MANILA, Philippines -- The kids got off to a good start.

Barely a month after the opening of classes, 104 Grade-1 pupils of Heneral Pio del Pilar Elementary School were treated to a special Inquirer Read-Along session with. veteran broadcaster Korina Sanchez and child actress Ella Guevara as guest readers.

Held in partnership with the Bright Minds Read (BMR) program of the Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC), Friday?s read-along was held at the McDonald?s PRC branch in Makati City.

Started in 2002, the BMR program works hand in hand with the Department of Education in promoting reading among school children. It also provides beneficiary schools with books and programs designed to enhance reading skills and promote values education among students.

Also gracing the storytelling session was Ronald McDonald, the primary mascot of the global fast-food chain.

Korina and fairy tales

Sanchez read ?Emang Engkantada at ang Tatlong Haragan,? a story about three stubborn kids who refuse to care for the environment, written by Rene O. Villanueva and published by Adarna House.

The broadcaster said she used to read stories to children under the ABS-CBN Foundation?s Bantay Bata program. ?I?ve since gotten so busy, so it?s refreshing to do this again. I admire the advocacy, that?s why I said yes.?

She made the session enjoyable by varying her voice while reading, by asking kids questions and urging them to repeat keywords.

?As a child, I was into fairy tales and encyclopedias,? said Sanchez, who was recently engaged to Senator Manuel "Mar" Roxas and was busy preparing for their upcoming wedding.

She said she liked reading biographies like those on Lee Iacocca, Warren Buffett, Katie Couric, Barbara Walters, Sammy Davis Jr., Mahatma Gandhi and Mother Teresa.

?I believe the best lessons come from real-life stories,? she said.

Importance of cleanliness

Guevara read ?Nang Magkakulay ang Nayon,? which focuses on the importance of cleanliness. Written by Susan de la Rosa Aragon, the story was also published by Adarna House.

Guevara, a Grade-5 student at Justo Learning Academy in Antipolo, said she was reading ?The 39 Clues,? a series of fantasy adventure books.

?I prefer books to toys now because you can learn a lot from reading,? said the child star who appears in GMA-7?s teleserye, ?Totoy Bato,? and QTV?s ?Kids on Q.?

Wrapping up the Inquirer Read-Along session was Ronald McDonald, who read ?Sa Bakawan,? a story about mangroves, the perils of improper waste disposal and pollution.

The story was written by beauty titlists Cathy Untalan, Reena Rae de Leon Sarmiento and children?s writer Mae Astrid Tobias and published by Adarna House and the Miss Earth Foundation.

After the session, the children were treated to a chicken McDo meal.

Good foundation

?I really enjoyed it,? 7-year old Angelicabelle Celeste said of the special session hosted by Megi Garcia of Inquirer Corporate Affairs. ?I like the story that Korina read because it was very entertaining. I learned about taking care of my surroundings.?

?We are very happy that kids are given this opportunity to learn,? said Dr. Leticia L. Rosales, principal of Hen. Pio del Pilar Elementary School, which is among the pilot schools of the BMR program. ?A reading environment helps children learn. We have seen it happen and we want to continue it.?

Zonito Torrevillas, RMHC director, said the read-along was a great opportunity to unite parallel advocacies in encouraging love of reading among children.

?Reading provides a good foundation for the education of children. We have to start them young because once the habit is formed, you cannot take that away from them.?

Reading about heroes

The Inquirer Read-Along session on June 13 tackled stories of heroism, which featured actor Alan Paule and returning storytellers from Sophia School.