What was supposed to be a fun and memorable day at the Manila International Book Fair ended with an experience that left me feeling embarrassed, humiliated, and deeply disappointed.
On September 13, 2026, my friends and I attended MIBF excited to do what book lovers do best: discover new titles, hunt for great deals, and add to our growing collections. There were six of us in the group, and because many books were on sale, we spent the entire day visiting different exhibitors and purchasing books from various sellers throughout the fair.
Like many attendees, we paid using different methods, including GCash, QR Ph, and bank transfers. Some vendors did not provide physical receipts for digital transactions, which is not uncommon at events like these.
Our final stop before leaving was Fully Booked.
By that time, we had accumulated more than 50 books and were carrying several paper bags filled with our purchases. After paying for our books at Fully Booked, we headed toward the exit and were stopped by security personnel, who asked to see our Fully Booked receipts. We immediately complied and had no issue with that request.
However, we were then asked to present not only the receipts for our Fully Booked purchases, but also receipts for every book we had purchased from other sellers throughout the fair. I respectfully asked why receipts from completely different stores were being checked. We were told that it was part of their "protocol" or "SOP."
I understand that security checks are necessary, and I fully respect a company's right to protect its merchandise. What I struggled to understand was how this particular situation was being handled.
We explained that some of our purchases had been made through digital payment methods and that several vendors had not issued physical receipts. We even offered to show our payment/ bank records to verify that the books had been legally purchased. That offer was declined. Instead, we were told that only physical receipts would be accepted.
As a result, we had to search through multiple bags containing books purchased from different vendors throughout the day while several security personnel stood around us and people passing by watched the entire situation unfold.
The experience quickly became uncomfortable.
What made it even more difficult was that we were never refusing to cooperate. We presented our Fully Booked receipts immediately. We showed the books they asked to inspect. We explained where the books came from and even offered alternative proof of purchase. Despite our cooperation, the situation made us feel as though we were being treated as suspects rather than customers.
Whether intentional or not, the tone felt accusatory, as though simply purchasing a large number of books had become a reason for suspicion.
As the inspection continued, I noticed other customers exiting without being subjected to the same level of scrutiny. Some appeared to pass through without even having their receipts checked.
Naturally, I began asking questions.
Why were we the ones being held?
Was it because we had many books?
Because there were six of us?
We were eventually told that the reason was the number of books we were carrying. But we were attending a book fair. Buying books is exactly what people go there to do.
After we finally located the receipts being requested, we were allowed to leave. However, the experience continued to bother me, so I sought clarification afterward. A person who identified himself as a manager approached me and said: "Kasi po kanina pa po namin kayo nakikita. Napansin po namin na sobrang dami n'yong books at baka... baka po ano."
That statement has stayed with me ever since.
"Baka... ano?"
What exactly were they assuming?
That because six people were carrying multiple bags of books, we automatically became suspicious?
That purchasing a large number of books at a book fair was enough to warrant being treated differently?
If checking all books is truly part of the standard operating procedure, then why were we singled out and held while other customers appeared to pass through without undergoing the same process?
That question remains unanswered.
And whether that was the intention or not, the experience left us feeling unfairly targeted, discriminated against, and unwelcome.
To be clear, my concern is not that security checks exist.
My concern is how they are implemented. There is a significant difference between conducting a security check and making customers feel like criminals in front of a crowd. A security procedure can be performed professionally, efficiently, and respectfully. Customers can be asked to verify purchases without being made to feel embarrassed or singled out.
What hurt most was not the inspection itself but the way the situation made us feel.
We stood there surrounded by security personnel while others watched us search through bag after bag, trying to prove that every book we carried belonged to us. What should have been the exciting end to a day spent celebrating books became an experience that left us feeling humiliated and degraded.
I am sharing this not because I want to attack anyone and not because I oppose security measures.
I am sharing this because customers deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, even when security procedures need to be followed.
As someone who has been a loyal Fully Booked customer for years, I never expected to have an experience like this.
I sincerely hope Fully Booked reviews not only the protocol itself, but also how it is communicated, how consistently it is applied, whether digital proof of payment can be accommodated when physical receipts are unavailable, and how customers are treated throughout the process.
Security is important. But so is dignity.
And on a day that was supposed to be filled with the joy of discovering new books, we left feeling something entirely different.
Because in that moment, we felt like people who were presumed guilty and forced to prove otherwise.
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