Read-along helps launch public library

GUBAT, Sorsogon—A fairy and three nasty kids, a lone tree in the city jungle, and a garbage monster rising from the river gave life to environmental problems in an Inquirer Read-Along session held in Gubat town in Sorsogon to launch a project to build what is touted to be one of the biggest stand-alone library structures in Bicol.

Fifty pupils of Gubat North Central School sat on mats on the second floor of the convent of St. Anthony Parish, as their parents, guardians and teachers, government employees and local officials watched on the sidelines for the storytelling to unfold.

Sen. Francis Escudero, a native of Sorsogon City, Inquirer business reporter Doris Dumlao and village official Rosalia Enerio introduced the storybook characters.

It was the first read-along session to be held in Gubat, a coastal town more than 600 kilometers south of Manila, and the fourth in the province. It was jointly undertaken by the Office of Rep. Deogracias “Ding” Ramos Jr., the municipality, Department of Education and the executive committee for the public library.

Storytellers

Escudero confessed that it was his first storytelling experience before schoolchildren. He shared “Ang Huling Puno” (The Last Tree), written by Richard Reynante and illustrated by Arnold Nuestro, which tells of the only living tree in the city jungle about to be cut to give way to a building but is defended by several animals and children.

The story went that one day, the kids and animals put on a big white cloak after they piled up to create a make-believe monster, thus scaring the burly guy with an ax.

Dumlao told the story of Pol Putol, Pat Kalat and Paz Waldaz, who were a bane to the community and were punished by Emang Engkantada (Emang the Fairy) after they wreaked havoc on her garden.

“Emang Engkantada at Ang Tatlong Haragan,” written by Rene Villanueva and illustrated by Alfonso Oñate and Wilfredo Pollarco, ended with the fairy forgiving the three when they finally mended their ways to protect the environment.

Enerio introduced a fictional community where people carelessly throw garbage into the river and just about anywhere, creating a mountain of trash that later breathes life to the Basura (Garbage) Monster.

 ‘Basura Monster’

Showcasing the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle, “Basura Monster,” written by Christine Bersola-Babao and illustrated by Cedric Ryan de Guzman, pointed out the need to join hands to prevent environmental destruction.

The read-along event on July 7 was part of the efforts to encourage reading in Sorsogon’s second congressional district where the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the two-story Gubat Public Library was later held.

With help from partner institutions and San Francisco Public Library through its community distribution program, the new library would have a diverse collection of titles and reading materials, according to Deogracias “Digs” Ramos, chief of staff of Congressman Ramos.

Funding

Gubat residents who are now based in San Francisco, California, promised to help ship the books, he said.

“The two-story library building, with each floor measuring 300 square meters, will be be one of the biggest stand-alone library structures in the region once completed,” he said.

Maria Paz R. Englis, a member of the library’s executive committee, said the project was being funded by a P4-million grant from Congressman Ramos’ Priority Development Assistance Fund and a P2-million allocation from the municipal government.

The committee, which was being supported by Gubat Mayor Ronnel Lim, will raise the remaining funds to complete the construction of the library.

In June last year, Quentin Pastrana, founder of the nongovernment Library Renewal Partnership, and Eleanor Pinugu of Mano Amiga Foundation came to Gubat to encourage the building of the library with the promise that they would help source the books.

“The building will be more than just a library. Its second floor will be a social hall that can be income-generating to help maintain the library,” Englis said.

Plans included a read-along session to be held at least every month and to have a computer section for students, she added.