By Luigi De Guzman

By Rhianna Ramos

The Ateneo Senior High School (ASHS) opened National Book Week (NBW) 2026, with the theme “Ang Bawat Mambabasa ay Tagapagdala ng Pag-Asa,” on Monday, January 12, marking the start of a week-long celebration led by the Educational Media Center (EMC).

The Broadway Theatre Troupe of Ateneo (BTTA) officially opened the event at the first-floor foyer of the Main Building during recess with a skit and song performance inspired by “Agony,” a song from the musical “Into the Woods.”

The opening day also included the Literary Lookalike Costume Contest, where classes dressed as book characters for an interclass competition, and a photobooth at the second-floor foyer.

An employee category was included in the Literary Lookalike Costume Contest, encouraging the ASHS personnel to submit full-body photos of their chosen costume taken on campus as their official entry.

The Fully Booked Book Fair, along with the Blind Book Date, also began, which allowed students to borrow wrapped mystery books based on clues instead of book covers.

Furthermore, the EMC also launched its #BookTok series featuring student-made book reviews and opened the Book Recommendation Wall for students to share reading suggestions. 

The first day of the NBW Online Quiz Bee was also conducted — a daily trivia contest on literature sent through email.

Moreover, on January 14, the ASHS will host Literary Voices: An Author’s Perspective — a talk on writing, creativity, and the process behind crafting stories — featuring Ms. Christine Lao, PhD, and Sir Mark Norman Boquiren.

The book fair is set to close on January 15, while the final rounds of the quiz bee and the closing of the recommendation wall will take place on January 16. 

Along with this, the EMC scheduled the announcement of quiz bee winners and Blind Book Date raffle winners for January 20, while the Poster & Slogan Making Contest submissions were set for January 23.

However, the Book Donation Drive is scheduled to continue throughout the month of January in support of the Ateneo Junior High School (AJHS) Pugad Literary Folio Project.

Karlyn Faith Ang of 12-Acquaviva stated that the various activities allow Ateneans to be more creative, reflective, and socially aware.

She also explained that NBW helps students explore literature from different perspectives and become more open-minded and expressive.

“Book Week provides the opportunity for students to engage with books besides academic purposes, so that they become more open-minded, expressive, and aware of the diverse perspectives that literature offers,” she said.

Furthermore, Kyle Soriano from 12-Sullivan shared, “Book Week encourages us to think creatively, explore new ideas, and express ourselves in ways we don’t usually get to in regular classes.”

The celebration will continue through January 16 with various activities such as the book fair, daily quiz bee rounds, Blind Book Date participation, and #BookTok uploads.