In partnership with Project Palabasa, the University of the Philippines Visayas (UPV) Language Program (LP) held a multi-sectoral workshop on Read Aloud at Particion Elementary School in Guimbal, Iloilo on May 29, 2026.
This was the first UPV LP workshop that brought together various community stakeholders for literacy. The session gathered 35 participants, consisting of parents, guardians, teachers, day-care workers, and members of the barangay council.
The whole day workshop was divided into two sessions. The first tackled the current literacy crisis and the features of the Read Aloud as a reading/teaching strategy. In this session, the participants were asked to identify common challenges they encounter when they teach reading as well as distinguish storytelling from Read Aloud.
The second session, on the other hand, was on the demonstration of Read Aloud, which delved with book selection, planning and preparation, questioning, and alignment with courses being taught. The participants noted that Read Aloud builds skills on spelling, pronunciation, vocabulary, and comprehension and develops empathy.
Prof. Anna Liza Barcelona served the resource speaker for these sessions, in which she highlighted that addressing the literacy crisis requires a whole community approach. This means that the academe has to work with other stakeholders to make changes happen. To end the workshop, she asked the participants to propose possible, practical, and community-based solutions.
To further support the literacy project, Project Palabasa turned over two boxes of learning materials to Particion Elementary School. These included books from Bagong Kultura Pilipinas and Adarna House’s Wikahon Set.
Also present during the workshop were Asst. Prof. Rene C. Trance, UPV LP faculty-in-change, and Asso. Prof. Marie Frances Nievales, a volunteer documenter from the Division of Biological Sciences. Project Palabasa was represented by its founder Juliana Rose Pagador, co-founder Mary Rose Pagador, and creative strategist Eula Pauline Noquilla.
The UPV LP also recognized Mr. Cyril Gito Gasacao, Principal of Particion Elementary School, for organizing the event with Project Palabasa.
Written by Rene Trance, Language Program
Photos courtesy of Project Palabasa
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