SiMultaneous Advocacy on National Children’s Book Day in the Philippines and in China

On SM’s 3^rd year of committed service to promote an environment of continuous learning and values- education for the young, SM City Davao, together with the SM Committee on Youth and Children’s Welfare, mounted the National Children’s Book Day last July 19. This was done simultaneously with 41 SM malls across the Philippines and additional malls in China, namely: SM City Xiamen, SM City Chengdu and SM City Jinjiang.

In line with Rizal’s 150^th anniversary this year, we commemorate the publication of Dr. Jose Rizal’s “Ang Pagong at ang Matsing” (at the Trubner’s Oriental Record in London), every 3rd Tuesday of July or the National Children’s Book Day.   Such festivity is held yearly to inspire love of reading and to call attention to children’s books.

“With more than 3 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 SM Davao Mall Manager Lynette Lopez.  “SM has grown beyond shopping, entertainment, and leisure.  We have grown to be venues for affirmative action and social development. We have grown into becoming instruments for caring for children.” she added.

 Together with partners from the Department of Education (DepEd), the National Book Development Board (NBDB), Inquirer Read Along, Vibal Publishing, BDO Foundation and SM Foundation, a number of “activity-campaigns” during the children’s book day, aims to cultivate a habit for reading that would further boost a child’s development at an early age.  This shall be highlighted by a turnover of new, hardbound books to different public schools nationwide in support of DepEd’s Adopt-A-School program as well as UN’s Millennium Development Goals (or MDGs) to better education and improve literacy. Local partners McDonald’s, Dencio’s Kamayan, World of Fun, Shakey’s and Goldilock’s also supported the cause.

The primary objective of this SM Cares program under SM Prime Holdings, is for kids to have fun in learning, by experiencing the wonderful world of books through digital storytelling with celebrities, book-character parade, literary exhibits, book donation drive, “write shops” for children’s literature and many more activities that would instill proper values and reinforce a child’s rich and colorful imagination.