A tiny mountain library in Iloilo, Philippines, is helping kids fall in love with books again, one story, one smile, and one page at a time.
In a tiny mountain barangay in Tubungan, Iloilo, Philippines, something magical is happening. It might seem like just a humble bamboo-and-wood structure standing quietly along a narrow pathway where children walk one to two kilometers to school every day. But this little library is doing something many big institutions struggle to achieve: it is making children genuinely excited to read again.
A Small Library with a Big Mission
The library was started by YusufBel Overio, lovingly called “Doc Belle” by the children in the community. What began as a personal project quickly became a fundamental part of people’s lives. Whether or not she meant to, Doc Belle started a movement powered by kindness that fuelled creativity.
Doc Belle stocked the library with books from her own collection and titles her children had already outgrown. Later, she added other secondhand books, like donations from friends and relatives. The idea was simple: place books where children could access them, and trust the people in the community to care for them.
And it worked a charm.
Initially, people doubted whether children in the area would even be interested in books anymore. Like a lot of kids in the modern world, they were assumed to be too absorbed by their gadgets and mobile phones. But these children proved their community wrong. The moment the library opened, curious kids started popping by. Soon enough, more of them were reading than scrolling.
There’s something kind of magical and otherworldly about the idea of children sitting together on a mountain, reading and flicking through stories and fairy tales together.
Turning Reading into an Adventure
One reason the library became so successful so quickly is that Doc Belle understood something innate about children (and, perhaps, many of us adults, too). Nobody wants to do anything that feels like a chore or a demand. She knew that reading had to feel joyful, not forced.
So instead of creating a strict system, she found playful ways to engage the local children to keep them coming back. She placed a jar of biscuits and candies inside the library with a simple rule: read a book, get a treat. The children quickly started picking up titles and followed the rule diligently.
It might sound minute, but by taking steps like this, Doc Belle transformed reading into something exciting and rewarding. Suddenly, books were no longer school requirements or assignments; they were tickets to stories and adventures, and they brought with them a candy from the jar.
It didn’t stop there, either. Once the children were interested, Doc Belle introduced activities where the children could write short summaries about their books for prizes. These little incentives helped the kids to develop not only their reading, but also their comprehension and confidence.
What’s perhaps most touching is that in exchange for all of this, the children were so good. They kept the library clean, handled the books carefully, and even took their shoes off outside of the shed itself to avoid a mess. They showed their respect and appreciation by making sure The Overio Free Little Library was ready for the next people to enjoy.
More Than Just Books
Eventually, the little library became more than just a reading corner. Like many libraries across the world, it became a community space.
Adults started to visit. Some mothers even requested romance novels for the shelves. As more people came, donations increased, and the library was able to expand, adding additional sections for teens and adults.
The library even hosted an art day, where Doc Belle provided the materials for people to try their hand at painting, many for the first time. Afterwards, the community shared homemade meals before taking their new art pieces home.
It’s events like these that make libraries so important. They don’t just boost literacy statistics or provide education; they provide spaces for people to foster human connection. Especially in places like Tubungan. Where other resources might not reach, little libraries like this give people a space where creativity feels accessible. It becomes a space for people to learn life lessons, to meet new friends, and to grow in confidence.
Literacy In The Philippines
The success of the Overio Free Little Library says a lot about the current state of reading culture, especially in younger generations. They want to read. They just need it to be accessible.
Across the Philippines, educators and local governments have been expressing concern about declining reading rates and comprehension skills. And they’ve started to do something about it. Just like Doc Belle, places all over the country have started initiatives to promote literacy.
In Iloilo City alone, officials have launched outdoor libraries like The Atria Pocket Library featuring small, birdhouse-like shelves filled with books located around The Shops at Atria in Mandurriao and community reading spaces in hopes of reviving the love for reading. The mayor himself has emphasized the importance of reading, especially in the modern age of digital entertainment and gadgets.
If the Tubungan library achieved such success with no backing, no government support, just think of what initiatives like these could do for the children in the Philippines.
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Millie Ramm
Millie has been writing since she was a child, and has spent more time with her nose in books than anywhere else. She has been ghostwriting novels and editing for the past few years, and when not working she is curled up with her cats, looking for her next read.
