Loud cheers greeted broadcast journalist Atom Araullo as he strode into a room filled with more than 100 aspiring journalists at Doña Teodora Alonzo High School in Manila on Friday. But when it came time to read about the life of the national hero’s mother, they all quieted down to listen.
Jose Rizal’s mother, Teodora Alonzo, took center stage at a special Inquirer Read-Along session at the high school named in her honor.
The session was part of the school’s week-long commemoration of Alonzo’s 100th death anniversary, which featured, among other things, a visit from Alonzo’s descendants.
“What can you learn from Teodora Alonzo? She was a great mother who taught her children the importance of being compassionate, hardworking, persevering and respectful of their fellowmen. And because she raised her seventh son with these values, we now have a national hero,” said Jose Rizal Lopez, a great-grandson of Alonzo who spoke to the students.
Lopez, a grandson of the hero’s brother Paciano Rizal, was with his daughter Teresa Lopez, niece Ester Lopez Azurin and nephew Virgilio Villarruz.
Araullo read excerpts from Ambeth R. Ocampo’s “Teodora Alonso,” part of the Great Lives Series of Tahanan Books for Young Readers, before the crowd of high school students, most of whom were members of the school’s English and Filipino newspapers— “The Counselor” and “Ang Patnubay.”
“Even if our school is named after Teodora Alonzo, a lot of the students here don’t know her that well,” said Princess Alyssa Tee, a 4th-year student and staffer of “The Counselor.” (The last name is spelled both ways.)
“We’re very lucky that the Inquirer Read-Along visited us today and told this very important story to us.”
Sophia School storytellers Doray Carable, Nerry Denilla and Salie Villaruz opened the program with a skit based on “Ang Munting Gamu-Gamo” as retold by Angelita Aragon, the story famously told by Alonzo to the young Jose Rizal.
“I really enjoyed today’s session. The students were very enthusiastic, participative and receptive,” said Araullo, who also gamely answered questions from the students who would be journalists in the future.
With them, Araullo shared the following tips: “Ask a lot of questions. Be curious. That’s the start of a good reporter.”
Dolores Torcuator, principal of Doña Teodora Alonzo High School, said they initially had reservations about holding a storytelling event for their students. “It was our first time to hold an activity like the Read-Along and we weren’t sure how our students would receive it,” she said. “We were pleasantly surprised to see that they enjoyed the activity.”
Ayla Urrea, school paper adviser, called the event “historic.”
“We really enjoyed this activity, it was something new for the school,” she said.
Fourth-year students Edlyn Evasco and Angelica Adina attended the session and found it to be “meaningful and inspiring.”
“Doña Teodora is an inspiration to me, especially since I will also be a mother in the future, and I can only hope I’ll be able to raise my kids the way she raised Jose Rizal,” said Evasco, a staffer of “Ang Patnubay.”
“Today is truly a special and meaningful day for all of us,” said Adina, a staffer on “The Counselor.”
Friday’s session, hosted by Junior Inquirer editor in chief Ruth Navarra, was held in cooperation with Ayla Urrea of Doña Teodora Alonzo High School. Books donated by the Rotary Club of Makati were given away as prizes in a question-and-answer portion at the end of each segment. Kate Pedroso, Inquirer Research