Stories of flight mark Inquirer Read-Along with PAL 

READING PAL Ronnie Liang, guest celebrity reader, recording artist and also a licensed pilot, reads a story to children during the Inquirer Read-Along session at the Philippine Airlines Museum in Pasay City. —Eugene Araneta

MANILA, Philippines — The Inquirer Read-Along program reached new heights, as it were, as it found a partner in Philippine Airlines (PAL) for its latest storytelling session for children.

A session held at the Philippine Airlines Museum in Pasay City on Aug. 31 featured celebrity guest readers Jasmine Omay and Ronnie Liang, who are both pilots, and Read-Along veteran Rich Rodriguez.

Held as part of PAL’s Family Day activities, the event kicked off with PAL executive vice president and general counsel Carlu Fernandez giving the opening remarks, where he encouraged the young audience to develop a love for reading and learning.

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“My children grew up as book lovers and that’s something we cultivated when they were young,” Fernandez later said. “It serves a lot of purposes. It facilitates learning, creativity, imagination and innovation. All of these things serve children well when they grow up.”

Taking flight

Omay, the Miss World Philippines 2024 First Princess, also leads “Bahay na Papel,” an education advocacy project that helps children in indigenous communities in Tarlac.

For the session, she read Iris Gem Li’s “The Boy Who Touched Heaven,” a fantasy tale about an Ifugao boy who, with the help of his family and some kind animals, was able to reach the sky.

Like the main character, Omay said, she was able to ‘’touch the sky’’ as pilot through a scholarship. When aspiring for high goals, the youth should not forget that the greatest lift they need may still come from their roots, she added.

Actor-singer Liang read “Ang Patsotsay na Iisa ang Pakpak (The One-Winged Patsotsay)” by the late Rene O. Villanueva. It tells of a group of winged yet flightless creatures who discovered they could take off together like birds, despite their individual limitations, through mutual trust and cooperation.

Liang said the story packs an important message for children as it introduces them to the adage: “No man is an island.”

Inclusivity

Rodriguez, a professional storyteller, narrated Russell Molina’s “Ang Madyik Silya ni Titoy” (Titoy’s Magic Chair), which provided lessons on inclusivity and overcoming challenges.

It’s about the adventures of a young boy and his wheelchair-bound friend, Titoy, and their travels to outer space to underwater realms.

About 40 children of PAL employees were gathered for the session hosted by Inquirer Entertainment reporter Marinel Cruz and researcher Nathalie Grace Adalid.

Livestreamed on Inquirer’s social media platforms, the session was also the first to be held outside the newspaper’s Makati City office since end of the pandemic.

Launched in 2007 to promote the love of reading among children, Read-Along has become the company’s longest-running corporate social responsibility project. —Inquirer Research