Bituen Eco Volunteers

Due to typhoon Lupit predicted to hit a hard landfall on northern Luzon, the organizers and performers for the Reading Festival (First Leg) decided to postpone the events slated in Laoag October 23 and Vigan October 24. The SM City Rosales (Pangasinan) slated October 25 was canceled in an earlier date due to venue flooding. The Office of the Governor ( Michael M. Keon ) of Ilocos Norte through Ms. Sunny Miguel has agreed to provide the Centennial Arena for the postponement to be held October 31 instead, from 2 pm onwards. Meanwhile, the postponed Vigan gig is still under negotiation for its relocated venue due to conflict of schedule with the original venue Heritage Resort. The Organizers hope to stage the October 30 Reading Festival in Peoples Coliseum in Santo Domingo, Ilocos Sur

A public school pupil is lucky enough when he or she gets a book issued by the DepEd every school-year opening. Usually, the priority are pupils from the "star" section or where the best of the crop are grouped together. If a pupil belongs to the lowest section, or any of the lower sections, books become scarce, with street dog-eared or missing pages, torn cover and pages. Those who get a complete set is the luckier bunch. There are those who get two, three, or four books out of seven or eight textbooks. The squalid state of the books could make any one despair. After typhoon Ondoy , many schools were flooded and adversely affected. Here, the the books are dried inside school grounds--- in the stairs, corridors and inside the school perimeter fence. These books represent the state of Philippine education and literacy. This is the main reason why Reading Festival was conceived. Through our reading and literacy campaign, we hope to impart that every individual has his and her ...

The two radio stations (DWHP - iFM 99.5 Laoag) and Magik FM Vigan has started announcing our radio plugs for Reading Festival! Remember, each time you make a donation (no minimum amount required), you help give books to poor children in the Philippines and promote their chances of getting a better life! Roll on!

Prizes in the form of 3 balikbayan boxes of books has been received today from one of the Partners of Reading Festival- Move on Philippines . Likewise, Mart1 has expressed interest in joining us in this worthy cause.

Reading Festival, an interpretative reading competition among elementary (Grade 1 – Grade 6) and High School (First-Fourth year) in per level basis kicks off October 23 in Laoag City Auditorium. It is a half-day event that will focus on public schools with special consideration for children from marginalized families. 10 winners will be declared per area and date for a total of 30 winners in all. The contest will be featuring Goin’ Bulilit Kids and other entertainers with the following dates and venues: October 23 – Laoag City Auditorium ; October 24 – Heritage Resort Caoayan (Metro Vigan); October 25 – SM City Rosales (Pangasinan). The event objective is to inspire and encourage school children and youth to value reading, education and literacy in order to succeed if not become productive members of society. It is in-line with the Department of Education’s (Dep Ed) read-a-thon (reading) program. Reading is one of the most potent tools to success which has been...

We are happy to announce that support for Reading Festival ( The First Leg ) has started pouring in! Already, sponsorship from Precious Pages Corporation with imprints ETL ( Easy to Learn Books ) , Lampara , Little Genius, as well as Mabuhay Educational Center boardgames and teaching aide posters already came. We hope more to come for the participating schools and children!

In the Philippines, in addition to the rising problems in Philippine education with classroom shortage, teacher shortage at 49,699 in SY 2005-2006 , lack of fund , and children no longer wanting to go to school for various financial and material reasons, the few who have perseverance are challenged about the access to education materials such as books. Thus, to address lack of interest in reading (and literacy in general), Bituen , together with Move on Philippines joined hands to highlight the importance of reading and literacy through Reading Festival (First Leg) . MoP has agreed to donate books for winners and children who will join in the activity that will be graced by 4 Goin Bulilit Kids , young female and male dance groups that will be staged at Laoag City Auditorium (October 23, Friday), Heritage Resort (October 24, Saturday) and SM City Rosales (October 25, Sunday). The organizers hope to help children learn the importance of books and reading in achieving life dreams. Th...