Education major wins 39th Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Writing Competition

The Center for Art, New Ventures, and Sustainable Development awards the prize for its 39th Romeo Forbes Children's Story Writing Competition to Kung Paanong Iniligtas ni Tunying ang Gabi written by Ashly Brandy C. Rosal, who shall be receiving the cash prize of forty-five thousand pesos for his story. Two hundred fifty-nine (259) entries, all based on the artwork by CJ Tañedo, were received for this competition.

Born in Pangasinan and raised in Cavite, Rosal is four years into earning his Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in Mathematics, at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines. A student journalist with a love for numbers, he was also recognized by DTI’s Young Creatives Challenge for a script for a short film. His entry for this competition is the first children’s story he has ever written.

CANVAS also congratulates Klara Espedido for the story Bituin! Bituin! and Johann Jazmine Perez for the story The Beast and The Starcatcher which were selected as finalists 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.