BAGUIO CITY (PIA) — The Cordillera State Institute of Technical Education (CSITE) Main Library seeks to encourage students to read more through a book fair it hosted at the CSITE-Main Campus in Military Cut-Off, Baguio City.
Held on November 26 to 27, 2024, the event is part of celebration of the National Book Week with the theme, “Magbasa, Mangarap, at Magdiwang,” which aims to build the reading interest of students and encourage them to visit libraries.
School Librarian Jovie Agway said the book fair was initially intended for Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) students but eventually opened it for visitors who want to read and buy books.
Book publishing and marketing companies such as BCS Pines Brilliant Educational Marketing, AIMS Publishing, MEM Commercial, Mind Mover Publishing House, Inc., and Wiseman’s Books Trading, Inc. were invited to the book fair.
Most of the books available are aligned with TESDA courses such as Hospitality & Tourism, Electronics, Cookery, Information Technology, and Housekeeping, which are priced based on whether locally printed or imported, ranging from P250 to P6,000 per piece.
Agway said that if the students cannot buy for their personal use, they can recommend books to read.
The library will buy the recommended books and will add those to their book shelves which students can borrow.
This can help students to engage in reading and improve their speaking skills.
“So kung hindi nila pwedeng mabili, hihiramin nila sa library. And it is helping them to… magbasa, that will help their reading and of course, sa speaking skills naman nila,” Agway said.
The culminating events of the National Book Week will be held on Friday, Nov. 29.
Activities include a cosplay activity where students will portray characters from books or movies and book-themed contest where students will interpret a book through a dance.
Students will be greatly challenged in the jingle competition where they will compose their own song related to the theme, “Magbasa, Mangarap, at Magdiwang.”
National Book Week is celebrated every last week of November in the Philippines. It encourages reading and literacy among Filipinos, promotes public libraries, and arouses interest in reading good books. (JDP/DEG with Betha Servito, PIA CAR -SLU Intern)
