Annie Pacana-Lumbao is an author and illustrator of children's books and teaches graphic design at the University of the Philippines. Here Annie shares her experience as guest author at the launching of the new school library at Janopol Elementary School in Batangas. 
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It was a breezy morning in Tanauan, Batangas last June 26, unlike the heat in Manila where I came from. Zarah Gagatiga of Sambat Trust and I had breakfast at the city proper of Tanauan and then went off on a tricycle ride to the town of Janopol Occidental. The roads grew smaller and smaller. More trees and fields were in sight. The air got fresher and colder. Finally we arrived and got off at Janopol Elementary School where a teacher greeted us and invited us in.

The teachers of Janopol Elementary School welcomed us with a warm cup of Batangas coffee before the program began. When we were wide awake and ready to kick off the program, they led us to the new library. There, I met more teachers, representatives of the local government, of the Department of Education, and of Sambat Trust. Rain started to pour as we listened to welcome remarks, words of gratitude and an outpour of emotions on how this new library is empowering the school and community’s vision for the students of Janopol.

It was very touching. “Nakakakilabot,” as we say in Filipino. The ribbon-cutting ceremony took place and everyone was happy when the boxes of book donations from publishers and authors were turned over to the library. 

In the afternoon, we met the students of Janopol Elementary School who were all eager to use the new library and listen to a storytelling session we promised. I shared with them the story “But That Won’t Wake Me Up” which was the first storybook I published with Adarna House in 2010.

I told the students how this storybook all started from a storytelling session with my daughter when she was very young. They listened closely and helped me voice out the sounds in the story. They giggled as they crowed like a rooster, shouted like a taho vendor and marched like a parading band. They also enjoyed looking at the beautiful way Liza Flores had illustrated our storybook. 

After the morning session with the students, we had a roundtable discussion with the teachers. I shared with them my experience, not as a teacher but as a mother who encourages her own children to read. I told them how it’s good to write stories they know about or have actually experienced with the encounters they have with the students. The teachers told us that they do create stories using their mother-tongue language in Batangas and how they also ask students to do the same.    

In the end, we all agreed that these kind of stories will strengthen the language and culture of our children. Fittingly, at the back wall of the library were the words: “Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” With the vision of the teachers, the support of the government and the enthusiasm of the students of Janopol Elementary School, the writings on that wall will surely be a reality.    

I remember one particular question that a young student asked after our storytelling session: “How did you pull the sun in the room?” referring to a scene in the story of “But That Won’t Wake Me Up.”  The teachers and I smiled at this student who believed the mother in the story was really able to pull in the sun from the window. But now, as I come to think of it, it is possible after all to pull in the sun. It is just the same as how Sambat Trust brightens up a school and a community when they open new libraries in the towns of  Batangas. 

As the day ended, I travelled back to Manila where the roads got wider, the trees and fields in view got fewer, the heavy rains flooded the streets and the traffic left commuters stranded everywhere. Still, I could not wipe away the smile in my mind for having learned first-hand how  it really “takes a village to raise a child,” as Zarah quoted from a proverb in her message to the school community. 

One does not come back from a journey like this unchanged. I thank Sambat Trust for making me realize my part in raising more communities of readers. It is amazing how help from people near and far has contributed to the growth of students in Batangas through the opening of public school libraries.

Wawa Elementary School is located on the outskirts of Taal Lake. It's one of eleven town schools located in the east district of Tanauan City, Batangas. Lorna is a teacher at Wawa Elementary School. This is her story of humble beginnings and the power of determination to fulfill one's dreams.
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Lorna's father didn't have a job. Her mother was a factory worker. Lorna had to decide between working in the nearby factory or pursuing an education. With her mother's encouragement, Lorna chose to go to college to become a teacher. Luck was on Lorna's side as she learned about a scholarship program sponsored by the local government, but she still had to work part-time to make ends meet. With her meager salary and scholarship stipend, Lorna was able to pay her way through college and finish her degree. For Lorna, her hard-earned education is something she's really proud of.

Lorna is now in her tenth year as a teacher at Wawa Elementary School. As one of the senior teachers, Lorna gets assigned as officer-in-charge when the school principal is away. " Work can feel overwhelming at times," she shares. " I have to balance my responsibilities as a teacher, mother and wife."

Students dropping out of school is another challenge Lorna faces. Even if these children are eager to learn, they have to help their parents scrape a living. She confides, "It's heartbreaking when students are not coming to school because they have no food or allowance. There are a lot of children who experience this problem. As much as we'd like to support all of them, our means are also limited."

For a dedicated teacher like Lorna, this is frustrating. In Parent Teacher Association meetings, Lorna encourages parents to let their children continue their education despite the poverty they encounter. "I tell the parents to let their children come to school, and whatever little food their classmates and teachers have, we'll share it with them." 

Despite the challenges, Lorna remains hopeful: The school has been granted additional funds by the local government to build new classrooms, and a school library  was established in 2010 by Sambat Trust. Lorna says, "Now, our students want to see and read more books. It's important that we continue to develop the library. It's essential to not only touch the minds of our students, but also their hearts [through books and reading]."

Positive changes like these fuel Lorna's determination to keep her students in school despite the odds."I wish well for my students; I want them to believe that there's hope, and that poverty should never be a reason for them to stop their education. I've been through it, and I know it's important to persevere. It entails a lot of patience and sacrifice but having a good education is the key to success."

By Mennie Ruth