MANILA, Philippines?When it was announced that one of the featured readers for the Inquirer Read-Along session on Saturday was Kiko Aquino Dee, grandson of the late President Corazon Aquino, some of the kids started chanting: ?Cory, Cory!? and flashed the Laban sign.

But when Dee started reading the story about his lola (grandmother), ?Cory?s Gift of Democracy,? written by Philippine Daily Inquirer senior reporter Fe Zamora, the children became serious and listened attentively.

The story, written especially for this session, centers on Aquino?s refusal to run for reelection in 1992 to give way to the peaceful transfer of the presidency.

Also attending the read-along were 2009 Century Tuna Superbods and Superbrains winners Van Victor Leaño and Theresa Fenger, TV news anchors Martin Andanar and Cheri Mercado and returning Alitaptap storyteller Rich Rodriguez, who read stories from the ?Great Men and Women of Asia?Children?s Series,? published by the Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation.

Some 100 children, aged 8 to 14 years, from Harrel Horne Integrated School and sponsored by Makati Sporting Association, attended the session.

Dee said it was tough reading a story about his late grandmother a week after she passed away.

?But it was a way of honoring my lola (grandmother) ? It is my pleasure to read to them about my lola?s legacy,? he said.

Cory and Ninoy

In 1998, Aquino received the Ramon Magsaysay Award for International Understanding, for being ?a symbol of nonviolent democratic aspiration the world over.?

Dee, a freshman taking up political science at the University of the Philippines in Diliman, Quezon City, shared stories about his grandmother: ?My lola continued to do good, even after she was President. She wanted us to know that just because you?re not the President, doesn?t mean you can?t do anything to help the country. We all have what it takes to be heroes.?

He also said: ?My mom (Victoria Eliza ?Viel? Dee) often read me stories, while my lola told me stories about my lolo (grandfather Ninoy Aquino).?

As a tandem, Leaño and Fenger read ?The Bridge-Builder of Chiayi County,? the story of Magsaysay awardee Ho Ming-teh, who paved the way for the construction of bridges in Taiwan.

?It?s my first time to read to kids and I enjoyed it,? said Leaño, who, aside from modeling and appearing on television, is busy managing a family restaurant in Las Piñas City.

Fenger, on the other hand, is not new to reading to kids.

?I did it in Canada as part of a subject I was taking. I just love the experience,? she said. She is also busy finishing a song for her new album.

Volunteerism

Andanar and Mercado, anchors of ?TEN: The Evening News on TV5,? read ?Lub-dub, Lub-dub,? the story of how Ramon Magsaysay awardee Dr. Fe Del Mundo helped Filipino children in need.

?I?ve always been a big advocate of volunteerism and read-along is a good example of how volunteerism can help build the country,? said Andanar.

Mercado, on the other hand, said reading stories to her 5-year-old child Christiana, as well as her nieces and nephews, helped prepare her for the session.

?I buy books for my baby. She has a shelf full of books; we have started to donate some books already,? she said.

Returning reader Rodriguez read ?The Man Who Believed in the Poor,? a story about Ramon Magsaysay awardee Mohammad Yunus, who helped finance the poor people in Bangladesh.

Kids? reaction

Gerard Ivan C. Olviga, a Grade 4 student of Harrel Horne Integrated School, said he liked the story about Aquino best. ?I learned that when we do good things, we can also be considered heroes.?

Dave Pahila, who?s in Grade 5, said he liked all the stories as he ?learned the importance of being helpful.?

Ramona Juaton, assistant principal of Harrel Horne, said she planned to introduce the activity in her school. ?Maybe we can introduce storytelling in our English and Filipino classes so kids will be encouraged to really read,? she said.

After the session, children were provided snacks courtesy of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation and Nutri-C juice by Tri-Dharma Corp. Gift packs courtesy of TV5 were also given away as prizes.

Read with me

Saturday also marked the launch of Virlanie Foundation?s Read With Me program, the first replication of the Inquirer Read-Along program.

About 50 Virlanie wards attended the session which featured Ann Abacan, Nerry Denilla and Doray Carable from the Sophia School in Meycauayan, Bulacan, who read two stories: ?Gaya?s Gift? by Jenny Evans and published by OMF Literature and Eugene Evasco?s ?Baha? published by LG&M Corp.

Flor Mallillin, education manager of Virlanie, said the group would hold one Read with Me program a month at its main office.

The next regular read-along session in the Inquirer main office will be on Aug. 22 at 10 a.m., featuring ABS-CBN president Charo Santos-Concio, the Sophia School storytellers and Rich Rodriguez. Interested participants may contact Ellen Caparros at 897-8808 loc. 329 for reservations. Slots are on a first-come, first-served basis.