Aside from reading web articles, I’m fortunate to have access to books at home. Reading on paper does not have the dizzying effect that phones or computers do when you stare at them for long periods. They’re also less distracting.
But I was reminded today that book distribution remains vastly unequal in the Philippines. My municipality doesn’t even have its own public library. This made me wonder about how kids in this generation approach reading in general. You are, in fact, immersing yourself in the imagination of the author’s words, which helps to build creativity and intellectual literacy.
Professor Noel Galon de Leon said it very well in one of his articles, which I encourage you to read:
“Yesterday, I saw the faces of my students light up because of books. I saw wonder, curiosity, excitement, and possibility. I also saw a painful reminder of how unequal access to literature remains. Those two realities existed in the same moment. The joy was real, but so was the inequality behind it. And perhaps that is precisely why we must continue creating libraries, reading corners, book programs, publishing initiatives, and community spaces where books can reach children who might otherwise never encounter them. We cannot wait for the perfect system before we begin. We have to build the reading culture we want, one classroom, one library, one community, and sometimes one child at a time.”