After two years of stalled face-to-face school activities, public schools in Pasig City resumed their respective summer reading camps in July, gathering around 8,500 children and teenagers.

The summer reading camps is an initiative of the Department of Education (DepEd) and the Schools Divisions Office (SDO).

It aims to promote the importance of learning by making reading and learning more engaging activities for young students and learners.

The camps, funded by the local government, are usually a week-long or 10-day events, with schools setting up their own schedules and offering an array of activities.

For elementary school children, the camps utilized an out-of-classroom approach wherein kids exercise their reading skills through games and puzzles.

Meanwhile, high school students were given the opportunity to fully immerse themselves in reading materials through collective and collaborative sessions and discussions with peers and facilitators.

In a social media post, Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto said on Thursday, July 28, the local government provided snacks for all the participants.

They also gave a small allowance for the teachers, he added.

During the local government's meeting with the local school board on May 31, the summer reading camps were listed as a top priority.

It was seen as one of the ways the local government can boost the education sector amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Pasig City government also plans to develop the capacity of the Parent-teacher Associations (PTA) in the school, implement a specialization course for science and mathematics teachers, and conduct rehabilitation efforts of school infrastructure to aid in the school protocols under the new normal.