Spreading Hope through Reading in Bataan
Recognizing the vital role of early childhood educators in shaping young minds, Adarna Group Foundation, Inc. (AGFI) partnered with the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office of Bataan to launch Pagbasa ang Pag-asa Forum—a province-wide initiative aimed to equip child development workers (CDWs) with the knowledge and skills to foster a love for reading among children. The partnership was formalized in a meeting on January 16, 2025, where both parties discussed their shared vision to strengthen early childhood education in Bataan. The province of Bataan, familiar with Adarna House’s work, welcomed the foundation’s initiative and was delighted to be presented with such an opportunity.
On February 25, 2025, AGFI successfully conducted the year's first Pagbasa ang Pag-asa Forum. Opening the forum, Ms. Con Estrella, Executive Director of AGFI, shared AGFI’s journey in Samal, Bataan. She highlighted how the foundation’s literacy programs have expanded over the years and the profound impact they have had on the community’s children. She emphasized that these capacity-building initiatives help learning partners hone children’s learning both inside the classroom and in their daily lives. Attended by around 300 child development workers in the province, the forum tackled “Effective Storytelling” and “Designing Story-based Activities”.
For the first session, Teacher Dyali taught the CDWs different strategies such as voice modulation, facial expressions, and movement to bring stories to life. These strategies help create an immersive storytelling experience for young learners. For the second session, Teacher Jico focused on designing story-based activities that will extend the impact of stories through play-based activities. This way, children are able to understand the stories in a more enjoyable and interactive way. The two sessions showed the CDWs how to integrate storytelling into everyday learning, helping children develop not only their literacy skills but also their cognitive, social, and motor abilities.
AGFI intends to hold more forums like this to help create a brighter future for Filipino children by spreading hope through reading.