ACTIVITY 1. SPOT THE TREND

MANILA — Outside the residence of Hernando Guanlao are books shadowed by foliage and placed on custom-made shelves under an extended roof. 

But inside his house, located along Balagtas Street in Barangay La Paz, Makati City, thousands more titles are waiting to be picked up by visitors any time — for free.

There are no rules at the library: People can own or borrow as many books as they want, and they can also donate in return.

Despite giving them free of charge and without limit, his library is always replenished with fresh supplies.

"I win the confidence of many," Guanlao told ABS-CBN News in an interview, saying he had recently received four sacks of books.

"If I put a tag price, I will not be able to achieve this," he said as he was surrounded by heaps of books in his house's dimly lit hallway on a hot morning.

Students and even professionals visit Guanlao's home to sift through his library, where textbooks, encyclopedias, novels, and magazines also line the stairs.