Literacy and honesty are on board in two wheels. Can you ever imagine it?

Increasing literacy and developing honesty are the driving forces of BASAKleta, a bicycle with books to be parked in every purok of Brgy. Salvacion.

This is the unique project of Salvacion Elementary School in Panabo City where a bike with books will be parked outside the house of a teacher, the purok leader, or friends of teachers for three days.

A tarpaulin with instructions is posted. Children will write their name in the logbook and get the books by themselves. After reading, they will fill up the borrower’s card at the back of the book or reading material and answer the prompt line “Ang akong natun-an sa basahon_____ (What I learned from the book _____)”. The children will also personally return the books.

Along with the pleasure of reading books, children also enjoy free tub of champorado sponsored by LGU Panabo and RICH Cocoa.

Irhyn E. Petalcorin, the school principal, said the BASAKleta project is part of the school’s learning continuity plan amidst COVID-19 in order to strengthen and bring back the love for reading of children.

“We came up with a bike because it can reach remote places and we will no longer spend for gasoline,” she said.

Along with the project, Petalcorin said they also advocate honesty at the same time. They want to see the effectiveness of increasing literacy and developing honesty in a free reading station.

Since the school does not have a sponsor for the bicycle yet, the school’s security guard, Gary Montilla, lent his bicycle with the desire to help strengthen the advocacy of the school.