Poet-playwright wins 41st Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Writing Competition

The Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development awards the prize for its 41st Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition to Hotel ng mga Huni written by Wilfredo C. Alipala, who shall be receiving the cash prize of forty-five thousand pesos for his story. Two hundred twenty-six (226) entries, all based on the artwork by Abril Valdemoro, were received for this competition.

Wilfredo C. Alipala is a poet, playwright, and cultural worker from the City of Biñan. He is a graduate with a degree in education. As a member of the Biñan Youth Performance Council, the city’s official theater group, he has authored several stage plays and honed his craft through prominent literary fellowships, including the Virgin Labfest Writing Fellowship at the CCP, the 8th Amelia Lapeña-Bonifacio Writers Workshop for Poetry, and Palihang Rene O. Villanueva 4 for Children’s Plays. His entry in this competition marks his official debut as a children’s story writer.

CANVAS also congratulates Jerome Vitug for the story Bumubulong-bulong ang Bayong ni Binong, 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.