Good Reading Revolution

                I have a special interest for books which I think I owe from my uncle Rene.  It may have been my osmosis first when I got this love for books since childhood.  I was delighted whenever I could see his small collection of good books in our house.  Then, I would imitate him read.  Some years ago, he told me that he dreams of putting up a library in our town.  I found my Uncle’s wish to be very good  but I wondered if this can be done.  Life became busier and I was not able to think further about it until Weng shared with me her library project in Eastern Samar.

                Eastern Samar is one of the poorest provinces in Philippines.  Rowena or Weng, as I call her by nick name, was assigned to work in Balangiga in Eastern Samar for five years since 2005*.  But aside from her busy work, she was able to help her mother fulfill her long-time wish of putting up a public library in their town, Llorente (which is near Balangiga), where unfortunately illiteracy is still widespread.  With the help of her aunt who resides in the U.S. and other relatives and friends, Weng was able to get books, tables and chairs, and other needed materials for the library including educational toys.

                 “Generous people just came by to help,” said Weng.  She told me that an old couple allowed them to use for free the ground floor (silong) of their house.  Then there came a volunteer librarian every Saturdays who has a full-time job during the week.  She installed a simple library system.  Donations in cash continue to come which are given to two library assistants.  “Knowing that we have limited funds, we were just grateful that the library aides agreed to help us during the week.  We could only give each of them a minimum of Php 1,500 or $ 35 per month as allowance,” disclosed Weng.

                Good libraries or quiet reading corners are very much needed today—not only in our rural towns but also, or much more so, in our city districts. They give us the space to be more human in our lives, to learn the truths we need to live by and consequently be truly free.  Great books leave a mark in their readers.  We see a shameful poverty these days—the ignorance from good literary books.   In spite of so many reading materials nowadays, not everything is valuable and helpful. 

                Rowena’s family has shared their blessings by starting the first private library in the province of Eastern Samar which they called Llorente Library and Information Center.  “We also have reading workshops.  We tell the kids bible stories and fairy tales too with moral lessons.  How they love it!”, shared Weng. This project has also inspired other students from nearby towns and college students even drop by to study better as they inquire from the library aides on how to approach some of their lessons.

Weng's reading workshop cultivates and enriches the imagination of young minds.

               To my Uncle Rene—your dream is very much needed now by many young people…  And it is possible to start a “good reading revolution”.  You and I can start a project like Weng’s or help instead similar endeavors.  If you like to help or simply know more details about the Llorente Library and Information Center project, you may e-mail Rowena N. Tan at wengtan@yahoo.com.

*Rowena N. Tan was appointed as the first judge for the Regional Trial Court of Balangiga, Eastern Samar in 2005.  She has been designated last June 2010 as acting presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court branch 121 in Caloocan City.