Tinig UK, in partnership with Filipino Mothers’ UK, is celebrating World Children’s Day on 20th November with an essay writing competition for young children. It is the annual day of action set by the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) for children, by children. This year’s theme is “Inclusion, for every child.”
There are 140,124 young Filipinos below 19 years of age living overseas between 2015 and 2020, based on data from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas (CFO). In the Philippines, there are 33.4 million children (30.7% of the population) below the age of 15, based on the 2020 Philippine census.
The essay writing competition is open to children of Filipino parentage between 5 and 10 years old who currently reside in the UK. The goal of the competition is to give an opportunity for young children to think and talk about their cultural identity in an accessible and engaging way.
The theme for the contest is: “What are my favourite things about being Filipino?” Children can write about their favourite Filipino food, or perhaps a Filipino word they like. They can also talk about a special place, a sound or a toy they associate with the Philippines or being a Filipino. These are just suggested ideas but children can write about other topics.
The deadline to submit essays is on Thursday, 16th November, 17:00 pm (GMT).
To submit your child’s entry, click this link.
Four winners will be selected who will receive specially selected Filipino-authored books from Talas Books, kids’ accessories from Aya Co Handmade with Love, and copies of It’s More Fun Coloring the Philippines from author Jules Calonia.
The names of the winners will be published on our website on Sunday, 20th November.
Tinig UK Children’s Day Essay Writing Contest 2022 Mechanics
1) Children should write their essays around this theme: What are my favourite things about being Filipino? They can write about their favourite food, or maybe a Filipino word, a place, a sound or a toy they associate with Filipinos or the Philippines. These are just suggested ideas but children are free to write about other topics.
2) The competition is open to children with either one or both Filipino parents or grandparents and who are currently residing in any part of the UK.
3) There are two categories: Category A for children aged 5 to 7 and Category B for children aged 8 to 10. They may write their essays in either English or Filipino.
4) The essay length should be a maximum of 200 words. The essay should capture the child’s ideas and feelings. They should be written with as little help as possible from parents or guardians.
5) Entries should be sent through an online form. Parents and carers can help their children in completing the online form. For children under Category A, they may also upload a handwritten essay as an option. For children under category B, they are required to upload their hand-written essay on the online form.
6) The deadline for entries is on Wednesday, 16th November at 17:00 (GMT).
7) There will be four winners:
Two winners for Category A (5 to 7 years old) – one in English, one in Filipino
Two winners for Category B (8 to 10 years old) – one in English, one in Filipino
8) The judges’ decision is final. Winning entries as well as some selected essays will be published on the Tinig UK website.
We welcome everybody who would like to sponsor our contest. Please get in touch with us at info@tinig-uk.com. We will advertise your logo on our website and we will include you on our social media posts to promote our event.
