Young poets pour their hearts out on Grandparents' Day


MB's Tula Para Kay Lolo at Lola online contest winners revealed

In no time at all, after we called for entries to our online contest Tula Para Kay Lolo at Lola, was The Manila Bulletin met with an outpouring of poetic love.

Grandchildren young and younger, from around the Philippines, expressed cherished memories and precious experiences with their grandparents, honoring their words of wisdom, their pieces of advice, their loving nature, even their tough love, in free verse, in rhymes, in ballads, in metaphors and allusions, and other forms of poetry.

The mechanics were simple: Just write an original personal poem of 80 to 120 words in English or Filipino and post it along with photos or other mementos on either Facebook or Instagram, tagging @manilabulletin with the hashtags #MBGrandParentsDay2020 and #TulaParaKayLoloatLola.

There are too many winning entries but The Manila Bulletin only has a total of 12 cash prizes for 10 of the very best and a couple of special citations.

The top five winners of P5,000 each are:

VJ Amdul (Wrinkles and Roses),

Carl Adrian Ancia (Alay Ko Kay Lola),

JP Anthony Cuñada (Hindi Ko Maalala na Niyakap Ako ng Lolo),

Mayjulyn Olivares (Remarkable Woman),

and Maria Foreza Pangalinan (Durungawan). 

Also to receive P5,000 as cash prize for the most liked and most shared entries on Facebook are:

Most Liked: Czarina Mae Ramirez (Dabest Ka, Lola) with 4,500 likes on Facebook; and

Most Shared: Bea Mae Plotena (Lola Pida: Ang Aking Dakilang Lola) with over 14,000 shares on Facebook.

The finalists, who will each receive P1,000 for their entries, are:

Evelyn Abenojar (Our Polaris),

Martinna Congson (Hindi Paborito Pero Mahal Ko),

Adora Salvador (Para Sa 'Yo, Lola),

Elisha Shion (untitled), and

Kim Marie Dumosdos (Pangarap Namin ni Lola).

Tula Para Kay Lola at Lola 2020 was co-presented by The SM Store.