60% have no books: How can we expect children to read?

We already know how important reading is for children. We hear it repeatedly in schools, seminars, literacy campaigns, and government programs. Reading is fundamental. Reading opens doors. Reading builds better futures. But there is a more important question we need to ask: Does a Filipino child have a book to open within the walls of their own home?

According to information released by EDCOM II through its BOOKSan ang Kinabukasan campaign, 60 percent of Filipino households with children aged 0–4 have no children’s books at home. This is a troubling figure. It is not merely a matter of insufficient reading materials. It reflects the unequal opportunities available to children to experience reading at an early age.

We often ask why children have poor reading comprehension. Why don’t they enjoy reading? Why do they prefer their cellphones over books? Why don’t they read even during school breaks? But before we blame the children, perhaps we should first examine the world we have created for them. How can we expect a child to become a reader if the closest book available to them is a textbook used only for examinations? How can we encourage a child to love literature if they have never been given the opportunity to choose a book they actually want to read?

In Iloilo, a city that takes pride in its culture, history, education, and literature, this is a question we must confront. We have schools with libraries, institutions that conduct reading programs, organizations that organize book fairs, and individuals who continue to champion children’s literature. But this does not necessarily mean that every Ilonggo child has equal access to books.

Some children grow up in families that can afford picture books, storybooks, and illustrated encyclopedias. Others grow up with school modules as the only books they ever see. In remote barangays and island communities across Iloilo, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Guimaras, a school may have a small reading corner, but its collection may be limited, outdated, or unsuitable for the children’s age, interests, and language.

We must also recognize the cost of children’s books. For many families, buying a picture book is not a priority. Food, transportation, electricity, and other necessities come first. This does not mean that these families do not value education. It simply means that there are realities of everyday life that cannot be addressed by the simple reminder to buy books and read.

And this brings us to a much bigger issue: the problem is not merely the lack of books, but also the system through which books are created, published, distributed, and made accessible to readers.

In our region, there is another challenge that receives far less attention: the shortage of books written in the languages children actually speak. In Iloilo, for instance, why should a Hiligaynon-speaking child grow up reading stories almost exclusively in English or Filipino? Why does it seem easier to find imported children’s books than quality picture books featuring our own stories, characters, legends, culture, and lived experiences?

This does not mean that we should limit children to their mother tongues. Rather, they should have opportunities to read in different languages, including Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a, Aklanon, Capiznon, Filipino, and English. A multilingual reading experience is not a barrier to learning. It is an opportunity for children to understand their own culture while opening their imaginations to a wider world.

As an independent publisher in Iloilo, I see this problem from the other side of the publishing industry. Publishing children’s books in regional languages is not easy. Illustration, editing, layout, printing, and distribution all entail considerable costs. Print runs are often limited because there is no guarantee that the investment will be recovered. Some books have wonderful concepts and exceptional quality, yet they never reach the schools and communities that need them most.

It is disheartening to think that there are writers, illustrators, and independent publishers willing to create stories that reflect the experiences of Ilonggo children, yet the support system needed to bring these books to their intended readers remains inadequate.

Having a library is not enough, either. What is the value of a library if its collection is outdated, limited, or unsuitable for the age and interests of the children who are supposed to use it? What is the purpose of a reading corner if it is not regularly replenished with new books? And what is the point of a book donation drive if the books being given away are merely leftovers that are no longer appropriate for use?

We need to change the way we think about book donations. Schools and community libraries should not be treated as dumping grounds for old books. Children in economically disadvantaged communities deserve new, high-quality, meaningful, and culturally relevant children’s books. Just because their communities are poor does not mean we can give them whatever books happen to be available.

Local governments also have an important role to play. Do our barangays have sufficient funding for early childhood literacy? Is there a dedicated budget for purchasing children’s books for daycare centers? Do local schools have programs that encourage parents to read with their children? We cannot rely solely on the generosity of donors to address a need that should be part of public service.

This is why BOOKSan ang Kinabukasan: Kwento Mo ’To!, a campaign of the Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II), in partnership with Caritas Philippines and Linya-Linya, is important. The campaign aims to bring collections of children’s books to communities through Reading Boxes containing 30–35 books and Reading Nooks containing 70–75 books. Among its target areas is the Archdiocese of Jaro in Iloilo. This is an important opportunity to expand access to children’s books in our region.

However, we must remember that the problem does not end with the distribution of books. Collections need to be regularly replenished. Community librarians and daycare workers need training. Parents must be encouraged to read with their children. Local writers and publishers must receive sustained support. Literacy is not a one-time activity. It is a long-term responsibility.

There is one more thing I want to emphasize: we must not turn books into mere decorations in our schools and offices. It is not enough to post photographs of reading corners on social media, hold ribbon-cutting ceremonies for newly opened libraries, or celebrate an annual Reading Month. The true measure of a successful reading program is whether a child actually gets to read a book, choose one, take it home, and return to it because they have grown to love it.

In Iloilo, a city we often proudly describe as a center of culture and education, we should ask ourselves how many children actually own a picture book at home. How many have access to books in Hiligaynon? How many have the opportunity to listen to their parents read them a story? How many can enter a library that is genuinely designed and dedicated to their needs?

We cannot claim to have a reading culture if only a few can afford to buy books. We cannot proudly call ourselves a city of readers when some children have never even had the opportunity to own a book.

We should stop repeatedly asking children why they do not read. Instead, we should ask ourselves: What kind of society have we built if having a children’s book has become a privilege rather than an ordinary part of childhood?

A child who has no book to read does not necessarily lack an interest in stories. Perhaps that child has simply never been given the opportunity to discover one.

We cannot expect children to love reading if we do not do everything in our power to bring books within their reach. Before we teach a child how to read, let us first make sure there is a book waiting for them.

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Noel Galon de Leon is a writer and educator at the University of the Philippines Visayas. He teaches in the Division of Professional Education and at UP High School in Iloilo. He currently serves as faculty-in-charge of the UP Visayas Language Program and as secretary of the National Committee on Literary Arts of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). His poetry has been recognized by the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.