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.

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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.

His children have assumed the task of arranging the library, although it has remained unstructured as there is no catalog to help readers locate titles.

HOW IT BEGAN

Fondly called by his neighbors "Mang Nanie," Guanlao, 72, an accountant by profession, started the library in 2000 with only 50 books he found in his cabinet, after he grew frustrated with his career as a political strategist.

He aptly called it Reading Club 2000.

"I make it appear like I'm selling the idea of these reading materials like newsstands. Make it attractive, inviting," he recalled.

He believes that books have "no active life" and "sleeping" when hidden. "But if they are open, they are healthy," he said.

Guanlao launched the project in their family's ancestral house at a time when he was struggling financially and had three children to feed.

"We were five in the family when I decided to come up with serving the community," Guanlao said as instrumental music played in his pocket.

"I took the risk. It's a gamble."

His wife, who passed almost a year ago due to a stroke, had supported his decision to build the community library despite him being broke at the time.

"We'd have problems financially," he said, "but if you do not eat for a day, that will be only for a day, not forever."

BOOKS REACH REMOTE AREAS

From time to time, Guanlao goes out of his house with some books loaded on his trolley or in his backpack and distributes them to street kids.

He said he once traveled "as far as Laguna" to hand out free books.

Books from Guanlao's library have also reached distant communities — from Laoag, Cagayan, and Dagupan in the north to Jolo, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi in the south.

Some books on the house's second floor were sealed in a box waiting to be shipped to Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, on the day he was interviewed.

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The idea of supplying books to other libraries popped up when he had "a lot of books all over the place."

"I cannot sell that so I have to send them to the barrios, to the remotest barrios," Guanlao said, adding that he helped other communities put up their public libraries, too.

MISSION

Guanlao said he found his life's mission in community service 23 years ago through the public library.

"Lahat ng trabaho ko in my private life, job, career, nawawala eh, 'yung earnings, kaya I'm disappointed. Ito hindi nawala, nag-flourish. Kaya at least may fulfillment ako," he said.

(The earnings from my career disappeared, so I was disappointed. Here, it did not disappear, it flourished. So at least I have fulfillment.)

"I see that the more you are dealing with the poorest of the poor, the more you are given enlightenment in your life," he added.

Aside from his full-time work at the library, Guanlao also organizes feeding programs around Makati and neighboring cities, saying kids also need food and clothes.

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The project is funded by donors from abroad, he said.

"The more you give, the more it's rewarded a thousandfold. That's why I'm still here," Guanlao said.

"Serve humanity, serve as much as possible. Not until it hurts but until it feels good."