VIGAN CITY, Ilocos Sur (PIA) – The Department of Education (DepEd) Ilocos recently honored educators at the regional level who crafted storybooks for children in the fifth year of the Gawad Teodora Alonso: National Competition on Storybook Writing.
In an interview with Gina Amoyen on Thursday, the focal person of the DepEd for the said competition, she said, “Ang ginanap po naming parangal ay alinsunod sa DepEd Memo. No. 56, s. 2023 titled Conduct of Gawad Teodora Alonso (GTA) 2023 at ang Regional Memo. No. 948, s. 2023.”
(The competition we conducted is in accordance with the DepEd Memo. No. 56, s. 2023 titled Conduct of Gawad Teodora Alonso 2023 at ang Regional Memo. No. 948, s. 2023.)”
Photo from Department of Education Region I.
“Stories submitted in GTA 2023 were anchored on the different learning areas of the revised curriculum of Kindergarten to Grade 10. In support of the DepEd’s MATATAG Agenda, the GTA 2023 also includes categories dedicated to the lasting effect of the components of this initiative,” she said.
She explained that the competition aims to address the need for engaging stories appropriate for visual readers through wordless storybooks for Kindergarten; stories for beginning readers of Grades 1, 2, and 3; and illustrated storybooks for intermediate and hobby readers of Grades 4, 5, and 6.
The winner for the Grade 1 storybook is Minerva Navarro of the Schools Division Office (SDO)- Dagupan City titled, “May Limang Aircon Si Buboy”.
For the second grade, Peter Vincent Quetulio of the same SDO won first place with the story, “Galikin! Gali Kayo,” while the storybook titled, “Si Natty-Nik” written by Delaila Peralta of SDO- Alaminos City won for the third grade.
Meanwhile, Genalyn Abarra (writer) and Shella May Perez (illustrator) of SDO-Alaminos City won in the fourth grade with their story, “Si Mimi Ang Hindi Inaasahang Bayani”.
In the fifth grade, the story, “Sina Baket An-anus at Baket Ung-unget” written by Pricilla Ordono and illustrated by Aldrin Ferdinand Hadlos of SDO-Ilocos Sur won, while SDO-Alaminos City’s Rosita Cardona and Angelo Tala won in the sixth grade with the story, “Ang Bisikleta ni Derek”.
During an interview with Hadlos, he said, “Our story is in line with ‘kwento ng bayan’ (folk stories), wherein we had to gather cultural narratives from different municipalities.”
“It is a big factor because we are encouraging cultural preservation that is slowly disappearing in today’s generation. We can see that our cultural preservation is degrading, that is why telling these stories is important,” he said.
Moreover, for the Wordless Storybooks and Storybooks for emergent readers, Marte Ilumin of SDO-San Carlos City won first place for the story, “Banonong”.
Amoyen said, “These books will be published or distributed online through the DepEd Learning Resource Portal, however, these will still undergo further quality assurance at the national level by the trained pool of Learning Resource Evaluators.”
Aldrin Ferdinand P. Hadlos from SDO Ilocos Sur, illustrator of the first place storybook in the grade five category of the Gawad Teodora Alonso 2023 storybook writing competition in Ilocos region during an interview with PIA Ilocos Sur. PIA/ATV
