Prize-winning narratives recall all kinds of war heroism
The Philippine Veterans Bank (PVB) and Inquirer in Education (IIE) jointly announce the winners in the 2013 World War II True Stories writing contest in commemoration of Araw ng Kagitingan.
Filipino high school students were asked to interview Filipino veterans and survivors of the second World War for the purpose of recovering firsthand stories about their experiences during the conflict.
Top prize winner is Celine Marie B. Itchon of St. Mary’s High School in Cagayan de Oro City for “Dodong’s War,” a story of how a family survived during the Japanese occupation by making soap, as told by 86-year-old Filomeno A. Bautista Jr. Itchon will receive an Apple 64GB iPad.
Second prize winner is Dominic B. Dayta of Caloocan City Science High School for his story, “An Amazona in Manila,” which is about former Hukbalahap technical officer Araceli Policarpio Mallari. Dayta wins an Acer Aspire laptop.
Third prize winner is Julio Rodrigo M. Lopez, who is home-schooled in Malate, Manila, for his story, “The Little Women in Lipa,” based on an interview with his grandmother, Leonora B. Mendoza, the youngest of five sisters who survived the Japanese occupation. He will take home a 16GB Samsung Galaxy Tab.
Each of the top three winners will also receive P5,000 in a PVB savings account. Their mentor teachers, Eduardo S. Itchon Jr., Melvin M. Navarro and Desiree A.M. Lopez, will receive P5,000 each.
Consolation prizes will be awarded to Janz M. Sampaton of SPED Kalibo Integrated Special Education Center, Lille Faye N. Sarayan of Davao City National High School and Danielle Elisha F. Ching of University of the Philippines Rural High School. They each will receive an iPod Shuffle and P5,000 in a PVB savings account.
Sampaton’s story, “The Tragedy Behind the Story of the Japanese Invasion,” is about Edgar R. Orola. Sarayan interviewed Claro D. Cabading Sr. for his story, “A Tedious Journey to Survival.” Ching based “The Los Baños Liberation: Her Story Was a Right Variable to the Perfect Formula” on the recollections of Sofia G. Tidon.
The consolation prize winners were mentored by teachers Allan S. Gomez, Romel D. Babiera and Aprhodite Macale.
The board of judges was composed of University of the Philippines history professor and WWII history expert Ricardo Jose, PVB director Percianita G. Racho, Inquirer Learning section editor Chelo Banal-Formoso and National Historical Commission’s Mona Lisa Quizon.
The winning pieces will be published one at a time in this section.
