GMA teen star Bianca Umali reads German Gervacio’s “Si Tanya, Ang Uwak na Gustong Pumuti” to a roomful of kids the Inquirer main office in Makati on Saturday, March 18, 2017. (Photo by MARIELLE MEDINA / Inquirer Research).
It’s all about being confident.
That’s what it takes to be an empowered woman, according to GMA teen star and Inquirer Read-Along ambassador Bianca Umali
“If you are confident, you can conquer anything,” she said in an interview with the Inquirer. “It doesn’t matter what you cannot do. it’s about you and how you believe in yourself.”
Umali was full of energy and smiled with confidence as she read “Si Tanya ang Uwak na Gusto Pumuti” by German Gervacio at the Inquirer Read-Along held on Saturday at the Inquirer main office in Makati.
Inquirer scheduled the special session to mark the celebration of International Women’s Month. Appropriately, the book that Umali read tells the story of a female crow who learns to love herself and realizes what it truly takes to achieve her goals.
Umali reflected on the struggle of the young crow to be comfortable of her color and find good things about herself.
Clad in simple white shirt and jeans, Umali easily mingled with the almost 60 children during the Read-Along session as she had been a part of the program since 2015.
“It’s always fun to read to kids,” she said. “I hope the children learn the value of being proud of what they have. They shouldn’t feel jealous of what others have and find contentment in the gifts God gave them.”
Saturday’s session, the third Read-Along for this year, also featured other readers – Ayra Mariano, another GMA actress, and Ann Abacan, principal of Sophia School.
Launched in May 2007, Inquirer Read-Along aims to promote love of reading among children aged 7 to 12 through storytelling sessions with celebrities, role models, and professional storytellers. /atm