BY BENJAMIN CAPILLO III/UM Intern
DAVAO City is poised to become a hotbed for literature and creativity, due to a growing number of grassroots initiatives supporting local writers, readers, and storytellers of all ages.
Leading the charge is KB Meniado, a Davaoeña writer and community builder who believes that Davao can become a “city of stories and art”.
“I’m very proud to be from here. Ganahan kaayo ko ug durian, pomelo, atong food, and everything. It’s so nice that we can also complement that with our creative efforts, communities, pursuits,” explains Meniado during the PEP Talks on May 9.
She is one of the people behind Bookbed, a Filipino book community that started in 2010, focused on supporting local authors and creatives.
“Kana atong push. Kay atong mga creatives diria, they have a platform where they can share their art, poetry, comics, everything. We try to give them the space and also the support to live their true potentials as creatives,” Meniado added.
One such space is Bibi Mangki Bookbed, a private home library near Bacaca Road open to all ages, offering 1,000+ books and other reading materials in rotation, with many Filipino titles, indie works, and rare editions.
Among the authors Meniado supported is 10-year-old Davaoeña Sofia Perez, whose debut fantasy novel “A Tale of Mayhem, Myth, and Magic” was published through the Book Writers’ Club in 2024 and exhibited during the 2025 Philippine Book Festival during its Young Author’s Hour in March.
KB is also affiliated with Silent Book Club Davao, a local chapter of the global community that recently collaborated with the National Museum of the Philippines Davao last month in a reading, journaling, and zine-making event.
