Once again, the Pambansang Tambayan
Adrian Ramos is on a mission. His goal? To make National Book Store the “pambansang tambayan” once again. “People want a third space that’s non-traditional and non-intimidating that they can hang out in,” he said.
One way they're doing this is through a new generation of Superbranches.
The idea of a Superbranch isn't new to National Book Store. They first used the term back in the 1980s, when their Cubao store became the biggest branch.
Decades later, being a Superbranch is no longer just about being the biggest. “We re-envisioned what a Superbranch was going to be in today’s time,” said Adrian, who is the president and CEO of National Book Store.
Adrian is the grandson of National Book Store founders Socorro Cancio-Ramos, fondly known as Nanay Coring, and Jose Ramos. He stepped into the role of president towards the end of 2019, just before the pandemic brought the world to a standstill.
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“We had some operational challenges in 2019 and my first priority was fixing those, not knowing there would be this curveball. Nothing wrong with being scared, nothing wrong with being anxious. We all felt it. It's okay to feel those feelings but you can't let it overwhelm you. Because once you do, it’s hard to move, and when you're responsible for that many people and the legacy of a brand, it's enough reason to get off your ass,” he told The Philippine STAR.
The pandemic had been about survival, Adrian said. “Then we all got out of it and we had to get our bearings and figure out where to go. The flagship experience is something we've been building.”
Flagships
That’s what today’s Superbranches are—they’re National Book Store’s flagships.
The first iteration was the SM Mall of Asia Superbranch, which they launched in 2024. “It has a beautiful books section, a complete stationery selection, it could handle large crowds for back-to-school shopping plus it has a coffee shop—Toby’s Estate,” said Adrian.
And then there’s the Festival Mall Superbranch in Alabang, which has generated quite a buzz since it opened a couple of months ago. The columns alone have gotten a lot of attention and for good reason: they’re made of real books!
Adrian said, “The Festival Mall Superbranch is the culmination of everything we’ve learned in the last few years. With Festival Mall, we had a larger canvas to play with and we really let go. We put together a space that will really restore National Book Store as the pambansang tambayan.”
The 1,300-sqm store is divided into zones dedicated to school and office essentials, stationery, art supplies, gifts and other finds.
Ample space is devoted to the children’s area. “We built Kids Ink inside the Festival Mall Superbranch. The whole idea is to give kids a space to hang out, play and beg their parents for the books they want to get,” Adrian said, laughing. “The kids’ zone brings me joy because it’s a place where we can raise a new generation of Laking National kids. We want to offer hands-on moments, analog moments for the children — anything we can do to balance out their screen time.”
The kids’ area has a playground, little tables and chairs and educational toys.
Book zone
Adrian said, “But of course, the book zone is the one closest to my heart. It's really beautiful.”
It is beautiful, with its curved wooden shelves, warm lighting and communal tables. On the Open Shelf are reading copies that customers can enjoy perusing right in the store. There are plenty of seats, including book-lined bleachers and spots that offer a view of the River Garden.
“The reading section was designed as a place for hanging out,” said Adrian.
The Festival Mall Superbranch is also home to Seoulful Stories, a section showcasing Korean titles, made possible by National Book Store’s partnership with the Korean Cultural Center in the Philippines.
There’s also a Toby’s Estate inside this Superbranch for people who want to grab a cup of coffee, enjoy some snacks and get some work, studying or reading done.
In front of the store is a marketplace—a great place for pop-ups and special events. There’s also a photo booth and a flower bar.
“The market wants experiences. People want beautiful aesthetics coupled with great value,” said Adrian. “Our mission is to help people live balanced lives by giving them both analog experiences and complementing their digital lives, and to provide these experiences and products in the most sulit and affordable way. Everybody asks, ‘What is National Book Store's role in an AI-dominated world?’ For me, that's the role. It's no longer just about being a purveyor of books and school supplies. It's about helping people live balanced lives and helping them find community.”
It’s also why they resurrected the Philippine Readers and Writers Festival this year, he said.
The opening of The Festival Mall Superbranch drew plenty of reactions, with people praising the bookstore’s thoughtful design. But Adrian’s favorite? The one that said, “Plot twist of 2026.”
Transformation
“Transformation takes time and you always wonder if it’s too late. And clearly it wasn’t. People were just waiting for what it was going to be. It’s very gratifying and heartwarming that National Book Store still held a special place in so many people's hearts and they were just waiting for what we were going to come up with,” Adrian told the STAR.
The next Superbranches will be at Gateway Mall 2 and SM City Cebu.
Not every branch can be a Superbranch, of course. “There are only a handful of malls that can handle that size,” said Adrian. “But regardless of size, everything is going to be done to be able to maximize being a pambansang tambayan and give people hands-on moments and experiences inside the store.”
National Book Store has over 260 stores across the Philippines and a number of them have undergone or are undergoing renovations. These include the branches in SM Aura, Power Plant Mall, Robinsons Magnolia and Greenhills Mall.
“Different stores in different malls have different purposes and different perspectives. Our new design philosophy has already been rolled out in some stores outside Metro Manila like SM La Union, SM J Mall in Cebu and SM City Laoag. The reaction to our renovated store in SM Iloilo has been tremendous. The reception to our return to Robinsons Dumaguete has been amazing. This tells me that we're on the right path. I hope that customers that we may have lost or don't know about us yet can discover us again as we continue to build.”
NBS Park
It’s the same spirit of creating third spaces that led Adrian and his brother Anton to launch NBS Park in what used to be the company’s warehouse along Pioneer Street in Mandaluyong City.
“It had been idle for a while and we were thinking, ‘Sayang, what a waste.’ We kept thinking, ‘What are we going to do?’ We met architect Sarah Canlas and we started discussing ideas.”
They decided to turn it into a community space, a place where people can explore their passions. “It all goes back to wanting to build third spaces where people can spend time, have analog and hands-on experiences, and create core memories.”
Engkanto Brewery was the first tenant to come on board, opening its taproom and gastropub, Engkanto Taps. Adrian said, “Engkanto is a uniquely Filipino brand creating uniquely Filipino craft beers that are delicious. We like working with unique concepts. 'Yung sasadyain.”
NBS Park is now a mix of restaurants and cafes (Astro, Pluck, Type A Coffee), galleries (125 Projects, Gajah Gallery) and home and design showrooms (DNA Design Lab, Porcelanosa). It is also home to ParTee Golf, a virtual golf venue.
More tenants are on the way, and the development is set to expand into the first three floors of National Book Store’s office building.
There’s also a common area where visitors can hang out, complete with Adrian’s father’s old chessboards, which are there for anyone who wants to play. “My dad was really big on chess. For my brother and me, it was the best way to celebrate his legacy, to share it with everybody.”
They’ve also been adding more greenery. “Eventually, we want people to be able to walk around the park and be surrounded by gardens.”
NBS Park has also hosted various events, from pop-ups and markets to festivals.
It’s also at NBS Park that you’ll find the country’s first 24/7 book vending machine.
Designed to look like a giant book, the Book Drop dispenses dozens of titles. Its previous theme was cozy fiction and it now features Pinoy reads. They’re also setting up a small library in the common area of the park, which already has plenty of seating for people to gather, read, or take a breather.
Adrian said, “We've only just begun. This is not a celebratory finish line, this is just the first step of our future.”
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