DionaText: Cellphone Text Poetry writing Contest

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts in cooperation with the Filipinas Institute of Translation, Inc., Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas and the UP Institute of Creative Writing launch DIONATEXT, a text (SMS) poetry writing contest. The contest aims to popularize and revitalize the tradition of one of the oldest forms of poetry by using modern technology.

The diona is a short poem composed of three versified rhyming lines. Each line consists only of seven syllables expressing a complete thought. DIONATEXT entries must be written in Filipino and must express love within the family.

Here’s an old example:

magkapatid mang buo,
kundi kapuwa suyo,
parang pinsang malayo.

Contestants must submit their entries through text to any of the following numbers:
(0927) 4641814
(0918) 2252718

Entries must be accompanied by the name and address of the author. Entries must be received not later than 5 p.m. every Friday of the contest week. Every week for the month of February, judges will pick 2 winners (Text Makata ng linggo) who will receive P5,000 each. Eight consolation prizes of P2,000 will be awarded. The winning entries will be compiled in a book which will be released at the awarding ceremonies.

Press Release from:
National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario
Tel.No.: 929-4508 or 922-1830

[ First posted on 01/28/2004 by Manuel Viloria ]