Cebu City — circa 2025

Lately I’ve been craving a good Filipiniana, only to realize how rare they’ve become—even in big bookstores like NBS and Fully Booked. With everything that’s happening in our country, I’ve been wanting to reconnect with my roots, to understand where we came from, and to grasp what ought to be. So I decided to start building my own Filipiniana collection.

Good thing I stumbled upon Lost Books, a hole-in-the-wall bookshop here in Cebu. To my knowledge, it’s one of the few independent bookstores in the city. They’re new—barely a year old—but the place is already flowing with positive energy.

On my first visit, I went looking for a Mojares. Found one, but the price tag on his Enigmatic Objects was out of my reach. Maybe next time? Instead, I picked up F. Sionil Jose’s Po-on. Finished it in just a few weeks—got to say I was impressed.

I dropped by recently, hoping to get Mass, but it was already sold out. Last time I was there, it sat right next to Po-on. Sayang. So I went for The Feet of Juan Bacnang instead. I heard it was inspired by the immortal Juan Ponce Enrile, which piqued my interest. So far, so good.

Now I’m torn between Lualhati Bautista’s Dekada ’70 and Resil Mojares’ The Maverick Senator: Vicente Sotto for my next read. And oh that State of War by Ninotchka Rosca looks good too.

This has definitely become a habit—and I’m down for it. Don’t know about you, but these books scratch an itch deep within me, and goodness, do they satisfy.

If you ever find yourself in Cebu City, come visit. Lost Books can be found near the Provincial Capitol, just a few steps from the Rizal Public Library. The people there are kind; the place is quite tiny but has lots of treasures and gems inside. They also serve coffee. Support local.

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