Judge Not

“Judge not!” We were cautioned in kiddie Sunday school. I took it to heart. But what a relief that it does not refer to judging in competitions. Otherwise, I’d have been cursed countless times. 

Since my first book was published about 22 years ago, I have been invited to judge in writing contests. It is always a rewarding experience. I get to read different writing styles and hear voices from different age ranges.   

The latest one to which I was invited was the national judging (from regional winners) of Gawad Teodora Alonso (GTA2024), 6th National Competition on Storybook Writing. Previously known as the National Competition on Storybook Writing, it is a project of the Department of Education (DepEd) Bureau of Learning Resources. 

The GTA is open to classroom teachers, non-teaching personnel, education leaders, and learners—with special categories for each of these groups. 

Compared to all other writing competitions, where entries are judged as manuscripts, GTA is unique. All finalists are printed as books. That’s why judging had to be a partnership between writers and artists—all 18 of us—most of whom have been long-time friends.  

I had wanted to blog about this day of grace, but we were sworn to secrecy until after the awarding rites. Now that the winners have been announced in formal ceremonies in Puerto Princesa, Palawan, I am free to share with you some of our photos. All storybooks were written in Tagalog and tackled various areas and levels of the Matatag Curriculum.  

It was hard work. How to choose from among so many well-executed stories? We had to agree on winners, but not before hours of bantering and debating.