For Buwan ng Wika, a Filipino lit workshop for kids

For August—Buwan Ng Wika—a Cubao-based homeschool provider is offering a workshop on Filipino literature for children aged 9 to 16.

Blended Learning Center's Filipino Literature Workshop for Kids will run from Aug. 9 to Sept. 27, 10 a.m. to 12 noon. It will be conducted by seasoned writer Kris Lacaba.

Workshop attendees can expect an introduction to the different forms of Filipino literature and some examples of these (including those taken up in school, such as "Florante at Laura" and "Noli Me Tangere"). There will also be discussions, games, and the opportunity to write poetry and vignettes.

At the end of the workshop, each student will produce and present a portfolio of works—“No previous experience necessary,” said Lacaba.

"I wanted to find a way to get my kids interested in the language," said BLC executive director Regina Abuyuan about how they came up with the idea for the workshop. "I'm not a big fan of how Filipino is taught [in schools]—as grammar. How do you learn to love a language? By understanding it and realizing how beautiful it can be when strung together in a certain way, when used to impart love and big ideas."

BLC director for education Zeena Pañares said schools have fallen short in teaching Filipino.
"The pedagogy might have drowned out the poetry and heart of it at some point," she said. "This workshop hopes to introduce to kids and teens that Filipino is more than ‘panitikan’. It’s dynamic and cool. That you can write and speak fluently in proper Filipino should be a source of pride."

According to Abuyuan, Lacaba will be assisted by two teachers—Pañares and Louie Galang—who are used to teaching multi-level classes, a necessity because of the age range of the students. Having kids from 9 to 16 studying together will in itself be a good learning experience for them, she added. "Obviously, the younger ones can learn from the older ones, but you'd be amazed at what the older ones can get from the younger ones as well," she said.

"I really hope this will resonate with parents and teachers," Abuyuan added. "We keep on complaining and talking about how poor kids are at Filipino, our own language, how our culture is dying and all that. This workshop will be a good entry point to get them interested." — BM, GMA News

For more information about the workshop, contact (02) 410-3912 or 0917-621-2167, or email blendedlearningcenter@gmail.com.