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LOOK: Children's book on Kian tackles today's 'harsh reality'

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Patrick Quintos, ABS-CBN News

<div><script src="https://connect.facebook.net/en_US/sdk.js#xfbml=1&amp;version=v2.5" async="" type="text/javascript"></script></div><div class="fb-post" data-href="https://www.facebook.com/PCIJStoryProject/posts/714857588723898" data-width="auto"> </div>MANILA - The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) on Tuesday launched a children&#x27;s book online, which narrates the story of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos, the teen whose <a href="http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/24/17/police-say-kian-was-killed-before-drug-links-known">killing</a> in an anti-drug operation has sparked public outrage.The book entitled &quot;Si Kian&quot; was written in Filipino and English by children&#x27;s book author Weng Cahiles and illustrated by Aldy Aguirre—both previous winners of the National Children&#x27;s Book Awards—in collaboration with researcher Kimberly Dela Cruz.&quot;This book is a children&#x27;s book, but it is not just intended for children. It is an attempt to tell the story of Kian in a fresh way, not using the traditional format of news, but a narrative form borrowed from children&#x27;s literature,&quot; founding PCIJ Executive Director Sheila Coronel, who edited the book, told ABS-CBN News.Coronel said the project targets young adults - the reason why it was released on Facebook. She said the project was challenging, especially because this was the first of its kind for PCIJ. But the team, she said, worked well together and had the same vision.To make sure that the writer would have enough resources, Dela Cruz followed the case of Delos Santos from the start, interviewing at least 30 people and obtaining documents from the police and the Public Attorney’s Office.&quot;Nagse-send ako ng photos sa illustrator mula sa lamay, then around the neighborhood, sa crime scene at lahat ng audio and findings ko, ni-relay ko kay Weng at Sheila,&quot; Dela Cruz told ABS-CBN News.Cahiles, meanwhile, said she joined Dela Cruz in the field once - on the first Saturday of Delos Santos&#x27; wake. She said the project was challenging since she had to go to Singapore in the days that followed and work from there.&quot;There was pressure but PCIJ helped us along the way so we could present Kian&#x27;s story in a different medium: through a children&#x27;s book. Sheila Coronel was always there to guide us despite her being in New York right now,&quot; she told ABS-CBN News.Cahiles admits tackling death based on a real-life incident is difficult, but she believes this project is important to make the younger generation aware of today&#x27;s &quot;harsh reality.&quot;&quot;Importante ito dahil ito ang realidad. Kian was just 17 when this happened to him. He was a typical teenager who wanted to have his own bike, had a girlfriend, the joker among his barkada,&quot; the writer said.&quot;Kids and young adults need to know that these things do happen to people their age. Kian could be their classmate, a friend, a neighbor. It may seem harsh, but this is our reality now. It is unsafe out there,&quot; she added.Meanwhile, Aguirre said working on illustrations in the book was a little different from what he usually does, as Delos Santos&#x27; story is dark, the kind not typically tackled in local children&#x27;s books.What&#x27;s more unfortunate, he said, is that Delos Santos, a teenager who wanted to be a policeman one day, could himself be reading a children&#x27;s book today if he had not been killed.&quot;Ang bata pa ni Kian... He could be reading a children&#x27;s book himself,&quot; Aguirre told ABS-CBN News.The artist believes their project is important so killings like these would not be forgotten. He is hoping his drawings would help the youth read through Delos Santos&#x27; dark but real-life story.&quot;Mahalaga siya dahil makakalimutin tayong mga Filipino. Matabunan lang ng ibang issues &#x27;to, wala na uli. The story is about a normal kid, may simpleng pangarap, magkaroon ng bike, makasama ang nanay niya na OFW,&quot; he said.&quot;Mahalaga na may ganitong mga libro at kuwento para hindi tayo maging manhid at masanay na normal lang ang pagpatay sa inaakusahan ng kung ano, lalo&#x27;t lalo na &#x27;yung mga inosente. Mahalagang maintindihan &#x27;yun ng mga mas batang mambabasa,&quot; he said.Coronel is hoping parents of young readers would be able to read and fully explain the context of Delos Santos&#x27; story to their children.&quot;We hope parents will read and explain the story to their children as children are exposed to the news as well and may not always understand what is going on,&quot; she said.The independent media agency said &quot;Si Kian&quot; is the first project funded by the PCIJ Project for Innovation in Storytelling. First launched on Facebook, the PCIJ will also be featuring the book in a series of Instagram posts.The PCIJ Story Project also <a href="https://pcijstoryproject.org/the-pcij-story-project-9db1220d86b">invites journalists and artists</a>, who would want to collaborate for a similar project, to pitch ideas and possible topics through its email address storyproject@pcij.org.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) on Tuesday launched a children's book online, which narrates the story of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos, the teen whose death in an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City has sparked public outrage.

The Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ) on Tuesday launched a children's book online, which narrates the story of 17-year-old Kian Loyd Delos Santos, the teen whose death in an anti-drug operation in Caloocan City has sparked public outrage.

LOOK: Children's book on Kian tackles today's 'harsh reality'

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LOOK: Children's book on Kian tackles today's 'harsh reality'

Patrick Quintos,

ABS-CBN News

Published Sep 05, 2017 09:10 PM PHT

|

Updated Sep 06, 2017 03:31 PM PHT

Read More:

War on Drugs

Kian Loyd Delos Santos

PCIJ

Story Book

Literature

Filipino

Drug War

Caloocan

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