In line with the celebration of National Arts Month, the Malabon City government honored Augusto D. Rivera Jr., an award-winning Malabueño writer after the "Firefly" movie won multiple awards in the 49th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) and in the Manila International Film Festival (MIFF).

Rivera gained acclaim as an author of children's literature. In 1995, he released his inaugural children's book, "Alamat ng Ampalaya," inspired by the realization that the bitter gourd was not mentioned in the Filipino folk song "Bahay Kubo.
Subsequently, he authored diverse children's stories, including the "XILEF," "Ang Lihim ni Lea," and "Isang Harding Papel."
He became the head writer of popular television shows such as Batibot, Art Angel, Ang Pinaka, and many others.
Additionally, he played a pivotal role as one of the founding members of KUTING (Kuwentista ng mga Tsikiting), a collective of Filipino writers specializing in children's stories in the Philippines.
Currently, he is the head writer of the program AHA!, Resibo, and one of the writers of Family Feud Philippines.
The 2023 49th Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF) big winner "Firefly" was inspired by a children's book written by Rivera.
The story intertwined hopes, dreams, and family, as it tells the story of Tonton and his journey to finding the mystical island of fireflies based on his mother's bedtime stories.
The book continued its victorious streak abroad when it won the most number of awards at the inaugural Manila International Film Festival (MIFF) in Hollywood, California – including the highly-coveted Best Picture honor.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2024/2/7/firefly-is-most-awarded-film-of-manila-international-film-festival-2024