City library culminates puppetry workshop

THE Iloilo City Public Library (ICPL) held the culminating activity for the Puppetry Making and Storytelling Workshop May 28, 2019.

Thirty kids, aged 5 to 11 years old, who joined the activity since May 8 received their certificate of participation and prizes from ICPL.

“This culmination aims to recognize the efforts of children who joined the sessions and made their own puppets,” said Julia Imme Jover, ICPL Librarian II.

“Puppetry is one way of enhancing children’s communication skills. We taught them storytelling through puppetry and they also made puppets out of paper bags,” Jover added.

The initiative was part of children’s summer workshop organized by ICPL every year.

Seven year-old Alexander Dwayne Sunga said he enjoyed and learned not only to make puppets but also to make use of recycled materials.

Sunga has been joining the various workshops of ICPL for almost three years.

Ken Jaboneta, father of six year-old Jamren Khen, said the workshops were big help in developing the potential of children in arts.

“Every kid has his own potential and since one year old, I have seen that my son has interests in performing arts and drawing. Through puppetry making and storytelling, it helped my child not only to get along with other kids but also develop his skills in arts since they were taught to make puppets,” said Jaboneta who is a MAPEH teacher at La Paz National High School.

Jaboneta suggested to organize more art workshops and dance lessons for the kids not only during summer but whole year round.

Another parent, Juvy Alapar, who works at City Assessor’s Office just beside the ICPL at second floor of City Hall, said her daughter Princess Nicole also learned other values during the workshop.

“As a parent, I am happy to see that my daughter shares to her cousins everything that she learned from the workshop. And at the same time, she was the one who reminded us to wash our hands before and after eating. She also learned from the library staff how to be respectful and to always greet the people she meets along,” Alapar said.

Alapar’s daughter made use of her vacation to learn reading at ICPL. She just graduated from the Iloilo City Government Children’s Learning Center, also at second floor of City Hall.

ICPL also organizes monthly storytelling at Plaza Libertad. (PIO)