The PBBY-Alcala Prize is awarded to outstanding illustrators who are able to capture the heart and youthful charm of the Salanga prize-winning stories. Launched in 1984, it was first known as the PBBY’s Illustrator’s Prize and later renamed the Alcala Prize in honor of Larry Alcala, National Artist for Visual Arts and a founding member of PBBY.
The winning artist receives the Alcala Prize medal, a cash award, and the prospect of being published by respected children’s book publishers in the industry.
Through the years, the Alcala Prize has inspired a variety of artistic styles and creative approaches. It has opened doors for visual storytellers to have their works published and become part of a respected circle of local children’s book creators.
The contest is co-sponsored by the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the National Library of the Philippines.
“Ang mga tao ay parang santan din,” dagdag ng kaniyang nanay. “May pula, may kulay rosas, dilaw, at puti. Iba-iba.”
Nanlaki ang mga mata at ngiti ni Sani. “May iba’t ibang kulay po ang mga santan?”
“Oo, Sani. Pero iba-iba man ang kulay, lahat ay dapat inaalagaan at minamahal. Para maging masigla sila. ‘Di bale, lahat kami rito. Ako, ang tatay, ate, at kuya mo. Maghahanap kami ng ibang kulay ng mga santan para sa bahay. Para sa iyo.”
- Koronang Santan -
Close-up of the artworks I made for PBBY
Here is a closer look at my PBBY-Alcala entry for this year. I wanted to recreate the gritty slum neighborhood of Sani and the interaction of its community members. It is also a reminiscence of Alcala’s Slice of Life, reflecting the many unique aspects of life in the Philippines. If you look closely, you will see stories other than Sani’s. I intentionally did not use colors except for the red color of Santan. The cable wires are present in the first two spreads, and on the last spread, I changed it to strings of Santan. Sani’s shirt has a rainbow print- a nod to the LGBTQIA+ community.
