Carlos Palanca Foundation now accepting entries for 2016 awards

MANILA, Philippines - The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature known as the Palanca Awards, the country’s longest-running literary contest, is calling all writers looking to showcase their literary genius.

Now on its 66th year, its organizer and sponsor, the Carlos Palanca Foundation, Inc. (Palanca Foundation), officially announced that it is now accepting entries for the Awards’ categories, which are as follows:

• English Division – Short Story, Short Story for Children, Essay, Poetry, Poetry Written for Children, One-act Play, and Full-length Play;
• Filipino Division – Maikling Kuwento, Maikling Kuwentong Pambata, Sanaysay, Tula, Tulang Para sa mga Bata, Dulang May Isang Yugto, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, and Dulang Pampelikula;
• Regional Languages Division – Short Story-Cebuano, Short Story-Hiligaynon, and Short Story-Ilokano.

Likewise, the Kabataan Division, a special division dedicated solely for young writers 17 years old and below is also now open for entries with the following theme:

• Kabataan Essay – How do social media affect the formation of self-identity in the youth?
• Kabataan Sanaysay – Paano makaaapekto ang “social media” sa paghubog ng sariling pagkakakilanlan sa mga kabataan?

The Novel and Nobela categories will not be opened this year since these are only open every two years.

Contestants may submit only one entry per category. Published/produced works which were first published or first produced between 01 May 2015 and 30 April 2016 and/or unpublished or unproduced works may be entered in the contest. Participants are encouraged to submit their entries ahead of the deadline, which is on April 30, 2016.

The Palanca Awards is open to all Filipino citizens, or former Filipino citizens, of all ages except current officers and employees of Carlos Palanca Foundation, Inc.. Official contest rules and forms are available at the Palanca Foundation offices at Unit 603, 6th Floor Park Trade Centre Bldg., 1716 Investment Drive, Madrigal Business Park, Ayala Alabang, Muntinlupa City or at Unit 3G, OPL Bldg., 100 C. Palanca St., Legaspi Village, Makati City, or may be downloaded from the CPMA website at www.palancaawards.com.ph.

For inquiries and other concerns, participants may contact the CPMA Administrator Ms. Leslie Layoso through email at cpawards@palancaawards.com.ph or at (632) 511-0003; +639253887103.​

Youth groups hold ‘black graduation rites’ in front of DOLE

MANILA, Philippines - YOUTH activists gathered in front of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) to protest the increasing prevalence of contractual employment among newly-graduates.

Workers turn ‘Endo’ into demand to end contractualization. Photo Credit: bulatlat.com

Student-leaders from SPARK – Samahan ng Progresibong Kabataan, slammed DOLE for facilitating the dependence of new members of the workforce on “unjust jobs,” which offer low salaries, unfair working conditions and deny employees security of tenure.

“Unfortunately for the youth, the government’s neglect for their welfare does not end with their graduation,” said SPARK National Coordinator Arvin Buenaagua. “Out of the estimated 1.3 million applicants who applied in nearly 4,000 job fairs facilitated by DOLE, almost only 400,000 were able to get jobs, with a majority of them relying on contractual work in BPOs,” he added.

DOLE had recently said in a statement that 1.19 million jobs will come from the business process outsourcing (BPO) industry, claiming to provide adequate jobs for more than 1 million newly-graduates who are likely to face unemployment.

“This reliance on contractual work does not address the mismatch of skill and work experienced by young workers,” said Buenaagua. “Without the promotion of a people-oriented industrialization across the nation, we will continue to rely on low-paying jobs responding to the needs of rich countries while people from our own country are tied to a life of poverty.”

Buenaagua criticized DOLE for facilitating the prevalence of contractualization, which creates low-paying jobs and diempowered workers, who are bound by contract not to organize or renegotiate for better working conditions. “While contractualization makes us more palatable to foreign investors looking to cheapen their labor costs, it binds employees to low wages, unfair work hours and hazardous working environments, as well as insecurities about their source of livelihood every three to six months.”

SPARK was joined by KAISA UP, a political organization based in the University of the Philippines, and speakers from Sanlakas partylist.

“What we need in the next administration is a pro-people agenda which contains policies which respect the rights and dignity of the youth and the working class while honoring their potential and contribution to the country’s development,” said Leody de Guzman, Sanlakas Partylist’s first nominee. “This involves removing the DOLE Department Order A, which provides loopholes for companies to exploit workers by binding them to the level of contractual employess,” he continued.

De Guzman also added that the minimum wage has yet to be raised to a level where it will serve as a sustainable income source. “We need to ensure that all workers and employees get living wages, sustenance enough for them to cope with the increasing burden of survival”.

