IT TOOK award-winning Tinguian writer Linda Lingbaoan several years to finish her short story ‘Life after Jack.’ But the long wait has paid off. Her work was adjudged third place in the 2nd De Francia Awards for Literature awards Global Pinoy short story competition.
Bulong, known for her pen name Linda Lingbaoan and Delilah is the lone winner in the competition with a total of six entries.
Her story focuses on a woman who made a mistake because of love and became pregnant out of wedlock. The main character chooses to face the problem by deciding to have the baby unlike for her boyfriend named Jack who denied his responsibility.
In the story she also showed that despite committing a mistake, one can still rise and have a better life and even find new love. She made is through the rain with the love and support of her parents.
She received her award during the opening of the Timpuyog dagiti Mannurat iti Iloko iti Filipinas (TMIF) convention at North Luzon Philippines State College, Candon City, Ilocos Sur on April 13.
TMIF president Franklin Macugay with Board of Directors Crispin Dannug, Jr. and Jaime Raras, the convention convenor, lead the giving of certificate to Bulong with a corresponding prize of 200 hundred US dollars.
The Abrenian writer also translates and edits in these three languages-Ilokano, Tagalog, and English. She has written almost 30 stories in Ilokano, at least 8 stories in Tagalog, and 7 stories in English. She also writes poems and essays in the three languages mentioned earlier.
Her first Ilokano novel, Anniniwan was published by Bannawag Magazine. Her novel Kalinawa was written through a grant from the National Book Development Board Trust Fund.
She received the Leona Florentino Award for Literature from GUMIL Filipinas and Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from UMPIL. Both were given in 2015. At present, she is an editor at the UP Press.
Bulong hopes the DEAL through its founder Dr. Clarito de Francia, a former Baguio professor now based in in California would continue supporting the writers in the country.
The annual DEAL Awards is also presented through the help of Fil-Americans’ Jesusa and Rockwell Ocab, NP Elvira Dela Pena, and 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 Atty. Imelda Picar-Fernandez.
The DEAL Awards and TMIF efforts in promoting and supporting Filipino writers around the globe is laudable and timely as we celebrate the National Literature Month this April. May there be more groups who will support our writers and help preserve our literature.
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