The annual De Francia Awards for Literature (DEAL) announced its winner for this year, and it’s Hermilinda Bulong, an editor at the University of the Philippines Press.
Bulong wrote the short story There is Life after Jack. The story follows a woman who encounters a problem in love but bravely faces it. She was awarded third prize and was given $200.
There were no winners of the second and first prize as none of the six entries met the rubrics made by the jurors. Bulong’s story earned the highest score, which was 85.
Last year, only one winner was announced and placed fourth place.
The annual Deal Awards is supported by Jesusa and Rockwell Ocab, NP Elvira Dela Pena, the Filipino Seniors of Santa Maria Valley headed by their president Thelma Alafriz Cabanas, Fil-Am Association of Santa Maria Valley president Charles Lara, and board of director lawyer Imelda Picar-Fernandez.
This year’s Board of Jurors of is composed of Dr. Sonja Chan of Saint Louis University, Dr. Marlina Lino of the Mariano Marcos State University and Director of the Language Center, and Aurelio Agcaoili of the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Agcaoili was the chair of the board.