MANILA, Philippines ? At the country?s premier fishing hub, tales of friendship and Earth-saving heroes were the prized catch of the day.

Around 60 schoolchildren in Navotas learned lessons on trust, teamwork and environmental awareness during a special edition of Inquirer Read-Along on July 18.

Mostly third and fourth graders from Navotas Elementary School, along with their parents and teachers, gathered for a storytelling session with Miss Earth Philippines-Air 2008 Maria Razel Eguia, talent search winners Gretchen Espina and Prince Stefan, and Alitaptap storytellers Rich Rodriguez and Fa?ar Nobleza.

Eguia and four student-performers from the host school staged a skit titled ?Eco Defenders: Mga Batang Superhero ng Kalikasan (Child Superheroes of Mother Earth),? complete with colorful costumes and props.

Playing the role of the Eco Defenders were Grade 4 pupils Joshua Cruz as Switch Ninja, Naomi Gayle dela Cruz as Waste Buster, Aldrin Geric Castillo as Water Warrior and Theresa Marie Roldan as Marine Crusader.

The skit told the story of Switch Ninja, Waste Buster and Water Warrior who accompany Mother Earth on a tour of renewable energy sites.

They meet another ally, Marine Crusader, whose mission is to protect the seas from pollution. The superheroes ultimately remind children that they can help save the planet even in their own little ways.

?Defenders? is an advocacy material developed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the US Department of Energy?s Sustainable Energy Development Program (SEDP).

?I have always been comfortable presenting to kids,? Eguia said. ?I enjoy reading to them and having them as audience because I was part of similar activities even when I was in high school.?

Purpose-driven reader

Currently preparing for the Miss Tourism Queen International pageant in August, Eguia counts among her sources of inspiration Rick Warren?s bestseller ?The Purpose Driven Life.?

Espina and Stefan read ?Hipon at Biya,? a fable?starring a shrimp and fish?about friendship and teamwork. The story was written by Carla Pacis and published by Adarna House.

The tandem occasionally took a pause in the reading to ask the children questions and make sure they followed the story. They also cracked jokes and encouraged the kids to imagine being in the characters? situations.

?I was nervous at first,? Stefan said. ?I was really worried they?d fall asleep in the middle of our story, but thankfully, they didn?t.

?We had to make it really interactive since we know children tend to have a short attention span,? Espina added.

Last year, Espina also read children?s stories to a group of young cancer patients.

How to live life to fullest

?It was a great experience being able to do them a favor,? said Espina, the 2008 winner of the GMA network singing contest Pinoy Idol.

Espina counted Paulo Coelho and Mitch Albom books among her favorites, particularly Albom?s ?The Five People You Meet in Heaven.?

?It tells you how to live life to the fullest, and just how one should appreciate everything that comes your way,? she said.

For Stefan, a 2007 runner-up in the GMA teenage talent search ?Starstruck,? reading to kids was an entirely new experience.

?It?s not so much about memorizing (stories) really,? said Stefan, who had appeared on various GMA soaps. ?I just made sure I understood the story by heart so I could relate it well to the kids.?

Good foundation

Stefan considers himself a fan of teen novels, though admitting he tends to be the type who would ?change books often? without finishing what he had started.

Capping the session were Alitaptap president Rich Rodriguez and member Fa?ar Nobleza, who read ?Fish for Two? by Becky Bravo, published by Lampara Books.

First-time reader Nobleza, a preschool teacher in Calamba, Laguna, came to the session with her sons Chayil, 5; and Chino, 9.

School principal Florietta Mendoza commended the readers, noting how they were ?able to capture the interest of the kids? as shown by the way the pupils answered the questions after the storytelling.

Mendoza said she hoped that the Read-Along visit would spur more reading advocacy projects in the school.

Early Literacy Program

For Science teacher Sheril Manalaysay, the session ?succeeded in making reading interesting for the children.?

Held in partnership with Navotas Vice Mayor PJ Javier, the July 18 session was in line with the municipal government?s Early Literacy Program for public schools.

?We want to expose our kids to the habit of reading,? said Javier. ?We know that this advocacy may not show quick results, but the important thing is that we are building a good foundation in the education of our children.?

?We invited Read-Along because we have been inspired by your program,? the vice mayor told the Inquirer.

Start at home

Javier encouraged the parents to promote an atmosphere of reading at home.

?Parents are the greatest role models of kids. If you promote reading right at your home, we can ensure the continuity of the program, and the kids will get into the habit of reading more,? he said.

The program, hosted by Junior Inquirer reporter Ruth Navarra, was in cooperation with the Office of the Vice Mayor of Navotas, GMA Artist Center and USAID-SEDP.

Books from Vibal Publishing were also given away during the program.

The Inquirer Read-Along, launched in May 2007 by Inquirer Research, Library and Junior Inquirer, aims to promote the love of reading among children through storytelling sessions with celebrities and volunteer readers.

Read-Along today

The next session, which will be in celebration of the National Children?s Book Day, will be held Saturday at 10 a.m. in the Inquirer main office in Makati.

The session will feature readers Ann and Kahlil Abacan, and Ateneo High School Debaters, and will also launch the Read-Along book-swapping program, B4B. With a report from Kate Pedroso, Inquirer Research