Public school math teacher wins 40th Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Writing Competition

The Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development awards the prize for its 40th Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition to Nang Naging Itim ang Dagat written by Jaylord Losabia, who shall be receiving the cash prize of forty-five thousand pesos for his story. Three hundred eleven (311) entries, all based on the artwork by Jonathan Madeja, were received for this competition.

A public school teacher of Grade 6 Mathematics in Iloilo City, Losabia is a product of Gawad Teodora Alonso, the National Competition on Storybook Writing by the Department of Education-Bureau of Learning Resources. Beyond writing, he mentors and encourages fellow teachers to create their own children’s books for classroom instruction and to build reading spaces that nurture love for books and reading.

CANVAS also congratulates John Dave Sunguad for the story Of Course It Doesn't Make Sense 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.