NCBD 2017 Aftershocks 2 of 2

The 1st Storytelling Festival

It's been two weeks since the celebration of the National Children's Book Day (NCBD) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines last July 18, 2017 and the 2nd Philippine Children's Book Summit (PCBS) at the GT Toyota Asian Center in UP Diliman last July 22, 2017. I wrote about these two events and NCBD related activities in the blog and you can read all about it in NCBD 2017 Aftershocks 1 of 2.

Friends from the industry who attended the PCBS also wrote about the event. ICYMI, here's a link to an article about Children's Literature in the regions published in Vera Files. The take off point is the panel on Children's Literature in the Regions where Padma Perez, Noel Galan De Leon and MJ "Xi Zuq" Tumamac were the resource speakers. Cebu writer and journalist, Cris Evert Lato-Ruffalo wrote about the PCBS, particularly the session on library development in Cebu Daily News Inquirer. National Book Development Board of the Philippines Chairperson, Neni Sta. Romana Cruz had an article in the Inquirer not only of the PCBS but also about children's literature events and activities in Davao and in San Francisco USA.

I wouldn't be surprised if in the following years, the NCBD will be celebrated in Iloilo, Baguio, Cagayan Valley, Cebu or General Santos City.

Happy students from La Huerta Elementary School

As the first week of August folds into a new one, I keep this wonderful thought that the Storytelling Festival during the PCBS had been a great success as well as the Illustrator's Fair. Kudos to the team of Ms. Anne Rosette Crelencia for conducting a book repair and mending workshop during the PCBS. Many teachers and librarians learned from their session.

To the 30 volunteers of the Storytelling Festival, teachers, librarians and reading advocates, I extend my appreciation to all your hard work! It would not have been a success if not for your selfless participation. You made many children happy! Even parents and teachers enjoyed the Festival too!

We sure did offer our child audience different storytelling techniques and varied stories that even the young at heart came out of the storytelling hall inspired and motivated to tell stories to their children. This, I think, is one way to gauge our impact to the adults who take care of kids and young people. I get news from some of the volunteers that the program and flow of the Storytelling Festival is being replicated in other learning communities in the metro. It only goes to show that our work is not over yet.

We take a long breather from all these, gather our strengths and reflect a bit. We shall look at ways to improve the Festival and definitely, we will see each other again next NCBD!

Teachers, librarians and reading advocates worked together to conduct the 1st Storytelling Festival.