Alimbukad Basa Pamilya (Adult and Child Literacy Program)

Alimbukad Basa Pamilya started in the schoolyear 2013-2014 with selected children from indigent communities who would go to the public library once a month for a book reading session with Zontian Wi Suan Tiu and Chief librarian Ruth Chua. The following schoolyear, Guadalupe Elementary School welcomed the program to be piloted to a class of kindergarten students. In 2015-2016, the project was extended to the first grade students due to parents’ requests. But with each new schoolyear, a new set of kindergarten students were enrolled into the program.

Alimbukad is launched each year for the new set of students, with a program, where the Department of Education head, a councilor of the city/municipal government and the school principal give inspirational and welcome talks to the parents.

Each child, in the kindergarten and grade one classes, is given a book bag, and the parents are taught to read to the child every day, and augment the understanding of the stories with crafts that they are supposed to do at home in relation to the book’s story. The book bags are rotated weekly by the teachers.

At the end of the schoolyear, the parents and students are given certificates of participation during a program attended by the teachers and volunteer teachers, as well as Zonta members.

Guadalupe Elem. School is located within the city, 5 minutes by car from the center of the city.

Poo Elem. School is in Olango Island, so that Zontians cross to Mactan Island,30 to 45 minutes by car, then travel for 30 minutes to Olango Island by motorized banca, or a private yacht, and arrive at the school by car.

Luyang Elem. School is located in the northwestern side of Cebu province, 1½ to 2 hours from Cebu City by car.