The Philippine Board on Books for Young People awards the 2010 PBBY-Salanga Prize to Raymond
G. Falgui, a fictionist, poet, and English teacher at the University of the Philippines – College of
Arts and Letters. His entry, a collection of poems, explores a range of topics: from a child’s
response to his parent’s bickering to a child’s rapture over falling rain. “Children can move from
pensive to unhappy to jubilation to fearful to apathetic just like that, and I like to think that's
what's reflected in the varied themes of the poems.” The poems, Falgui says, “are intended to be
read and enjoyed separately.” Readers are invited to open various doors of experiences, drawn from
the poet’s own memories of his childhood.
This year’s PBBY Salanga Prize is the first time that the contest focused on children’s
poetry.
Falgui shall receive P 20,000.00, a gold medal, as well have the opportunity to be published.
Falgui’s work has also been recognized in the Tulaan sa Tren 2 Poetry Writing Contest,
where he won the First Prize in the English category.
For inquiries about the contest, contact the PBBY Secretariat at telephone number 372-3548
loc. 105 or e-mail pbby@adarna.com.ph.
