Bontoc hooks children back to books

Dubbed “2019 Reading Challenge,” participants have to read a books borrowed from the Bontoc Municipal Library for a minimum of 20 minutes daily.

BONTOC, Mountain Province — At a time when most children are becoming slaves to gadgets, measures are needed to free them from such.

The municipal government of Bontoc, the capital town of Mountain Province through its Municipal Library, came up with a unique and innovative way to getting children and teenagers interested in books.

Dubbed “2019 Reading Challenge,” participants have to read a books borrowed from the Bontoc Municipal Library for a minimum of 20 minutes daily from 5 November to 6 December, 2019.

According to Librarian Chamreine Casiwen, the “2019 Reading Challenge” is open to children five to 12 years old and teens 13 to 19 years old. Registration is free but participants shall pay an annual borrower’s fee of P30.00 at the Municipal Treasury Office and present the Official Receipt at the Municipal Library upon registration. For children ages five to 12, they must be accompanied by their parent/guardian in the registration.

Casiwen explained that under the Children Category, the parents/guardians shall monitor the daily reading challenge of their child through the reading log sheet which will be provided upon registration. For the Teens Category, the school librarian shall monitor the reading challenge of the participants. Every week that the reading log sheet has been filled out, the participants will get one star punched on their punch card at the Bontoc Municipal Library.

Participants who will earn five stars from reading the books they borrowed shall be given a Certificate of Completion and gift certificates sponsored by the business sectors in Bontoc. Aside from the gift certificates, 10 copies of the book, “Bontoc and Its Barangays” authored by Florence Chaokas shall be raffled to be given to the five-star earners.

The activity is part of the annual observance of the Library and Information Services Month every November pursuant to Proclamation 837, s.1991 in recognition of the need to focus public awareness on the invaluable service that libraries and information centers render.

With this year’s theme “Inclusive Innovative Interconnected”, the “2019 Reading Challenge” to be spearheaded by the Bontoc local goverment unit through its Bontoc Municipal Library is in coordination with the Department of Education — Mountain Province Schools Division Office, Learning Resource Management Services, Mountain Province General Comprehensive High School Library, Saint Vincent’s School Library and the Bontoc business sector.

Aspiring bookworms are being encouraged to register on or before 31 October 31 at the municipal library.