THE Mondejar family has signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Tacloban City Schools Division Superintendent Mariza Magan for the donation of books following its implementation of the Mother Tongue-Based Multi-Lingual Education (MTB-MLE) program.
Lucita Mondejar, president of J. E. Mondejar Computer College (JEMCC) in Tacloban City and widow of the school founder, the late businessman and journalist Jose “Bing” Mondejar, initiated the efforts after their family learned about the lack of books in the Waray language that can be used in schools in compliance with the MTB-MLE program directive.
Dr. Bernadette Mondejar-Schlueter, daughter of Bing and Lucita, came up with an illustrated storybook that has English texts translated into the Waray language, fitting to what was needed by the Department of Education (DepEd).
The English-Waray illustrated storybook series, starting with one titled Maya and Her Loyal Friends, is published by JEMCC, under the concept of Schlueter.
“Our Maya book is in response to DepEd’s need for more books in the target language (Waray),” said Mondejar-Schlueter, an international education expert based in England and active participant in international marathons.
Her Zurich-based sister, Minerva Mondejar-Steiner, also helped in enhancing and promoting the idea of the Maya storybook series and created the website www.thewarayproject.org for the book project.
Mondejar-Schlueter worked, in a virtual mode, with Northern Samar-based poet Ardeen Tuballas Capate in translating the book to Waray language, for the purpose of complying with the MTB-MLE program.
In a statement, Mondejar-Schlueter hoped that, with the book, “parents (will) encourage children to be physically active, enjoy the environment, and preserve these games as part of our cultural identity,” on top of the “cognitive benefits of computer games.”
She also described the book as a medium to caution children on spending “too much time with technology at the expense of real human relationships; something we can all relate to.”
The Maya book series features Waray games such as moro-moro, palpagay, latik-latik, tamban-tamban, and krus ni Magellan, which Schlueter said have been aimed to draw interests from most children who may no longer play with, much less being familiar to them.
Besides being colorful and interesting to Kinder and primary students, the Maya series has unique features that Schlueter added: stories depicting Waray culture, arts, games, and tradition that she said must be preserved and appreciated by this generation and the future.
Mondejar-Schlueter said the book is also made available to other Waray children and parents in other parts of the world, through Kindle and paperback editions on the Amazon and Apple Books websites.
The book will be made available at local bookstores and other outlets in Eastern Visayas in time for Christmas,
Renowned Tacloban artist Ed Rompal provided the illustrations, from the cover to every page of the storybook, as well as in the other forthcoming storybooks of the Maya series.
Magazine editor and marketing expert Aaron Almadro also served as publishing consultant and book designer.
Meanwhile, Mondejar-Schlueter disclosed that their next book titled Adventures of Maya: The Lost Fields of Palale, will be available in early January 2021.
Republic Act 10533 (Enhanced Basic Education Act) mandates the implementation of the MTB-MLE program by using teaching materials written in the native language of the primary students in a particular region or place. (SunStar Philippines)