Reading ambassadors as ‘superheroes’

They’re not only ambassadors but superheroes. And their mission is to make this a better world.

That was the message Inquirer chairperson Marixi Prieto delivered when she spoke to the first batch of “Inquirer Read-Along Ambassadors” in ceremonies on Saturday at the Inquirer main office in Makati City.

“Starting today, you are on a mission to change the world. In the eyes of the child, we are superheroes. Let us keep it that way,” said Prieto, who took the place of her daughter, Inquirer president and CEO Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, at the Inquirer Read-Along’s sixth anniversary celebration.

The six other “reading ambassadors” present were Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2007 Anna Theresa Licaros, Miss Earth Foundation Executive Director Cathy Untalan, actress Jasmine Curtis, broadcaster Karen Davila, television host Kim Atienza and singer Nikki Gil.

They all took the “Ambassadors’ Oath,” pledging to be role models for the youth and to promote love for reading among children.

Responding to the challenge, Licaros said: “I did not hesitate to say ‘yes’ because I really do love to read and it was really surprising for me to find a program that would champion reading.”

“I read somewhere that a book is like a present that you can open over and over again and I’ve always believed in that,” said Licaros, who first read for Inquirer Read-Along in 2008. “To be part of [the read-along ambassadors] now is a great privilege and honor.”

Untalan spoke of how Miss Earth and Inquirer Read-Along had been working hand-in-hand to promote love for reading and for the environment.

“Every week, we go to public schools and different communities, teaching them how to read. It is my dream and hope that this year, we can have Inquirer Read-Along in the school tours of Miss Philippines-Earth,” she said.

“The biggest joy is really to see children reaching out for the book after you finish reading the story because they also want to read the book by themselves,” Untalan said.

Youngest of them

TV5 actress Curtis was the youngest among the ambassadors. She said it was an honor to be included in the roster despite her youth.

“It is a great opportunity for me to be part of a program like this because it shows that people have faith in me and in my image. I am a big fan of education and in educating other people,” said Curtis, a reader in a special read-along session in January in Meycauayan City in Bulacan.

Davila took pride in gracing several sessions as a reader. “I’m already a read-along ‘suki,’” she said. “Why should we give time to read to kids? It’s simple—when you read to kids, you empower their imagination.”

Describing herself as a frustrated teacher, Davila said: “The power of reading and writing is so important in honing a child to become what he or she will be in the future.”

Bouncing back

Atienza added a light moment by cracking a joke: “Thank you for getting me as an ambassador, but I’d like to tell all of you that I am just a pretty face.”

Atienza has read in two previous read-along sessions, including one in 2009 where he dove inside a giant aquarium with then US Ambassador to the Philippines Kristie Kenney to celebrate Ocean Month.

“When I got the invitation, I thought there would be more of us,” he said. “But when I saw how small the group was—truly, this is an honor.”

Atienza spoke of how reading helped him recover from a stroke.

He said: “I had a stroke almost three years ago. The block hit the left frontal lobe of my brain. That part of the brain is in charge of language, cognition, memory. And when it hit me, I couldn’t talk. I couldn’t express myself. I knew what to say but I couldn’t say it.”

Like lifting weights

The doctor gave Atienza a piece of advice to help him recover his faculties.

“I was required to read as much as I can. So when I was in the ICU, all I did was read and read,” he said. “Reading a book is like lifting weights for the brain. And that I know from experience.”

Gil, who read in Tuloy sa Don Bosco Foundation in March, spoke of her excitement at being involved in the advocacy.

“Reading is so close to my heart. Anything involved in reading, I’m on it,” said Gil, an English literature graduate from Ateneo de Manila University and a former member of the National Book Development Board. “As a child, I really devoured books. To have been invited to be an ambassador of Inquirer Read-Along was really like a turtle being thrown to the water.”

“When I first read for Tuloy sa Don Bosco, I really felt in my heart that this is something I would like to do on a regular basis and if I have the free time,” she added.

‘Simple dream, fervent hope’

Prieto spoke of the program’s progress for the past six years.

“The Inquirer’s Read-Along advocacy started with an urgent concern, a simple dream and a fervent hope,” she said, noting that the program began amid a declining readership among the youth and an increase in the drop-out rates among schoolchildren.

“With this challenge, we had a simple dream,” Prieto said. “We dreamt of changing the statistics while making it fun for children to read and learn. We dreamt of welcoming hundreds of kids eager to listen and read a book. We visualized celebrities reading these books while the kids are shrieking with excitement.”

She added: “Our fervent hope was to promote love of reading and help build the future readers and leaders of this country. After six years of

Inquirer Read-Along, we finally realized our dream.”

She cited the program’s more than 250 sessions participated in by over 16,000 children and more than 300 celebrity readers in more than 50 cities nationwide.

Sharing one dream

Prieto also cited the awards the program had received from the Philippine Quill, National Commission for Culture and the Arts, and Reading Association of the Philippines.

“The success of this advocacy was made possible by our passionate partners, trained storytellers, teachers, NGOs, student and youth groups, corporate sponsors, book publishers and volunteers who share the same dreams and hope with us,” she added.

“Together with all the distinguished ambassadors present today who embrace the challenge, who in their own little way have made a difference in the lives of the youth, we commend you all for sharing the same dream, hope and aspirations,” Prieto said.

Also in the ceremonies were Inquirer corporate affairs head Connie Kalagayan, Inquirer Read-Along program coordinator and Inquirer research department head Minerva Generalao, Libre editor in chief Chito dela Vega and Junior Inquirer editor Ruth Navarra and other members of the read-along team.

Saturday’s event was held in cooperation with Crowne Plaza Galleria.—With reports from Kate Pedroso and Marielle Medina, Inquirer Research