By TRISHA MACAS. Originally posted on GMA News Online.
As part of the celebration of the National Reading Month, Kaya Natin! Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership launched "Araw ng Pag(b)asa (read as Araw ng Pagbasa, Araw ng Pag-asa)" in Cubao Elementary School last October 29 to invite schools and groups to motivate students to read.
"Araw ng Pag(b)asa" was started by Quezon City third district tepresentative Jorge "Bolet" Banal, Jr. who filed the Araw ng Pag(b)asa Act of 2010. It aims to make November 27 a special working holiday.
In 2011, Department of Education (DepEd) secretary Armin Luistro issued a memorandum declaring Araw ng Pag(b)asa as the culminating activity of the National Reading Month.
Bana's inspiration for initiating the bill was the late senator Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino, Jr.; hence, Araw ng Pag(b)asa was set on Ninoy's birth date.
During the launch, he told the students of the Cubao Elementary School how Ninoy found hope in reading books. "Pagbabasa ang nagbigay sa kanya ng pag-asa," Banal said.
Presidential Adviser on Food Security and Agricultural Modernization secretary Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan also shared how reading gave him hope during his sickly childhood years at the launch. Quezon City vice mayor Ma. Josefina "Joy" Belmonte also shared the story, "Simply Jesse" by Yvette Fernandez, which is about the late Naga City mayor and Department of Interior and Local Government secretary Jesse M. Robredo.
Yesterday, DepEd kicked off National Reading Month at the Pasig Central Elementary School and urged the people to donate books to public schools through its Share-A-Book Challenge.
Leading the launch was Education secretary Luistro who said, "Ang pagbabasa ay nagbubukas sa mga mundo na hindi natin makikilala. Ito ay magdadala sa atin sa kahit anumang imahinasyon."