said Narisa. You can also buy ecobags for P20 each at the checkout counters.

The Treasure Island section is where you can find books by best-selling authors at P90 each. The selection is really varied and random so you can find boxed sets, children’s books, and hardbound novels for the same price.

If there are numerous plastic-sealed copies of one title, do not open the plastic seal. There is always a sample nearby for you to check out the contents. Practice courtesy and return sample where you got it.

Go on different days. Big Bad Wolf brought a total of 1 million books for Pampanga. There are always new books and titles to be found on different days.

Start your Christmas shopping at the sale. Jacqueline said, “Why do we have to fight so hard to keep the cost down? So that when you buy a book, you don’t buy it just for yourself, you’re more than happy to give it as a present. That price point has to be that magic number that you are more than happy to buy one more.”

Give the Augmented Reality Books or the Hippo Books a try. The six new titles that Narisa mentioned are “The Wheels on the Bus,” “Old McDonald” “Little Giraffe’s Big Idea,” “Little Bear’s Big Adventure,” “Roar Went the Lion” and “Cinderella.” Each brand new Hippo book is still priced at remaindered rates of P290.

Do not leave your pushcarts unattended. People would think you have abandoned your books and possibly grab them.

Seize the chance to do some good. Big Bad Wolf’s Red Readerhood Programme allows you to donate books to Gawad Kalinga. Big Bad Wolf has jump-started the giving by pledging 500 books this sale. Books are then brought to libraries in far-flung areas of the country to give children in those communities access to good books. “And it’s not just Gawad Kalinga. We share the books with other communities and bring them to hospitals as well,” said Luis Oquinena, executive director of Gawad Kalinga.

Traveling from another city to Pampanga? Turn it into an adventure. Shop at Big Bad Wolf, go on a food trip and stock up on Pampanga’s Best’s popular offerings (their store is very near the sale venue). Pampanga is home to some of the Philippines’ best dishes. There are plenty of restaurants nearby including Susie’s Cuisine and Teresita R. Razon’s Palabok and Halo-halo.

A day will not be enough between the books and the food you would want to try in San Fernando. You can opt to stay overnight to enjoy extended shopping and eating. Microtel is inside the compound of LausGroup Event Centre. It is in walking distance from the Big Bad Wolf venue. Overnight stay in two-queen-bed rooms costs around P3,600 and is inclusive of breakfast. Amenities include a swimming pool.

There are also whole houses and rooms for rent on Airbnb if hotel stay is not your thing. San Fernando rates go for P1,500 to P3,500 per night and could accommodate six to eight people.