Pangasinan kids learn to prepare for disasters

Memories of previous typhoons and floods have taught children in the eastern Pangasinan town of Santo Tomas a thing or two about safety and taking care of the environment.

When asked what they should do while preparing for a typhoon’s arrival, the children raised their hands fast and answers came in succession.

The children, all pupils of the Ernesting Gonzales Central School in Sto. Tomas, Pangasinan, said they would store food, prepare lamp oil and pack important things, such as clothes, in case of evacuation.

They learned this important lesson after they heard the story “Ang Pambihirang Buhok ni Lola (Grandma’s Extraordinary Hair),” which was read by Marinez Villar, a special education teacher, during the Inquirer Read-Along on February 8. At least 150 pupils, from Grades 1 to 3, attended the session.

The story, written by Rene Villanueva and illustrated by Ibarra Crisostomo, tells how a grandmother used her kilometer-long hair to hold down houses and animals and keep them from being blown away by the typhoon’s strong wind.

Sto. Tomas (pop.: 13,000) is Pangasinan’s smallest town with 10 villages covering an area of about 13 square kilometers. This eastern town was among the areas submerged by floods during the onslaught of Typhoon “Pepeng” in October 2009.

Villar said she has always been a reading advocate and includes storytelling as part of her everyday classes in the MAV School of Multiple Intelligence Inc., which she put up last year in Villasis town.

The children were also treated to an animated storytelling, courtesy of two stories read by Rich Rodriguez and Jedidia Cajepe of Alitaptap Storytellers.

They read “Bakawan (Mangroves),” a story about habitat care that stressed the importance of mangroves. It was written by Cathy Untalan, Reena Rae Sarmiento and Mae Astrid Tobias, and illustrated by Van Zeus Allen Bascon.

Rodriguez and Cajepe followed this story with Villanueva’s “Si Emang Enkantada at ang Tatlong Haragan (Emang the Enchantress and the Three Rascals),” a story about three children who delight in destroying plants, wasting water and electricity, and throwing their garbage just about anywhere. Emang Enkantada teaches these naughty children a lesson on environmental care.

Mayor Vivien Villar said teaching children to read is not enough. “Reading should be developed into a habit because with it, one is always a notch higher when it comes to having knowledge of the world,” she said.

“Instead of playing computer games and getting hooked on the Internet, reading should be fostered as a better hobby and this should be started while they are young,” said Councilor June Noces.

Norlyn Jacones, a Grade 1 teacher who sat beside her pupils in the read-along session, said she gained storytelling techniques and ideas in capturing the children’s attention from the storytellers.

She said she would try to use them in her classes so learning could be fun and interactive.

“Every time the day’s lessons are done and there is an extra time left before dismissal, I read them stories from our classroom’s reading corner,” Jacones said.