Writer-engineer wins 36th Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition

The Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development is pleased to announce the results of its 36th Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition. Christopher S. Rosales shall be receiving the cash prize of forty-five thousand pesos for his story Ang Nawawalang Araw. A total of 90 entries, all based on the artwork by John Marin, were received for this competition.

Christopher S. Rosales is a licensed electronics and communications engineer from the Technological University of the Philippines-Manila. He is also a published and award-winning writer with three books for children and recognitions from the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature and Talaang Ginto: Gawad KWF sa Tula, and Kids’ Choice of the National Children’s Book Awards.

“This win is a dream come true,” Rosales says, “[I have] been joining the contest on and off since the 1st Romeo Forbes Competition during my college days.” Many of his stories were selected as finalists of the past competitions but this is his first win.

CANVAS also congratulates Edelio P. De los Santos for his story Lilia's First Lala, which was selected as a finalist for this run.

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