From being an employee volunteer holding summer classes to establishing nonprofits, reaching schools in the most remote communities, and now writing and publishing books, Rey Bufi has truly come a long way. Becoming a storyteller, isang kwentista ,has taken Kuya Rey across rivers, mountains, and villages, much as a book carries its reader to worlds they might never have imagined.

“It has always been my dream to publish a story that celebrates the joy of reading. After nearly 20 years of community work, we’re publishing Saan-Saan! The story is based on my idea, written by one of our favorite children’s book authors, Russell Molina, and beautifully brought to life by the talented illustrators of Ang Ilustrador ng Kabataan (INK),” shared Kuya Rey.

Saan-Saan follows the adventure of siblings Likha and Hiraya aboard their magical space-dyip. Together, they travel through different places, from faraway planets to enchanted forests. Kuya Rey explained that it’s a celebration of imagination, love between siblings, and the wonder of exploration.

Every copy purchased allows Kuya Rey to share this story with children all over the country. Through his Lakbay-Kuwentuhan Caravan, donated books will reach public schools and underserved communities, along with storytelling workshops for teachers and families.

Connect with Kuya Rey through Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rbufi.

When children refuse to give up

For Kuya Rey, being a kwentista was never just about reading books to children. Through on of his organizations, The Storytelling Project, his most unforgettable experiences were shaped not only by the stories shared, but by the courage, warmth, and resilience of the communities that welcomed him into their lives.

One of the most defining moments of Rey’s life happened in Sitio Casili and Sitio Inigan in Rodriguez, Rizal, while working with Casili at Inigan Elementary School. After traveling from Makati and starting his journey on foot before dawn, he was met by a river swollen overnight by relentless rain. What was usually knee-deep had turned into a fast-flowing current above his waist. Unsure and afraid, Kuya Rey hesitated, until a man from higher ground began shouting instructions, guiding him step by step across the river. Shaken but safe, Kuya Rey arrived late at school, emotional and exhausted. What broke him most was seeing every single child present, patiently waiting despite the storm and the delay. Teachers later told him that on days like that, almost no children come to school. In that moment, Kuya Rey told himself “How can I give up, when these children refuse to?” Even during graduation, with the river still dangerous and some children floating to school on inner tubes, they came smiling. The books he gave them were treated like treasures, kept in special containers, carried daily, and even dried together when soaked by rain.

In Pinalpal Elementary School in Sison, Pangasinan, bad weather once forced the suspension of classes. Still determined to complete 21 consecutive days of storytelling, Kuya Rey went door to door across the community, retelling the same story individually to each of the 22 children. By the end, he could no longer remember the exact story, but the bond they formed through repetition, effort, and shared laughter remained unforgettable.

Among Super Labandera and community heroes

Deep in the Sierra Madre mountains at Purok Tayabasan, a tri-boundary of Rizal, Quezon, and Bulacan, Kuya Rey and his wife, Grace, lived for a month among the children, three hours from the jump-off point. Every day was an adventure dictated by unpredictable weather. They stayed in a tiny hut too low to stand in, sharing space with children, boxes, a bird’s nest overhead, cows wandering in at night, and even a giant mountain snail squeezing through bamboo walls during heavy rain. One stormy night, leaks multiplied until the group was forced into a single corner, laughing helplessly as water poured in. The next day, they patched the roof with layers of trash bags and carried on. Reaching the community itself had been an ordeal, long detours, injuries from thorny bamboo, river crossings done while tied together for safety, and storybooks carried in sacks balanced on the heads of local fathers. It was there Rey fully realized that storytelling was also an act of trust and survival.

At Suit Elementary School in Dagupan, Pangasinan, creativity flourished. Daily story-writing sessions led to the creation of Super Labandera, a story born from the children’s imagination. Nights were filled with shared fears of ghosts, scary stories, and moonlit conversations in December. Kuya Rey, Grace, the children, and Ronnie slept together in the principal’s office, each claiming a chair or a spot on the floor, tired, amused, and deeply connected.

In Pactil Elementary School in Mountain Province, Kuya Rey witnessed how stories could move an entire community. During the closing program, children performed short skits based on stories they had read, often bringing Kuya Rey to tears. When he once fell ill, women elders from the community came the next day to check on him. Pactil felt like a vacation despite the freezing cold, where survival required layers of winter gear and multiple blankets, but the welcome was always warm. The children were gentle, the elders nurturing. During Typhoon Yolanda, when Grace was stranded there, the community stayed with her through the storm. Later, the Tayabasan project was recognized at the Quill Awards, an affirmation of the work they had endured together.

Celebrations with family and friends

In Pagsawitan Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Laguna, storytelling went hand in hand with life lessons. After reading The Ant and the Grasshopper, each child received a passbook as part of a savings-themed activity. A bank manager was invited to explain the value of saving, and children earned coin stamps for every day they attended storytelling sessions. By December, they could use their saved stamps to buy items at a small store, a simple but powerful lesson in patience and responsibility.

Back in Pinalpal Elementary School, lunchtime often meant football games. Kuya Rey openly admitted he was not good at the sport, but the experience became a lesson in sportsmanship. One child struggled to accept defeat, so Kuya Rey deliberately placed him on losing teams, just so they could talk afterward about how losing is part of the game, and that it was okay.

In Batuhan East, Masbate, Kuya Rey felt immense pride when the organization built its first stand-alone kubo library. Living there for a month with Grace and their child, Likha, they established volunteer visits and formed Book BEES, expanding the project’s reach. Though the pandemic paused their return, the impact of that milestone remains deeply meaningful.

In Pagsawitan, Laguna, Saturday storytelling sessions became a celebration of community. Volunteers traveled from Manila despite long, traffic-filled journeys, spreading out across puroks to reach children wherever they were, inside homes, under trees, or on basketball courts. One grandmother shared during a focused group discussion that it was now her grandchild who told her stories at home, passing them on with pride.

Looking back at his experiences in The Storytelling Project, he knew it was about showing up, through floods, storms, long walks, and uncertainty, because stories matter, and children matter even more.