After the success of the Barangay Early Literacy Project (BELP) in Sto. Tomas and Malvar, Batangas, IGFI replicated the initiative to its other areas in Hermosa, Bataan and San Fernando, Pampanga. This was again in partnership with the Adarna Group Foundation, Inc. (AGFI).
BELP aims to advocate early literacy to mothers with 0-4 years’ old children being the first teachers. This initiative focuses on the importance of early teaching for the holistic intellectual development of young children. AGFI provided relevant and significant inputs on the efficient and effective way of teaching young children prior to their formal education. For a day, AGFI facilitated art and music and movement classes to small children and their parents; provided books; and shared lessons on the value of early literacy.
A total of 219 mothers together with their young children actively participated in the session (i.e. 155 from the 3 host-barangays of Hermosa and 64 from 1 host-barangay of San Fernando). Some Barangay Health Workers from the said host-communities also attended the activity.
The BELP initiative is primarily a preparatory phase to a more sustained initiative which is the Unang Aklat Project (UAP). Once BELP is successfully completed, UAP shall then be implemented for 2-3 years in partnership with the municipal local government.
