La Union Town Fosters Value of Reading in Schools

With the aim to foster the value of education to learners of the community, the local government unit (LGU) of Bacnotan staged the 6th Reading Month celebration with the theme: “Magbasa’t Umunlad” on November 29, here.

According to the LGU which initiated the program in 2014, the town is the only municipality in La Union which celebrates reading as a support to learners who have difficulty on the said subject.

“This banner program of the present administration has garnered awards nationally and has helped numerous students to read and excel in their studies,” said Vice-Mayor Divina Fontanilla during the culminating program.

Further, she also said that the alarming number of learners who are considered both non and poor readers led to the institutionalization of the program in the town.

“The LGU extends its appreciation to the teachers of the Department of Education (DepEd)-Bacnotan District for embracing this project and molding our children to be better learners in the community,” Fontanilla added.

As part of the celebration, Iloko, Filipino and English language poem recitations, chorale reading and jingle reading, vocabulary building, and essay writing competitions for elementary and high school students, and an Iloko Big Book crafting contest for teachers were conducted.

Seventeen public and private schools of the town joined the said celebration and the winners received certificates of recognition and medals during the awarding ceremonies held at the Bacnotan Central School.

Moreover, Fontanilla announced that the Local School Board (LSB) has hired eight teachers, only to focus on the students’ ability to read and write.

The salaries of the said teachers will be charged under the LGU’s funds.

Through this endeavor, the LGU has been a three-time national award recipient of the Synergia Foundation’s Seal of Good Education Governance and an award for National Literacy.

“Reading is power, and the ability to read and the ability to write is a lifelong learning skill,” Fontanilla also said. (JCR/AMB/AHFF/PIA 1)