Cembo Elementary School alumni use Read-Along Champions to give back

MANILA, Philippines—It’s giving-back time for the 1976 Cembo Elementary School (CES) Alumni Association, which honored close to 200 Grade 3 students of their alma mater by leading the first Inquirer Read-Along Champion’s session at the school in Makati City on Friday morning.

The students were treated to stories—and snacks—with actor Benjamin Alves, Sophia School principal Ann Abacan and CES alumna Eden Berces as readers.

The Read-Along Champions program promotes love of reading through formed groups in communities and schools.

Berces, who was among the first batch of Read-Along Champions trained last May, hosted the session and opened the program with a retelling of the biblical story of creation.

Veteran Read-Along storyteller Abacan read Virgilio Almario’s “Si Pilandok ang Bantay Kalikasan,” a story about a quick-witted mouse deer who protects a forest.

GMA-7 talent Alves capped the session with Rene Villanueva’s “The Zimbragatzees of the Planet Zing,” a story about the dangers of pollution.

Marilyn Contreras-Macalma, CES principal, said it was an honor for the school to host the first Read-Along session to be held in a Makati public school. The school has also been a beneficiary of Inquirer Learning’s serial reading program.

ACTOR Benjamin Alves entertains third graders of Cembo Elementary School in Makati City with a story as part of the INQUIRER Read-Along Champions series. ARNOLD ALMACEN

Macalma, then principal of Nemesio Yabut Elementary School, was first introduced to the program by Inquirer Learning editor Chelo Banal-Formoso. “I had to bring the project here [to Cembo ES] when I was transferred,” she said.

“This activity is a demonstration of the cooperation among the alumni and other stakeholders of the school, like nongovernment organizations and other private organizations, that have continuously helped public schools like Cembo,” Macalma said.

An English literature graduate of the University of Guam, first-time reader Alves said one’s passion for reading should be cultivated at a young age.

“The kids here at Cembo were really attentive. They knew the answers to all the questions,” said Alves, who stars in GMA Films’ “Sana Dati,” which premieres Sept. 25.

Berces, president of the CES 1976 Alumni Association, said their group was thankful to have been able to pull off the program—the first of many sessions. “We hope to be able to extend this program to other grade levels,” she said.

Friday’s session, co-hosted by fellow CES alumna Emy Caña-Bangalan, was held in cooperation with GMA Network, GMA’s Marian Domingo and the CES Class 1976 Alumni Association. The kids received prizes from Learning Is Fun, a book distribution company, during the Q&A portions after every storytelling segment.

The Cembo event was the third Read-Along Champions session. The first session was spearheaded by the Makati Sporting group in Makati City on June 29, and the second by the San Leonardians group in San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija, on July 20.

The two-part Read-Along Champions training module features workshops on the principles and techniques of interactive and book-based storytelling and intimate and assisted reading and a workshop on envisioning a reading program. Groups interested in launching a Read-Along Champions program in their communities may e-mail [email protected].