CANVAS Books bag awards at the first-ever Severino Reyes Medal

I Like Wearing Rainbows Book Designer Ky Dela Torre, Illustrator Lui Manaig, and Translator Monica Antonio receive the award for the Best Story Book Category.

Ermita, Manila— The Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development was one of the honored recipients of the Severino Reyes Medal award in its inaugural ceremony!

This year for International Children’s Book Day on April 2, the Philippines celebrates the excellence of locally published children’s books. The International Board on Books for Young People and the National Library of the Philippines hosted the first ever Severino Reyes Medal, a national award named after the beloved children’s writer who is known to many as ‘Lola Basyang’.

CANVAS is honored to have not just one but two books recognized in this event! I Like Wearing Rainbows written by Agay Llanera and illustrated by Lui Manaig won the Severino Reyes Medal Best Storybook for 2024. Moon Rising written by Phoebe de Leon and illustrated by Iggy Rodriguez was included in the Honor List for the Storybook category. Both stories came out of our esteemed writing contest, the Romeo Forbes Children’s Story Writing Competition.

We thank the International Board on Books for Young People, The Severino Reyes Medal 2024 Selection Committee, and the National Library of the Philippines for these honorable awards. This would not be possible if not for our talented writers, artists, book designers, and translators.

A non-profit that works with the creative community to promote literacy and explore national identity, CANVAS publishes its award-winning children's stories and donates their books to benefit children in public schools and poor communities throughout the Philippines. Its “One Million Books for One Million Filipino Children Campaign” promotes independent reading and creative thinking in Filipino children, while also exposing them to the best of contemporary Filipino art and literature.