THE PROJECT
The Gawad Panitikang Pangkalusugan is a NATIONWIDE children's storybook writing competition with HEALTH as the main theme. Entries written in English are geared to bring into light health issues and concepts to Filipino children aged five (5) to ten (10) years old. It challenges participants 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. All Filipino citizens of legal age and currently residing in the Philippines are eligible to participate.
The project not only seeks to raise relevant health issues to the national consciousness, it also carries an advocacy for literacy and education, even as it celebrates Filipino ingenuity and culture. This project is the first of its kind in the country.
CONTEST OBJECTIVES
- To raise public awareness on relevant health topics concerning the pediatric age group
- To instill proper health-seeking behavior in the young, as well as among their parents and caregivers
- To create a viable medium of instruction that is both informative and entertaining
- To provide an avenue by which doctors may easily convey information regarding health issues to young children
- To address the knowledges, attitudes and practices of the general public that are detrimental to health
- To encourage parents and older siblings to actively involve themselves in the health education of the children
- To promote literacy among the youth and create an impetus for expanding further the literature industry in the country
- To promote literacy and education in the context of holistic health and optimal child development
- To highlight Philippine culture and creativity through a medium that can be appreciated by a young audience
CONTEST RULES
1. The contest will be open to all individuals aged 18 and above, and working or living in the Philippines.
2. All entries must be original works written in English, for eventual translation in Filipino.
3. Entries should be directed at readers aged 5-10 years old. Stories should be easy to read and transmit to children even by poorly literate adults (parents or guardians).
4. Writers are free 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.
5. Entries must be no more than 500 words and must be capable of sustaining a 24-page illustrated book.
6. Writers must address Philippine health myths in any of the following categories: 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; Vaccination; and Nutrition (i.e. Childhood obesity/"malusog" vs "mataba", food supplements). Reference materials are available at www.gawadpanitikan.com.
7. A contestant may send in more than one entry.
8. Entries must be typewritten or a computer printout in black ink on white paper, double-spaced on 8 ½ x 11 inches bond paper, with one-inch margin on all sides. If computerized, the font should be Arial or Times New Roman and the font size should be 12.
9. Entries shall consist of an original and five (5) copies, placed in an envelope, on the face of which only the pen name of the contestant should appear.
10. Together with each entry, contestants must submit a fully-accomplished application form.
11. All entries must be sent through snail mail to P.O. Box 608, Philippine Postal Corporation, CPO Manila, Philippines, 1099.
12. All entries must be received by the Mu Sigma Phi Sorority no later than 5:00 p.m., 15 May 2010.
13. There will be one winner per category. The judges also reserve the right to declare that there are no winners in some or all categories. Each winner will receive P25,000.00 in cash, a gold medal, as well as an opportunity to be published. Winners will be announced no later than July 2010. The decision of the judges will be final. Non-winning entries may be claimed from the Mu Sigma Phi Sorority through Ms. Diana Malbas. All unclaimed entries will be destroyed.
14. Winning entries shall remain with, and become property of the Mu Sigma Phi Sorority, Inc.
www.gawadpanitikan.com/mechanics.html