Post MIBF Reflections: From Bayan to Bookshelf: Nurturing Filipiniana in the School Library (1 of 2)

Here is an executive summary of my talk with PASLI sponsored by Tuttle Publishing Philippines. 

Resource Speaker:  Zarah C. Gagatiga, RL – Teacher Librarian, Award-Winning Author, PASLI PRO

This seminar highlights the importance of nurturing Filipiniana collections that mirror the oral traditions and diverse lives of Filipino children, promote bilingual literacy, and design community programs that bring stories to life. It draws on Rosenblatt’s Transactional Theory and Reception Theory to affirm reader agency and position reading as both a personal and social act.

Connection of Activities to Objectives:

Curate Filipiniana Books: The Mini-Curation Challenge directly engaged participants in selecting titles that preserve oral traditions and meet children’s cultural and developmental needs. This addressed the first objective by encouraging thoughtful, purposeful collection building.

Promote Bilingual Literacy: The Dual Language Read-Aloud made participants experience firsthand how language shifts between Filipino and English affect rhythm, imagery, and meaning, sharpening bilingual awareness and appreciation of cultural registers.

Design Community-Based Programs: The Story-to-Program Workshop challenged groups to transform folktales into inclusive community activities (e.g., puppet plays, barangay storytelling circles), concretizing how libraries can bridge culture and community.

Integrative Activity: The Reading Roulette embodied all three objectives at once. By rotating books, participants saw reader agency in action, experienced the value of diverse Filipiniana texts, and built a sense of community by sharing insights with peers and the larger group.

When school libraries center Filipino folktales and works by Filipino creators, they affirm children’s agency, nurture social reading, and uphold access and representation as acts of justice. Folktales sharpen metalinguistic awareness, preparing children to engage digital and AI-driven tools with reflection, responsibility, and cultural grounding.

The Lighthouse Diary #79: From Curiosity to Inquiry: How the Library Can Help

 I am a Louise Rosenblatt bias and a KWL junkie. It’s not surprising that I anchor my library skills and ATL sessions on Transactional Theory, Metacognitive Awareness, and Constructivist and Inquiry-Based Learning. The recent integration of the BA Library’s research services and reference program shows how theory, approach, and strategy converge. Helping students move from curiosity to inquiry, and inviting teachers to collaborate with the library in guiding authentic research.

Using a KWL chart as a springboard for crafting research questions is grounded in constructivist and inquiry-based learning. The chart activates prior knowledge (K), surfaces curiosity (W), and guides learners to frame meaningful, researchable questions. This practice also nurtures metacognitive awareness, as students reflect on how their own knowledge connects to what they want to explore. In line with Rosenblatt’s transactional theory, it positions learners as co-constructors of meaning, with the teacher scaffolding their movement from curiosity to inquiry.

In this Grade 8 skills class, students were tasked with drafting research questions on the theme of colonization by the Spanish, American, and Japanese. Using the KWL chart (except for L), I guided them in framing their questions. Their drafts already show a move beyond recall; many are asking about legitimacy, effectiveness, impact, and influence—questions that invite deeper critical engagement. To sustain this trajectory, I recommend that Grades 7–8 be given more opportunities to read widely and intentionally select subject-related texts and materials. For Individuals & Societies (Group 3), a layered reading strategy can help:

• First pass: textbooks and timelines (to establish the big picture)

• Second pass: short essays and secondary readings (to explore causes, effects, and interpretations)

• Third pass: primary sources—diaries, posters, speeches, documents (to engage with authentic voices and perspectives)

This progression ensures that students move from broad context to deeper analysis, ultimately developing the skills and confidence to frame thoughtful research questions and pursue authentic inquiry.