Blackboard bargains

Part of the fun of back-to-school shopping is that it allows you to materially prepare for the future. As you browse through selections of folders and notebooks and pens, you feel the school year take shape; you get hyped up, knowing you’re a little more ready to face the challenges that this year has in store.

And really, when it comes to back-toschool shopping, National Book Store is With its Grand Back to School Fair, National Book Store is making shopping easier and more fun than it already is. the only place to begin. No store does it better when it comes to providing school supplies. NBS is ever-reliable, and it would be perfectly fine if nothing changed — but this year, the chain is taking it up a notch with its Grand Back to School Fair.

The fair, which is basically a soupedup back-to-school shopping bazaar, is slated from May 25 to 27 at the TriNoma Activity Center, and from June 1 to 3 at the Glorietta Activity Center. At the event you’ll be able to snag a bunch of great deals and offers, and even get your hands on a few freebies and prizes.

Here’s an example of a good steal: at the Grand Back to School Fair you’ll be able to buy Grab & Go Packs, which are basically packages of multiple materials — scissors, pens, highlighters, glue and white-out — for P145. If you want such materials plus notebooks and brown envelopes already in a backpack, look for the prepackaged Backpacks to School — the ones for Grades 1 to 3 go for P329, while the ones meant for Grades 4 to 6 go for P399. And for every P1,000 worth of purchased items, you get a free tote bag — and honestly, you can’t have too many totes. Where was all this stuff when I was a kid?

If you can’t make it to the fair, that’s all right: at over 230 branches across the country, NBS has also set up Back To School zones, which are basically pockets of space in the store where all school supplies are stacked to make shopping a little easier.

There’s a lot that needs to be done to make education more accessible to Filipinos, and NBS — through its stores, and even opening up its own college — is certainly at the head of the class.

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You can connect with National Book Store through their social media: @nationalbookstore on Instagram, and @nbsalert on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Viber. You can also contact their delivery hotline 8888-627, or go to their official website atnationalbookstore.com.

Education for all: Donating Project Aral's Kit 2 lets you help out students in need with a set of notebooks, pencils, and slippers for just P60.

Favorite things: The Grab & Go Pack has got you covered on the little things. Lay these babies out on the desk, your teacher’s going to be impressed.

Got your back: The Backpack to School has all the essentials you’ll need for the classroom.