On April 19, HAPI Green held its second annual “Celebrating Through Stories” book donation drive at the Ilihan Library in Batangas City. The event aimed to promote early literacy and environmental sustainability by donating second-hand books to the local community.
During the event, we spoke with Macie Manalo, the librarian at Ilihan Barangay Library and Information Center. She shared that children’s books are in high demand, even among older students. “Even our Grade 5 students often look for these children’s books,” Macie explained. “They’re drawn to the colors and activity books.”
Macie also noted that most of the books in the library are from the National Library. While these books are helpful, they tend to be older and text-heavy. Colorful books with illustrations are particularly good for engaging younger readers. This information underscored the importance of the donation drive, highlighting the need for a variety of reading materials for different age groups and reading levels.
Addressing Literacy Challenges
The donation drive comes at a crucial time when the Philippine education system is facing significant challenges in literacy. According to a recent report by the Philippine Statistics Authority, nearly 19 million senior and junior high school graduates in 2024 were not considered “functionally literate,” meaning they struggle to comprehend a simple story.
Five donors contributed to the success of this year’s drive: Julie Dotig, Malou Aguila, Reygiel Aguila, Johnny Aguirre, and Diosa Aguila-Aguirre. Their donations included English and Tagalog children’s books, flash cards, dictionaries, activity books, poetry collections, fiction novels, and fairy tales.
Volunteers spent time collecting, sorting, and preparing the books. Each book received a HAPI Green sticker before being added to the donation.
Johnny Aguirre and Diosa Aguila-Aguirre delivered the boxes of books to Macie at the library. “These books will make a difference,” Macie noted. “For many of our students, these might be the first books they’ve ever owned.”
Looking Ahead
The “Celebrating Through Stories” drive achieved its goals of promoting literacy and sustainability while strengthening community ties. HAPI Green plans to continue this initiative in the coming years, aiming to reach more young readers and encourage a love for reading.
As Dr. Seuss wrote, “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” Through this donation drive, HAPI Green hopes to open new worlds of learning for the children of Ilijan, providing them with engaging, colorful books that complement the existing library collection and support the development of critical thinking skills.
In alignment with DepEd’s efforts to improve functional literacy, initiatives like HAPI Green’s book donation drive play a crucial role in providing diverse reading materials that can help foster a love for reading and enhance comprehension skills among students.
