This is how Dr. Milagros Quinones, English supervisor of the DepEd in the National Capital Region described the A+ campaign of HP Philippines which was launched on Jan. 26, 2012. Quinones was referring to Write and Read, the major component of the A+ campaign.

“We are happy to be aided by HP. [Through this A+ campain], we will be able to hone the reading and writing skills of students,” Quinones said during the campaign launch at the TriNoma Activity Center in Quezon City.

The A+ campaign is part of HP’s advocacy of enriching the lives of children through technology, innovation and meaningful activities that foster creativity, personal development and better education in the country.

In an interview, Quinones said that students no longer show interest in writing and reading.

“Students now are more interested in cell phones, Facebook and computer games. They no longer like to read,” she said.

Write&Read is a collaborative story-writing program that HP, a technology company, is launching and is being supported by the DepEd.

Armando Pascual, HP general manager for Imaging and Printing Group, said that more than “selling our products,” it is best to contribute “to improve the lives of people and the school system.”

HP has brought together the power of innovation and education to usher its pioneering A+ campaign that empowers Filipino students to achieve academic excellence in school with the help of HP’s latest innovative imaging and printing technologies.

Together with a full roster of year-long, youth-enriching activities, the campaign will leverage the HP Ink Advantage printers in cultivating children’s potential and improving their learning experience through affordable, reliable and high-quality prints for their school projects and other academic requirements.

Efren Peñaflorida, CNN Hero of the Year Awardee, also graced the campaign launch and encouraged students to always be the “BEST.”

“B stands for Believe that you can, E for Excel, you have to excel in everything that you do and S is for you to Stand firm on what is noble and true, lastly T. You have to Think of ways to improve,” he said.

He also emphasized that “writing and reading is where it all starts.”

Write and Read is open to Grades 4 to 7 pupils and high-school students from March 1 to May 30, 2012. The competition is set to recognize Metro Manila’s top 10 young writers who will join the ranks of young Filipino authors. The competition will also publish a book compilation of the winning short-story entries.

HP will also launch a series of creative-writing workshops nationwide that will feature interactive lectures and activities for students.

“The A+ campaign allows students to enjoy learning and achieve excellence at the same time,” Pascual said.