The 2021 Salanga Prize Winner

Here is PBBY's official press release on the 2021Salanga Prize Winner.

 Iza Maria Reyes Wins 2021 PBBY-Salanga Grand Prize

The Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) awards this year’s PBBY-Salanga Grand Prize to Iza Maria Reyes for her story, Ang Tahanang Hindi Tumatahan. It is a poignant piece about the pain and hardship a family goes through in the middle of a separation, beautifully told through a metaphor of a crying house.

Reyes is a teacher who is currently taking her master’s in Malikhaing Pagsulat at the University of the Philippines Diliman. She was a fellow for Creative Nonfiction at Palihang Rogelio Sicat 10 and the 1st PUP Multi-Genre Workshop, and has won awards for her essays in Filipino. This is her first PBBY-Salanga Prize.

With over a hundred entries submitted for this year’s prize, six other stories were also selected as Honorable Mention winners (in no particular order): Palayok-palayukan para kay Carlito by Eugene Evasco; Ang Mga Bata sa Kalye ng Banaba by

Kwesi Ian Jay Junsan

; Ang Mga Paralisdis ni Inday Faustina by Eugene Y. Evasco; Goodfire by Bea S. Mandapat; Oplan Sablay by Kristoffer Aaron G. Tiña; and Mamay Esing by

Jobert Grey Landeza

.

The winners will be awarded at the 38th National Children’s Book Day celebration on July 20, 2021.

For inquiries about the contest, contact the PBBY Secretariat by email: secretariat@pbby.org.ph.