READING CAN STILL DRAW the crowds.

Almost 300 children attended back-to-back Read-Along sessions held yesterday at the Inquirer office in Makati and on Friday at the St. Alphonsus Liguori Integrated School (Salis) in Bacoor, Cavite.

Celebrity couple Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales top-billed yesterday’s session with their tandem-reading of Ramon Sunico’s “Two Friends, One World” before an audience of 130 children. On Friday, Pinoy Dream Academy third-placer Miguel Mendoza read Iris Gem Li’s “The Boy Who Touched Heaven” during a special Read-Along session before 140 students of Salis.

Yesterday’s Read-Along kicked off with dancing led by the Jollibee mascot amid shrieks from the audience. This was the largest session held so far at the Inquirer office.

Multi-awarded actor Muhlach is a veteran storyteller while his wife, beauty queen and TV host Gonzales, is a rookie.

Muhlach said he often read for various Jollibee projects. The show biz couple said they often read to their children, 6-year-old twins Atasha and Andres.

“It was fun. I think Read-Along is very nice. Events like this can trigger a lifetime habit of reading for the children and reading is very important,” Gonzales said.

Story of peace
Joining Muhlach and Gonzales were volunteer storytellers Emily Lambio of the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and storytelling champion Ron-Aldrich Golingo of Alitaptap.

Lambio read “Peter and Ahmed” by Jojie Wong and published by Hiyas.

The story is about two friends—one Christian and the other Muslim—who despite their religious and cultural differences remain friends.

“I was happy to be part of Read-Along. It is nice to impart values to children while also helping them realize the importance of reading. I chose this story to make people aware that Muslims and Christians can still live in harmony. It is also a way to reorient the children against biases and prejudices,” said Lambio, who is also an Alitaptap storyteller.

How to catch a fairy

Golingo read “Si Momoy, Ang Batang Nanghuli ng Diwata” by R.M. Custodio and published by S.G.E.

This was the 17-year-old’s winning piece at the recently concluded storyteller contest of Alitaptap.

Not to be outdone, Friday’s special session held on the Salis campus in Bacoor, Cavite, also broke records—it had the biggest audience for a Read-Along held outside Metro Manila.

Mendoza, Pinoy Dream Academy third placer, said he was actually more nervous reading to the kids than when he was on the singing competition.

“Maybe it’s because I’m more used to singing than storytelling,” he said. He read Li’s book which had won the Elias Dakila Storywriting Competition on Environment and Culture.

Then it was Alitaptap’s John Percival Gapas turn to read Christine Bellen’s “Filemon Mamon.” Returning Adarna storyteller Dyali Justo also read “Alamat ng Ampalaya” by Augie Rivera Jr. All stories on the pursuit of dreams were published by Adarna House.

Gapas, a first-time volunteer for the Read-Along, said he was “very happy” with his experience. “Masayang-masaya pala (It’s a very happy event). I’m glad I got to experience this,” he said.

On the other hand, Justo, who also read in last week’s Read-Along session in Marikina, said she was happy the children were “receptive, cooperative and attentive.”
Puppet show
Salis student storytelling champion Bryan Presillas also read his winning piece, Germaine Yia’s “Isang Kwentong Gagamba” published by Lampara Publishing House, Inc.

The Friday session was capped by a puppet show on environmental conservation entitled “The New Adventures of the Eco-Defenders” from the United States Agency for International Development and the United States Department of Energy’s Sustainable Energy Development Program (USAID-SEDP). Another Salis student, 9-year-old Precious Caluya, was the narrator.

Yesterday’s Read-Along was hosted by Ruth Navarra of Junior Inquirer in cooperation with Jollibee, which gave out toys and prizes and treated participants to Chickenjoy. The books were published by Hiyas, S.G.E. and Cacho Publishing.

Prizes
Friday’s Read-Along was cohosted by Navarra and Megi Garcia of Inquirer Corporate Affairs, in cooperation with Salis, USAID-SEDP and Universal Robina Corp. The books read were published by Adarna and Lampara, while Vibal Publishing gave out books as prizes.

Other sponsors included Krispy Kreme, Edukasyong Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran, Child Hope and the UP Economics Society. The books read were published by Cacho Publishing House, Hiyas and S.G.E.

The next session will be on Oct. 11 at the Inquirer office in Makati. Admission is on a first-come, first-served basis. Contact Ellen Caparros or Girlie Refran at 8978808, local 329. Interested Read-Along partners and those who want to hold a Read-Along session in their area may e-mail inquirer-readalong@inquirer.com.ph