BEEsekleta visits public schools

MANILA, Philippines - The Jollibee Lucao branch in Dagupan City and the Pangasinan Coastal Lions Club launched recently project BEEsekleta, a bicycle with a cart filled with books that will go around different public schools to instill the value of reading to kids at an early age.

Peejay Magpantay, marketing coordinator of Jollibee Lucao, told The STAR that the project will also distribute books to sectors that are less capable of owning or at least buying a book. 

Their store has a box where donors of used yet functional children’s books can drop their books.  

A BEEsekleta will go around selected public schools with reading materials, learning books, values formation books, as well as literature books. A storyteller who is also an employee of Jollibee will read stories to children. 

“This is part of our corporate social responsibility,” Magpantay said. Last year, he said they linked with The Haven, a halfway home for abused children and mothers in this city, where used tarpaulins of this top fast food chain were recycled into bags. 

There will be two storytellers, the first will deal with stories that contain moral lessons while the second will deal on classic literature. 

“Stories with moral lessons because we need to instill good values at an early age, and classic literature to provide kids with wider horizon on understanding of the world,” he explained. 

Gerry Pradez, head of Pangasinan Coastal Lions Club, said their club will also give the kids lessons on handwashing and proper hygiene. 

The initial beneficiaries of the project were Doña Victoria Zarate Elementary School in Arellano District and the Bonuan Boquig Elementary School. Each session involved 50 kids. 

BEEsekleta will go around three times a week to three schools, spending three hours at each school.

Magpantay and Pradez said they were inspired by Efren Peñaflorida and his pushcart that goes around teaching young kids in poor areas about the habit of reading. Peñaflorida earned international fame as CNN Hero of the Year 2009.