Call for Entries!!!

The youth, as they say, is the future of the nation. Born with promise and innate greatness, they dream worlds, forge visions, and search for truths unencumbered by wear and limits. These traits must be nurtured and encouraged. Yet the Filipino children today face several problems that hinder such essential growth. Diseases. Malnutrition. Poor health. Children who are ill or hungry cannot muster their minds’ inner wealth. They find it difficult to learn. Our poor state of education marked by few teachers, overcrowded classrooms and inadequate books, further worsens this problem, as it widens learning disparities among our young.

Building a healthier Philippines begins with healthier children.

Let us start by helping them learn to read.

The Mu Sigma Phi Sorority is now accepting entries for the first Gawad Panitikang Pangkalusugan, A Nationwide Children’s Storybook Writing Competition on Health

Theme: “Tabi-tabi po” (Exploring Philippine Health Myths)

CALL FOR ENTRIES

The contest is open to all individuals aged 18 and above and currently residing in the Philippines. Participants are challenged to break away from a clinical, straightforward, and sanitized presentation of health, and to mold it in a form that is enjoyable and of interest for its young audience. We highly encourage participants to explore different writing methods, literary forms (prose or poetry), genres (i.e. comedy, horror, science fiction, fantasy) and approaches in presenting an otherwise serious and scientific topic. Entries should be easy to read by children aged five to ten (5-10) years old, and can be easily relayed to them by their parents or guardians.

SUBMISSION MECHANICS

Entries must be limited to five hundred (500) words and must be written in English, for eventual translation into Filipino. The stories must be able to sustain a 24-page picture book. Entries must be typewritten or a computer print-out in black ink on white paper, double-spaced on 81/2 x 11 inches bond paper (letter-sized) with one-inch margins on all sides. If computerized, the font should be Arial or Times New Roman, with font size 12. An official entry shall consist of an original and 5 copies of the story, placed in an envelope, on the face of which only the pen name of the contestant should appear. This should be submitted together with a fully-accomplished application form, available on www.gawadpanitikan.com. All entries must be sent through snail mail to P.O. Box 608, Philippine Postal Corporation, CPO Manila, Philippines, 1099.

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS

Deadline for submissions is extended until 30 June 2010. Winners will be announced on July 2010.

THEME

“Tabi-tabi po”: Exploring Philippine Health Myths

Entries must tackle health myths corresponding to any one of seven categories, namely: Lungs (i.e. TB, Pneumonia, cough, colds); Stomach (i.e. diarrhea, intestinal worms/”bulate”); Skin/Bones (i.e. wounds, lice, warts, scabies, fracture/“pilay”);Brain/Behavior (i.e. epilepsy, psychiatric disorders, child development);Fever/Infections (i.e. measles, mumps, chicken pox, otitis media, conjunctivitis);Vaccination; and Nutrition (i.e. childhood obesity/”malusog” vs “mataba”, food supplements). Reference materials are available at www.gawadpanitikan.com.

PRIZES

There will be a total of seven winning entries, one for each category. The judges, however, reserve the right to declare that there are no winners in some or all categories. Each winner will receive Php 25,000 in cash, a medal, and an opportunity to be published as a full-color picture book in a 7-volume storybook series. Published books will be donated to AHON Foundation, Klase sa Kariton* and other beneficiaries.

VISIT www.gawadpanitikan.com or email info@gawadpanitikan.com for details and inquiries.