July 26, 2015, 01:08a.m. – VARIOUS elements of children’s literature were discussed in the 32nd installment of the National Children’s Book Summit at Elements at Centris in Quezon City last July 21.
Titled “Umuulan ng Libro: Philippine Children’s Book Summit,” the one-day event consisted of concurrent and plenary sessions led by various writers, illustrators and students.
The summit focused on issues in contemporary publishing such as children’s books in native dialects, Filipino comics, digital publishing and copyright practices.
Cheeno Marlo Sayuno, 2013 Palanca short story winner, said indigenous content could help “understand cultures and traditions,” but could suffer due to commercialization.
For Cles Rambaud, Ilocos-based writer,
the dwindling number of titles in local dialects are due to a “collective embarrassment” of the Filipino cultural heritage.
Segundo Matias, Jr., 1991 Palanca Teleplay awardee and children’s story writer, gave emphasis on the future of young adult literature.
“The protagonist finds a way to survive, and young adult literature is open to everything,” he said.
Budjette Tan, deputy executive creative director of MRM Manila and Meganon Comics founder Paolo Herras spoke of developments in Filipino comics.
Meanwhile, Carljoe Javier, writer and comics enthusiast, discussed developing a community for the future of Komiks (Filipino comics) and building a larger local market.
Maricel Montero, executive director of Museo Pambata, presented the museum’s literary outreach programs to give poverty-stricken students and out-of-school youth access to books.
The event concluded with the awarding of the year’s Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) Alcala Prize and the PBBY Salanga Prize.
College of Fine Arts and Design alumnus Joffrey Atienza won the PBBY Alcala Prize – honorable mention for his illustration in Cheeno Sayuno’s “The Missing Blanket.”
The summit was a collaboration between the National Book Development Board and the PBBY. It was a part of a series of events and activities organized to celebrate the 32nd National Children’s Book Day, which aims to promote and develop children’s books. Zenmond G. Duque II and Cedric Allen P. Sta. Cruz
