KABULIG-Bikol to award prizes, launch 3 books

The Kabulig-Bikol Inc., an association of Bicolano writers will award two writers’ prizes and launch three books at the Raul Roco Library, Naga City Hall Complex, on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at 3:00 PM.

The two awards are the Kabulig-Premio Abelardo A. Bragais Para sa Rawitdawit, Best Single Poem in Bikol, and the 2019 Kabulig Writers Prize for children’s stories, Grades K-1.

The Kabulig-Premio Abelardo A. Bragais is being awarded in honor of the Tabaco entrepreneur and philanthropist, to whose honor the prize is named. Its supported the education of young scholars. Kabulig member Niles Jordan Breis is sponsor of this prize as a tribute to Bragais.

The Kabulig-Bikol First Book Grant Sa Ikatulong Aldaw by Anthony Diaz will be launched, a novel dealing with the very timely issue of mental health.

Given the news report that 70,000 pupils in the region cannot read, Kabulig is helping to address this situation by assisting in the production of children’s stories in the mother tongue.

The genre for the last two Kabulig Writers Prizes is children’s stories for Grades 1-4, and this year. For Kindergarten to Grade 1, Kabulig will help the writers publish these stories.

Related to this, two children’s books in Bikol, An Pabo ni Biboy by Marissa Reorizo Redburn and Si Annie Potpot by Ofero Basbas, will also be launched.

Writers and cultural workers supportive of Bikol arts and culture are invited to the event.

Kabulig-Bikol, Inc. is a Bikol-wide non-profit, non-government organization composed of writers dedicated to supporting and promoting Bikol arts and culture.