Yesterday, Nina and I went to Pier 15 to checkout MV Doulos Floating library. Carrying 330 volunteers from 50 countries, MV Doulos crews don’t just sell books, they also reach out to prisoners and orphans by conducting short educational programs and providing hope and inspirations to each country they visit.

All of the volunteers on the ship receive no compensation, they even paid USD400 in the spirit of volunteerism. I love doing volunteer jobs, It feels good to help and it’s certainly priceless.  It was so humid yesterday but our visit was truly memorable, we were lucky since we did not wait too long to board the ship.

Floating Bookstore in Manila

This is the 7th consecutive year that the Floating Bookstore visited the Philippines and sad to say but this will be the last. MV Doulos and it’s ambassadors of goodwill will bid farewell next year as the 93 year old ship is scheduled to retire next year.

Built in 1914 and only three years younger than the Titanic (1911), Macdonalds said that unlike the ill-fated ship’s boast that it could not be sunk, “God is keeping this ship afloat.” The Doulos is currently the world’s oldest passenger liner still sailing the seven seas and it was previously named Medina, Roma, and Franca C.

Floating Library

Before being converted as a floating bookstore, the ship served as freighter, migrant carrier and a cruise liner.

The ship is currently docked in Manila’s Pier 15 (behind the Manila Hotel). The book fair is open from 10:00 am to 10:00 pm with an entrance fee of P20.