The Quezon City Government launched Pagbasa Muna, a campaign that advocates reading as a priority competency to be developed at an early age.
Pagbasa Muna highlights the importance of reading as it plays a significant role in “developing communication and language skills of learners, as well as in cultivating their critical thinking skills vital to be empowered citizens of the 21st century.”
The city has already distributed 76,392 story books to the DepEd Schools Division Office (SDO) for public kindergarten learners. The Schools Division Office, the Quezon City Public Library and the Kabahagi Center for Children with Disabilities will continue to promote reading through various activities such as online storytelling and puppet shows and the launching of Kabahagi’s “Chikiting Toy and Reading Pantry.”
To capacitate its day care workers, training manuals will be distributed together with 40 big story books for each of the city’s over 300-day care centers. In addition, 24,110 day care children will each receive 4 picture books, while their parents will be given a Handang Magbasa Manual to aid their children in learning how to read.
This campaign is aligned with Mayor Joy Belmonte’s priority of providing quality education for the children of Quezon City.