ILOILO CITY -- Local government units in Iloilo province are encouraged to have their own libraries, said Board Member Demy Sonza, chairman of the Committee on Culture, Arts, History and Tourism of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) on Tuesday.
On Monday, the SP authorized Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. to sign an agreement with the R.V. Dolar Engineering services to implement the construction of a library worth PHP1 million at Guimbal Elementary School, Guimbal, Iloilo.
“I am very delighted that we are now giving money to at least one municipality for the library. I have always been in love with libraries and museums and things like that but I have observed that I do not know if half of our municipalities have functional libraries,” he said.
“This is at least one step towards that direction and I hope that there will be some more money for libraries and maybe we have to encourage our municipalities to put up municipal libraries and support them,” he added.
Sonza said he is planning to pass a resolution encouraging the LGUs to put up libraries in their respective areas.
He said there were a number of towns in the province that were able to establish their own libraries, however, they are now no longer functional.
“Our students no longer have a place to visit if they have something to research on, especially on local history. Libraries should have been a depository of local information about municipality, barangay and about municipal or local heroes and distinguished men and women,” he added.
Meanwhile, Sonza said it is ideal that there should be a separate building for a library.
He said the LGU could use a vacant room, which is free from disturbance, in their municipal halls and install them with lights.
Libraries now, he said, should not only have books but “has to go with the advance of technology”.
“They could add some audio-visual presentations to attract children especially those who are not fond of reading books,” he added. (PNA)
Photo by Cindy Ferrer
