ORMOC CITY – 107 Child Development Workers (CDWs) participated in the training-workshop for persuasive and interactive storytelling through project HOPE on March 27-29, 2023 at Pongos Hotel.
Project HOPE is a joint effort program of DepEd and LGU-Ormoc, as initiated by Ormoc City Senior High Filipino Teacher Jemmar De Asis and English Teacher Maricar Sacay Lago, which seeks to address the “reading gaps”, accordingly, caused by the pandemic. It stands for Helping Child Development Workers Obtain Persuasive Educational Reading of Stories to Children.
Present during the training were Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez, Atty. Nolito Quilang of the Local School Board, City Councilor Caren Jean Torres-Rama (Chairperson for the SP Committee on Social Services), Maribel Gucela of the City Social Welfare Department, Assistant Schools Division Superintendent Mario Rodgie Sombilon, and the members of the Technical Working Group of Project HOPE namely, Cecil Manosa, Kenny F. Abella, Aylene Bagulaya and Karen Ceniza.
Multi-awarded and expert storytellers from Luzon were the resource speakers of the said three-day training-workshop. Alma Cecilia A. Lawagan, a Master Teacher II of Paaralang Antonio Regidor, tackled the topics on Theory on Storytelling, Storytelling VS Declamation, Basic Techniques and Styles for Interactive Storytelling on day one.
Ronald Carcamo, a Palanca Awardee and the country’s premier ventriloquist, discussed the topics on Brief Background on Puppetry, Types of Puppets, Puppet Construction, Manipulation, Vocalization and Producing a Puppet Show on day two.
Meanwhile, the Child Development Workers showcased what they learned through a solo performance on how to greet and introduce the story material on day one, puppetry-making on day two and group interactive storytelling and puppetry on day three.
“Ormoc City Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez is committed to creating and supporting programs which ensure that every child becomes a reader. She believes that reading literacy through storytelling improves listening skill and increases active participation, thus, she is extending her full support for the next volume of Project HOPE. Further plans to invite more recipients from the government and private sector to suffice the agreed ladderized reading program is going on,” narrated by Ms. Lago. “Good stories do more than create a sense of connection. With Project HOPE, our learners will not only achieve literacy learning through interactive storytelling but the teachers will also benefit from the program with the right skills to become effective storytellers, speakers and writers, which they can use to address the challenges in the classroom setting,” she further said. (Contributed by Emma Lago / EV Mail March 27-April 2, 2023 issue)
