The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), in collaboration with the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY), celebrates the National Children’s Book Day (NCBD) this July. This celebration is to embrace the transformative power of literature to fuel curiosity and ignite imagination among children

Central to this celebration are the prestigious PBBY-Salanga and PBBY-Alcala Prizes, which recognize exemplary works in writing and illustration. This year, the PBBY-Salanga Prize, paying homage to esteemed journalist and writer Alfredo Navarro Salanga, lauds exceptional story writing that captivates young audiences. The distinguished PBBY-Salanga Prize recognizes the literary brilliance of Eric R. Roxas for his captivating narrative entitled “Monina’s Many Moles” that transcends boundaries and inspires young minds

Illustrator Marcus Vito Z. Nada receives the illustrious PBBY-Alcala Prize for his artistic prowess in enriching the world of children’s literature with captivating visuals.  The coveted PBBY-Alcala Prize, named in honor of National Artist Larry Alcala, celebrates the mastery of visual story writing, awarded to illustrators who skillfully bring children’s stories to life.

The NCBD celebration and awarding ceremony is scheduled for July 16, starting at 9:30am, at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP’s Blackbox Theater), featuring a musical performance by Ginger Karganilla and Billy Joel del Rosario, composed by Greg Zuniega; an enchanting story-telling by Philippine Information Agency (PIA) puppeteer; and the unveiling of exciting new children’s books. Following the theme “Payapa ang Puso ng Batang Nagbabasa,” NCBD endeavors to foster a love for reading among children while championing the vibrant artistry of Filipino children’s literature.

Payapa book fair will be at the basement level of the venue from 8:00am to 5:00pm. Books from Aklat Alamid, Aklat Mirasol, Southern Voices Printing Press, Street Tales and Supermaya will be sold at this event.

To join the festivities, a children’s book has to be donated to the registration desk on the day of the event. Registration starts at 9:00am. For the afternoon program, kindly register through this email ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com

Inspire the Children of Cavite and Balay-aralan of Muntinlupa will be the recipients of the books donated by the attendees of the event. The gifting will be during the program.

Observed every third Tuesday of July, the book day commemorates the pioneering publication of “Un Mono y Una Tortuga (The Monkey and The Turtle) written by Philippine hero Dr. Jose Rizal. In the story, the monkey and the turtle found a banana tree floating in the river. Wanting to have the tree for themselves, the two friends decided to cut it in half. The monkey took the top part with the branches, while the turtle got the lower half with the roots. The two planted their parts. But soon the tree of the monkey died, while the turtle’s tree grew and bore fruits.

Seeing the ripe banana fruits, the monkey volunteered to climb the tree and harvest the fruits. Contrary to his promise to give the fruits to the turtle, the monkey started eating and filling his tummy. The turtle got angry and nailed thorns and susong-paitan (a kind of thorny snail) on the trunk. As the monkey came down the tree, the thorns caused him much pain. He soon caught the turtle and decided to punish him. He asked the turtle what punishment he wanted – to crush him in the mortar or throw him in the river. Armed with wit, the turtle replied that he was afraid of the river because he might die from drowning. Noting the fear of the turtle, the monkey threw his rival into the river. The turtle swam away happily.

A timeless narrative that continues to inspire generations, the children’s story has been told and retold through generations to teach about Filipino values and life lessons. There are numerous psychology studies that report the importance of stories to children in experiencing life events and processing their emotions. Human brains, studies showed, are programmed to see patterns and perceive sequences, and eventually store these patterns in long-term memory. These long-term memories eventually become the fundamentals of human existence. This is the reason children’s books are effective teaching tools for children.

For other details and updates, please visit the CCP’s Intertextual Division Facebook Page, CCP’s and PBBY’s official websites, and their social media platforms on Facebook, X, TikTok, and Instagram.