MANILA, Philippines—Twelve young storytellers made it to the semi-finals of this year’s Inquirer Read-Along Festival Storytelling Contest after an elimination round held on Saturday at the Inquirer main office in Makati.
A total of 67 students from 19 schools in Metro Manila, Cavite, Pampanga and Laguna joined the storytelling contest for children aged 10 to 12.
The semi-finalists are: Rei Aileen Andino (A. Regidor Elementary School), Ma. Catrina Chan (A. Regidor Elementary School), Matthew S. Garcia (Diliman Preparatory School), Charlene Margaux B. Imson (Optimus Center for Development), Rafael Bennett Lamasan (Diliman Preparatory School), Ezra Veronica C. Lopez (School of St. Anthony), Jeremy Matthew M. Mercurio (Optimus Center for Development), Maria Ysobel B. Ramirez (John Dewey School for Children), Krista Rebolledo (School of St. Anthony), Timothy Bernardo Salacup (School of St. Anthony), Macahilig Satsuaki (School of St. Anthony), and Candy Joy C. Tan (Chiang Kai Shek College).
Junior Inquirer editor and regular Read-Along host Ruth Navarra chaired the elimination round’s board of judges, which also included Inquirer photographer and Read-Along storyteller Grig Montegrande and professional storyteller Posh Develos.
Before the elimination round, the contestants and their coaches attended a workshop on the basics of book-based interactive storytelling led by regular Read-Along storyteller Rich Rodriguez on Oct. 26. The main aim of the workshop was to level the playing field and empower both students and their coaches with basic storytelling concepts and techniques.
The semi-finals will be held at the Inquirer main office on Nov. 9, Saturday, 2 p.m.
The top 5 will move on to compete in the finals, which will be held during the Read-Along Festival on Nov. 13, 3 p.m. at the main lobby of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
The two-day festival, held in cooperation with the CCP, is a marathon of six storytelling events on Nov. 12 and Nov. 13. Celebrity readers include reading ambassadors, Inquirer president Alexandra Prieto-Romualdez, Miss Earth Foundation executive director Cathy Untalan, Binibining Pilipinas-Universe 2007 Anna Theresa Licaros, actress Jasmine Curtis-Smith, and singer Nikki Gil. It is open to the public and is free of charge. Schools who are interested in sending their students to any of the six sessions may get in touch with Ellen Caparros at 897-8808 loc 329 or send an e-mail to festival@inquirer.com.ph. Seats are on a first come, first served basis. Kate Pedroso, Inquirer Research