Joanne Lim of KAISA UP emphasized the role of contractualization in limiting the prospects for advancement in the youth sector, which is even harder especially given the current state of education system.

“A great number of us enter and work to excel in college, enduring the high cost of tertiary education, in order to provide for our families and ourselves a better life,” said Lim. “Contractualization renders all our work to build a better future for ourselves and our families futile, considering that to some of us, it is a matter of life and death." - SPARK, The Summit Express

Honest airport janitor to next PH president: “Never get anything that is not yours"

MANILA, Philippines - Since becoming a janitor at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in 2012, Ronald Gadayan has passed up on several opportunities that would have made him instantly rich.

Ronald Gadayan, the "honest janitor." Screengrab from CNN Philippines video

Over the past years, the 39-year-old janitor from Norzagaray, Bulacan had willingly returned lost items he found at the airport.

From gadgets to a pouch with jewellery and cash amounting to P2.4 million left by passengers at NAIA, Gadayan didn’t second guess himself in doing what is right.

Various groups had recognized Gadayan for his honesty. PHOTO CREDIT: Inquirer

Indeed, some of his friends had started calling him “bayaning tanga” or foolish hero for letting go of such “opportunities.” Even when two of his three children were hospitalized due to dengue in 2010, Gadayan chose to return the iPhone he found, which could have been “heaven’s answer” to his ordeal. Instead of selling the expensive smartphone to pay for the hospital bills, Gadayan borrowed money from a lender to whom he pawned his ATM card.

In his interview with Inquirer, Gadayan revealed that he is not a religious person and doesn’t often go to church. But for him, being fair and honest, particularly to God, is enough.

“If you are honest to God, everything will follow through.You may not be rewarded, but God sees you. And it shall bear fruit at the proper time,” he said.

His good deeds had been recognized by several groups including Manila Jaycee Senate Inc. in San Juan City which hailed him “Kahanga-hangang Pinoy”. He was also named Spirit of Edsa awardee in 2013, outstanding alumnus of Caloocan High School, and outstanding citizen by Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle in 2012. Recently, the Rotary Club of Pasay-Sinagtala (District 3810) recognized him for his good deeds.

Check out some of the awards Gadayan has accumulated over the past years through this link.

Believing that the country lacks honest leaders, Gadayan hopes that the next president will do what his parents used to tell him when they were still alive.

“‘Never get anything that is not yours.’ I hope our next President knows and does that, too,” Gadayan said.

Watch the video report below.


-Mini, The Summit Express

LOOK: Mar Roxas depicted as Yolanda’s hero in comic book “Sa Gitna ng Unos”

MANILA, Philippines - Administration presidential bet and former DILG chief Manuel “Mar” Roxas II came under fire after he was portrayed as a hero in a comic book titled “Sa Gitna ng Unos.”

Roxas: A superhero during typhoon Yolanda?

The cover page of the comic book shows Roxas saving victims of the super typhoon Yolanda.

A photo of the comic book is making rounds online after author and blogger Katrina Stuart Santiago shared it on her Facebook account. The post quickly became a hot topic on social media with over 2,000 shares as of this writing.

In her post, Santiago pointed out that the said comic book failed to mention how Roxas and the government “messed up rescue, relief and rehabilitation efforts in Samar and Leyte.

Santiago wrote: “I don’t know where the gall and temerity, the kabastusan (rudeness) of this matuwid-na-daan comes from, but apparently none of the things we know about Typhoon Haiyan, none of the stories of those who survived, none of the reports that talked about the inefficiency and insensitivity and lack of compassion of this government, none of that matters.”

I don't know where the gall and temerity, the kabastusan of this matuwid-na-daan comes from, but apparently none of the...
Posted by Katrina Stuart Santiago on Sunday, March 27, 2016

Netizen Dale Gozar also aired his negative sentiments towards the comic book depicting Roxas as a hero in the tragedy that claimed almost 10,000 lives in the country in 2013. Gozar even enumerated the failures of Roxas before, during and in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda.

According to Gozar, the natural calamity caused panic, chaos, looting and 10,000 casualties due to poor knowledge/ research, poor planning/preparation, poor communication, poor/slow response, and poor organization. Gozar also alleged that there were misused emergency funds and pocketed donations for the victims.

“Mar must have thought his presence alone can make things better. And conducting meetings in Tacloban is not risking your life or maybe your life wasn't worth anything Mar Roxas Because you accomplished NOTHING,” Gozar wrote in his post.

Thousands of People died and Mar Roxas think he's a real Super Hero... What is wrong with you? Why boast during debate...
Posted by Dale Gozar on Sunday, March 27, 2016

-Mini, The Summit Express