CITY OF MALOLOS, Bulacan, August 1 (PIA) — With 1.3 million children visiting malls everyday, lessons from Jose Rizal’s famous fable “Ang Pagong at ang Matsing” were never forgotten as these were read to kids during the National Children’s Book Day.

In line with Rizal’s 150th anniversary this year, a massive, simultaneous reading was conducted recently in 41 malls in the country and in China spearheaded by the SM Committee on Youth and Children’s Welfare together with the Department of Education, the National Book Development Board, Inquirer Read Along, Vibal Publishing, and BDO Foundation.

The National Children’s Book Day featured Rizal’s fable about the friendship of a turtle and a monkey every Tuesday of July.

According to Ardee Tolentino, assistant mall manager of SM Baliwag in Bulacan, the activity aims to enhance children’s learning while they are at leisure.

“With more than three million customers going to our malls daily, and approximately 1.3 million being children, we have put it upon ourselves to make our malls not just child-friendly, but more importantly, an avenue for a kid’s growth and learning,” said Tolentino.

Furthermore, the Baliwag North and South Elementary Schools and Ibayo Elementary School had received new books from SM Foundation in support of 

DepEd’s Adopt-a-School program.

Dang Estrella of SM Marilao said these activities have become “instruments for caring children.”

According to a statement from the retail giant, the primary objective of the reading campaign is “for kids to have fun in learning” through digital storytelling, book-character parade, book donation drive, and literary exhibits. (WLB/JMG-PIA 3)