After eight ( 8 ) months of program implementation, the officials of Barangay Looc in Mandaue City, alongside the College of Teacher Education of the University of Cebu – Lapulapu and Mandaue, Ceasar M. Cabahug Elementary School (CMCES) teachers, students and parents, NGO Partners, and UCLM Community Awareness, Relations, and Extension Services (CARES) Director, Dr. Richie Montebon, commemorated the success of the Looc READS (Reading Engagement and Development Service) program at the University of Cebu – Lapulapu and Mandue Auditorium.
Spearheaded by Looc Barangay Captain Allan C. Siazon and Councilor Raul “Skipper” F. Cabahug IV, the Chairman for Education, together with former CMCES Principal Rosa Rossini E. Comedia, University of Cebu – Lapulapu and Mandaue (UCLM) College of Teacher Education Chairperson, Ms. Elna B. Sabornido, and Community Extension Coordinators, Mr. Vernel A. Garma and Mr. Gendolf L. Niepes, the program was launched in October 2022 with hopes of addressing the growing issue of the reading literacy gap among the 295 identified frustrated readers from Cesar M. Cabahug Elementary School (CMCES), brought about by the pandemic-induced school closures nationwide.
With their collective effort, University of Cebu – Lapulapu and Mandaue (UCLM) College of Teacher Education Chairperson, Ms. Elna B. Sabornido and the Community Extension Coordinators, Mr. Gendolf L. Niepes and Mr. Vernel A. Garma proudly reported during the culminating activity that, through thorough evaluation, students who were identified as frustrated readers before were now independent readers.
Ms. Sabornido and Mr. Niepes added that “adunay pag-asa sa pagbasa” (“there is hope in reading”), for teaching a child to read, it opens a gateway that makes all other learning possible — championing children, families, and communities.
The Looc Council, Chairman of Education, Hon. Raul F. Cabahug IV, along with other key partners, also shared their feedback and messages of support for the reading program, expressing that the program must be continued to help and touch the lives of even more learners in the community.
During the culmination, learners of CMCES also had a fun-filled day, experiencing a Movie Marathon at the UCLM Audio-Visual Room, taking part in various literacy activities with the foodland-inspired booths at the UCLM Gymnasium, and being enthralled by a magic show – a fitting celebration for their success and achievement in their reading journey.
This shared moment of celebration is a fulfillment for all the people behind the program who believed in the transformative power and magic of reading, believing that with resilience and innovation, we can and will build a brighter future – one student, one word at a time.
||Kia Nicole Latonio, TEC Forum
