IN CELEBRATION OF THE DAY OF ACTION PBSP gives storybooks to schoolchildren

Every 21st of June, people from different walks of life around the world take time out to volunteer for the Day of Action. The global campaign of nonprofit organization United Way Worldwide encourages everyone to work together and improve the building blocks for a good quality of life – education, financial stability, and health.

In Durham, North Carolina in the US, volunteers provided 1,000 weekend meal kits to 250 students in elementary schools. In Sydney, Australia, a community BBQ in Woolloomooloo, the city’s largest social housing venue, was held to bring together people from different backgrounds. Employees of Eaton China in Shanghai, China read to children and donated US$16,000 to support an early education initiative. Other initiatives were also held in Thailand, India, and South Korea.

In the Philippines, volunteer-employees from Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP), its member-companies and friends participated in the Day of Action by raising and covering storybooks for public schoolchildren.

Recognizing the need to make reading a daily habit among schoolchildren, PBSP decided to give storybooks that would not only enhance their skills in reading, but also teach them about the Filipino culture, age-old traditions and values. With the theme “Give A Book: Reading Nooks for Kids”, the campaign enabled PBSP to raise 550 storybooks, exceeding its initial target of 300. The books will adorn the shelves of the reading nooks in the classrooms of Grades 1-3 students of Maliksi Elementary School (ES) in Bacoor, Cavite.

BETTER THAN LIBRARIES

Maliksi ES, a PBSP-assisted school in Cavite is one public school needing assistance in resources to support its teachers and students. Most of its 2,942 students are from poor families whose income are dependent on fishing, seasonal work (construction work, contractual employment), and odd jobs like vending among others. One of the struggles of the school is that there is no functional library for its students. Its only library was converted into a classroom to accommodate its growing population.

This problem has resulted in the increase in non-readers and frustrated readers which now comprise half of the approximately 1,500 early graders. With the PBSP donation, the school is confident that it will significantly boost its “Drop Everything and Read” campaign and also give the kids access to reading materials right in the comfort of their own classrooms.

“Maganda ‘yung books kasi may Filipino and English translations. Educational talaga, pag binasa mo, may makukuhang mga aral ‘yung mga bata. Atsaka ‘yung mga magagandang larawan, pag binasa mo sa kanila hindi sila mabobore, siguradong magiging interesado sila (The books are really good because of the Filipino and English translations. They are very educational because the children will get moral lessons from it. Also, the illustrations will get the children to be interested in reading the storybooks.),” said Grade 1 teacher Geraldine Javier.

She revealed that her students had been content in reading the time-worn books that are stacked up on the shelf at the back of her classroom, only taking them out during their lunch breaks. But now that they already have new books, she is excited to read it to her students, especially to those who are just starting to learn how to read.

Grade 6 teacher Eden Francisco said that they even had to buy their own books in thepast just to be able to provide reading materials for their students.“Makakatulong ito ng malaki sa amin, lalo na sa mga bata kasi kapos kami sa aklat(The books will really help us a lot, especially to the kids since we don’t have enough ofthem.),” said Francisco. Carmela Martin, the Leadership Development Manager of Sitel who spent her Sunday covering books for the campaign, said that she was really happy that the kids will be able to read the books which she has also read when she was a child.

The book donation, according to PBSP Luzon Regional Center Manager Kristine Rivadelo, is something that the organization will continue doing in the long run.“Developing reading plus comprehension skills at an early age eventually makes our children perform better in their classes. Colorful and new storybooks easily available in their schools will definitely capture their interest. And for less than PhP100, you give a child that opportunity, that access. Thank you so much for those who supported hope to assemble more reading nooks for our public schools,” said Rivadelo.