Gatchalian: Maximize digitalization to promote culture of reading

Senator Win Gatchalian is seeking to leverage digitalization to promote the culture of reading among learners and their communities.

"We have to be realistic that the world is now becoming digital. If you want instant knowledge, you grab your phone and do a quick search. So how do we fuse digitalization, digital habits, and access to libraries?" Gatchalian asked stakeholders during a hearing on the National Reading Month Act (Senate Bill No. 475).

According to Dr. Dolores Carungui, Chief Librarian of the National Library of the Philippines' (NLP) Reference Division, the NLP's online public access catalog is already accessible on the NLP's website and in other school and public libraries. The online public access catalog also allows users to access digital copies of resources, including electronic resources for children. According to the NLP official, around one million pages of materials were already digitized. Gatchalian is eyeing to institutionalize access to this catalog as part of his proposed measure.

As of November 2023, there are 1,660 public libraries affiliated with the NLP. There are also 56 provincial libraries, three congressional libraries, three locally-funded projects, one regional library found in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), 116 libraries in cities, 611 in municipalities, and 870 barangay reading centers.

"I'm thinking of ensuring access to these libraries so that we won't only be promoting reading culture, but also improving access to materials, both digital and physical, to make the promotion holistic," Gatchalian added.

Under the proposed National Reading Month Act, the month of November shall be celebrated through the conduct of nationwide reading programs. The bill mandates the Department of Education (DepEd) to act as the lead coordinating body in the formulation of policies and strategies that foster reading not only for entertainment, but also for the purpose of equipping learners with knowledge and skills that will prepare them for policy-making, nation-building, and other means of contributing to economic, social, and cultural development.

To increase access to books and other learning materials, Gatchalian proposes that Public Telecommunications Entities shall provide free public access to the DepEd's learning management systems applications. These applications include web-based applications, online educational platforms, digital libraries, and other online knowledge hubs exclusively hosted by the DepEd. Under Gatchalian's proposal, no data charges shall be incurred in the data downloaded from or uploaded to these applications.

Gatchalian: Sulitin ang paggamit ng teknolohiya para isulong ang kultura ng pagbabasa

Nais ni Senador Win Gatchalian na isulong ang kultura ng pagbabasa sa pamamagitan ng digitalization.

"Kailangang harapin natin ang realidad na malawakan na ang paggamit natin ng digital technology. Kung gusto natin ng agarang impormasyon sa panahon ngayon, madali lang nating nakukuha ito sa pamamagitan ng cellphone. Kaya, paano natin ngayon pagsasama-samahin ang digitalization, paggamit ng teknolohiya, at access sa mga aklatan o library?" tanong ni Gatchalian sa mga stakeholder sa isinagawang pagdinig hinggil sa National Reading Month Act (Senate Bill No. 475).

Ayon kay Dr. Dolores Carungui, Chief Librarian ng Reference Division ng National Library of the Philippines (NLP), maaari nang ma-access ang online public access catalog sa website ng NLP at sa iba pang mga school at public libraries. Ang online public access na ito ay maaari ring magamit para humanap ng mga digital copies ng iba't ibang mga resources, kabilang ang mga electronic resources para sa mga bata. Ayon pa sa opisyal ng NLP, may humigit-kumulang isang milyong pahina ang dumaan na sa digitization. Balak namang gawin ni Gatchalian na bahagi ng kanyang panukala ang pagtiyak ng access sa catalog na ito.

Ngayong Nobyembre 2023, may 1,660 na pampublikong mga aklatan ang naiuugnay sa NLP. Meron ding 56 na mga provincial library, tatlong congressional library, tatlong locally-funded projects, isang regional library na matatagpuan sa Bangsamoro Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM), 116 na aklatan sa mga siyudad, 611 sa mga munisipalidad, at 870 na mga barangay reading center.

"Titiyakin natin ang access sa mga aklatang ito upang isulong ang kultura ng pagbabasa, gawing komprehensibo ang pagsulong natin nito, at tiyaking magagamit ng mas marami ang parehong pisikal at digital na kopya ng mga materyal," dagdag na pahayag ni Gatchalian.

Sa ilalim ng panukalang National Reading Month Act, isasagawa sa buwan ng Nobyembre ang mga pambansang programang may kinalaman sa pagbabasa. Sa panukala, binibigyan ng mandato ang Department of Education (DepEd) na siyang magiging pangunahing ahensya sa pagbuo ng mga polisiya at estratehiya na magsusulong ng pagbabasa. Maihahanda din nito ang mga kabataan sa panghinaharap pagdating sa pagbuo ng polisiya at iba pang paraan upang makatulong sa kaunlaran ng ekonomiya, lipunan, at kultura.

Upang palawakin ang access sa mga libro at iba pang mga learning materials, iminungkahi ni Gatchalian na tiyakin ng mga Public Telecommunications Entities (PTEs) ang libreng access sa mga learning management systems applications ng DepEd. Kabilang dito ang mga web-based applications, online educational platforms, digital libraries, at iba pang mga online knowledge hubs ng DepEd. Sa ilalim ng panukala ni Gatchalian, hindi papatawan ng data charges ang pag-download at pag-upload sa mga application na ito.