read-along bags ncca award for PDI

much of my life lately has revolved around these read-along sessions every other saturday, and the occasional fridays. what started as this small reading thing with about 20 kids in May 2007 has since expanded to jampacked sessions featuring at times more than a hundred kids - something that still strikes me as overwhelming until now. the event has since taken me places, some as far as baguio and bataan, some nearer like cavite and bulacan. i'm not really much of a kid person, but after more than 70 of these sessions, i think i'm developing a kind of affection for them. ahahhaa.

anyway, so we were extraordinarily surprised:

PDI Read-Along bags another award

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 22:37:00 03/27/2009

MANILA, Philippines – For instilling the habit of reading among children, the Philippine Daily Inquirer has been recognized as a “culture-friendly” media organization by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Philippine-International Theater Institute (ITI).

The Inquirer, which was cited for its Read-Along sessions, was among the recipients of the first ever ITI-NCCA Award for Culture-Friendly Media Institutions in a ceremony held Friday at the Premier Guest House in Malacañang.


(L-R) with Ruthie, the boss and the comedy king himself

(Read full story here.)

Other artists also honored included glass sculptor Ramon Orlina, designer Pitoy Moreno, and Dolphy for his contribution in Multimedia and Popular Art. It was my first time in Malacañang, and with the super short notice given us last-minute substitutes (read: night before, around past-7. event was at 9am the next morning, late pa ako.) i wasn't even able to dress up in proper Filipiniana. Shame actually. buti na lang naitago ako nang maayos-ayos dito sa photo na ito hehe.

boss says now more than ever we have to work harder to deserve the award. couldn't agree more.