High school student Anne Rubio wins 33rd Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition

The Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development is pleased to announce the results from its 33rd Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition. Anne Rubio shall be receiving the cash prize of forty-five thousand pesos for her story House of Gold. A total of 150 entries, all based on the artwork by Tiffany Lafuente, were received for this competition.

Anne Rubio is currently in her final year of high school, graduating from Makati Science High School. Her future plans include pursuing a career in the natural sciences and making education more accessible for Filipinos everywhere. In her spare time, Anne enjoys writing and storytelling, with her poems and stories often including hints of magical realism and general whimsy. House of Gold is her first foray into writing children’s stories.

CANVAS holds the Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition at least twice a year, open to Filipinos worldwide. The first and only of its kind, it invites writers to pen a children’s story inspired by a painting or sculpture by CANVAS’ chosen local Filipino artist. 

That same artist will then bring the winning story to life through a series of around 20 new artworks. These are finally showcased in a major solo exhibition and used as illustrations for the ultimate offspring of this unique collaboration: a full-color children’s book which could reach public schools and communities in the Philippines under CANVAS’ One Million Books for One Million Filipino Children Campaign.