68th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature
CALL FOR ENTRIES
The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the longest-running and most prestigious literary contest in the country now on its 68th year, is now accepting entries to its regular categories as follows:
English Division – Short Story, Short Story for Children, Essay, Poetry, Poetry Written for Children, One-act Play, and Full-length Play;
Filipino Division – Maikling Kuwento, Maikling Kuwentong Pambata, Sanaysay, Tula, Tulang Para sa mga Bata, Dulang May Isang Yugto, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, and Dulang Pampelikula;
Regional Languages Division – Short Story-Cebuano, Short StoryHiligaynon, and Short Story-Ilokano.
The Kabataan Division, the special youth categories open to persons below 18 years of age as of May 31, 2018, is also now open for entries. The theme for this year is “How will you encourage the Filipino youth to read more books?” (Kabataan Essay) and “Paano mo hihikayatin ang mga kabataang Pilipino na magbasa pa ng mga aklat?” (Kabataan Sanaysay).
All submissions must be printed copies, as specified in the Official Rules. The Carlos Palanca Foundation, Inc. will not accept online or email submissions for all categories.
Contestants may submit only one entry per category. Published/produced Is this scenario good for our children? Is this what we want future generations to experience? I am very much saddened by this new trend.
It’s true that we cannot stop change. Change may be the only permanent thing in this world. But we need to be smart enough to keep away from change that eats away at our established beautiful traditions. Let us welcome change – but not at the cost of our cherished values.
As an educator, as a Cebuano, as a citizen of the world, as a child of God, I embrace only the change that makes us better. And I know I am not alone who feels this way. I know there are many parents and grandparents out there like me.
I wish to rally everyone to do something to preserve the beautiful Cebuano family traditions. Let us look back to how we were brought up by our own parents, to how to strong the family bond was back then. works, which were first published or first produced between May 1, 2017 to May 31, 2018, and/or unpublished/unproduced works may be entered in the contest. Only unproduced works may be entered in the Dulang Pampelikula category. A work which has been awarded a prize in another contest before 12 midnight of May 31, 2018 is not qualified for the awards.
The deadline for submission of entries is on May 31, 2018.
The Palanca Awards is open to all Filipino or former Filipino citizens of all ages, except current directors, officers, and employees of the Carlos Palanca Foundation. The Palanca Awards, established in 1950 to honor the legacy of businessman and philanthropist Don Carlos Palanca Sr., aims to help develop Philippine literature by providing incentives for writers to craft their most outstanding literary work and to be a treasury of the Philippines’ literary gems from our gifted writers and to assist in its eventual dissemination to our people, particularly the students.
For official contest rules and forms, those interested may visit the Palanca Foundation office at Ground Floor, Greenbelt Excelsior Bldg., 105 C. Palanca Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City. For inquiries and other concerns, participants may contact the CPMA office through email at cpmawards@gmail.com or at phone (632) 843-8277. Let us do our best to bring back that time when the family really stood as one, truly united by love and respect for one another.
While there is no doubt that we can still do something to reverse this alarming change in family life, if we work together at it, let us not also forget to anchor all our efforts in the Lord Almighty. “With God all things are possible.” If we bring back God to rule in our homes, nothing can go wrong.
We must remember that the family is the basic unit of society. Thus, it is a very vital element in nation building. A loving, united family makes a united, peaceful nation and a peaceful, happy world.
And it can all begin by teaching our children the simple equation: Papa + Mama + I love you = Family. It can be done. My only hope is that we will take the initiative to do it.