Two Filipino kids were among the 10 children across Asia who were awarded the 2021 Scholastic Asia Young Storytellers Award (SAYSA). The virtual awarding ceremony was held last January 22, 2022.
Cassandra Ysabel Ignacio and Phoebe Niguidula were among the 10 who best delighted the SAYSA judges who chose from the 70 finalists shortlisted from more than 1,700 participants. Scholastic Asia received read aloud entries from China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.
The SAYSA judges were Ms. Selina Lee, Vice President of Scholastic Asia, Ms. Christabel Pinto, Senior Director, Global Literacy Program of Room to Read, Ms. Catherine Wu, Scholastic Asia’s Reading Ambassador, and Mr. Peter H. Reynolds, Award-winning Author and Illustrator.
Among the 70 SAYSA finalists were these 14 Filipino kids, selected through public voting and judging by Scholastic Asia:
| Cassandra Ysabel Ignacio | St. Scholastica’s Academy of Marikina |
| Eeva Cambria Bazar | Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School |
| Haquila Guevarra | San Sebastian School, Inc. |
| Jairo Stian Reolizo | School of Saint Anthony |
| Kayla Nevaeh Donnatessa Caparas | Casa Del Niño Montessori & Science High |
| Keizha Christine Salvosa | Good Shepherd Cathedral School |
| Lady Alyssa Kate Tan | Sacred Heart School – Ateneo de Cebu |
| Luke Adrianne Amaro | School of Saint Anthony |
| Phoebe Niguidula | St. Scholastica’s Academy of Marikina |
| Vernice May Bautista | Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College |
| Wyanett Doydoy | New Era University (Pampanga Branch) |
| Yasmin Binte Mohamed Yasin | Asia Academic Integrated School |
| Ysabel Tampus | Our Lady of Perpetual Succor College |
| Zairich Althea Castillo | Taps Achiever Private School |
Scholastic launched the Scholastic Asia Young Storytellers Award (SAYSA) in October 2021, leveraging the use of the digital space to provide a platform for children to showcase their many talents. SAYSA invited readers aged 4 to 10 years to express their creativity through storytelling.
Scholastic wants to encourage children in Asia to be confident as they narrate and read from their favorite Scholastic storybook while instilling a competitive spirit and a sense of camaraderie among peers. Moreover, Scholastic wants children to be able to share with other kids their love for books and reading.
With the successful inauguration of the Scholastic Asia Young Storytellers Award, Scholastic Asia has announced that SAYSA 2022 will be in October.
For over 100 years now, Scholastic has been championing a love for reading and learning all over the world. In the Philippines, Scholastic is partners with over 250 schools in its Reading and Math Programs – PR1ME English and PR1ME Mathematics. In PR1ME English, reading aloud to students by their teachers, parents, and peers is integral in nurturing students’ comprehension and critical thinking skills, and instilling in them a love for reading. Scholastic Philippines is happy and proud that 9 out of the 14 Filipino kids who made it to Asia’s Top 70, including Cassandra and Phoebe, are from among its current partner schools in PR1ME English.
Scholastic Philippines is sharing the 14 SAYSA read-aloud videos from the Philippines to the public as part of the WORLD READ ALOUD DAY (WRAD) Celebration in February. The videos may be viewed on YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmqSEvEhhWS82yS0s3y1W9A/videos
As part of the WRAD Campaign, Scholastic Philippines is also sponsoring the Scholastic Voice of the Youth Awards – interschool contests amplifying the voice of the Filipino youth through reading, writing, and speaking. The contests are open to Scholastic’s partners in PR1ME English.For more information about Scholastic’s programs, please visit scholasticph.com.
