MANILA, PHILIPPINES – Committed to the promotion and development of Philippine children’s literature, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) through its Intertextual Division launches “Sa Pababasa, Hindi Ka Nag-iisa” e-book on November 27, 2020, at 4pm, via CCP and CCP Intertextual Division’s Facebook pages.
As part of the celebration of the CCP Children’s Biennale, the launch does not only highlight the role books should play in our lives, but it champions the importance of nurturing the young readers’ curiosity and imagination through reading.
The e-book contains a collection of children’s books, artworks for children, comics and other artistic and literary works about health, COVID-19, and the value of cooperation created by Filipino writers, illustrators and children from different regions of the country.
The title of the e-book came from the Philippine Board on Books for Young People’s (PBBY) tagline for this year’s National Children’s Book Day (NCBD), as well as the cover design of the book which was illustrated by Kat Melo for the official poster of NCBD, a children’s literary festival celebrated every third Tuesday of July annually. Co-organized by the CCP and the PBBY, the NCBD commemorates the anniversary of the publication of Jose Rizal’s “The Monkey and the Turtle” in Trubner’s Oriental Record in London.
In addition to the e-book launch, there will be a storytelling session of “Masama Bang Humiling Ng Isa Pang Araw?” a story written and illustrated by Teacher Oliver V. Arevalo of Olongapo City. His story is part of #KuwentongKalusugan, a project of the Department of Education’s Bureau of Learning Resources. Teacher Oliver won the National Competition on Storybook Writing for his story “Di Biro.”
Amidst the current social climate and pandemic, the e-book hopes to bring an encouraging message that can alleviate social isolation and generate a sense of purpose.
The book project aims to engage children in reading local and relevant materials, as well as to give the general public, especially parents and teachers, access to numerous published children’s literature that teach children about the coronavirus and encourage them to protect themselves, in response to the COVID-19 global health crisis.
The e-book will be offered to the general public for free.
For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph). You can also follow the Facebook pages and social media accounts of CCP and CCP Intertextual Division for updates.
