The Carlos Palanca Foundation, Inc. has officially opened submissions for the 76th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, considered the country’s most prestigious literary competition.
The annual Palanca Awards is open to Filipino citizens and former Filipino citizens of all ages, whether based in the Philippines or abroad. Participants are allowed to submit one entry per category.
Categories include Novel and Nobela; English Division categories such as Short Story, Essay, Poetry, One-act Play, and Full-length Play; Filipino Division categories including Maikling Kuwento, Sanaysay, Tula, and Dulang Pampelikula; as well as Regional Languages categories for Cebuano, Hiligaynon, and Ilokano short stories.
The competition also features the Kabataan Division for writers below 18 years old, covering Kabataan Essay in English and Kabataan Sanaysay in Filipino. This year’s youth essay categories focus on how young people can rise above differences, promote understanding, and help build a more compassionate and progressive society amid diverse beliefs and ideologies.
Eligible works include published, unpublished, produced, or unproduced literary pieces completed between July 1, 2025 and June 30, 2026, depending on category requirements. For the Novel and Nobela categories, published entries must have been first published between June 1, 2024 and June 30, 2026.
The foundation clarified that works which have already received awards in other competitions before midnight of June 30, 2026 will not be accepted.
All entries must be submitted online through the official [Palanca Awards website https://www.palancaawards.com.ph. Printed and email submissions will not be accepted.
The deadline for submission of entries is on June 30, 2026.
Contest rules, forms, and additional details are available on the awards website. Inquiries may also be sent through the foundation’s official Facebook page, Palanca Awards Facebook page.
Winners of the 76th Palanca Awards will be recognized during a special awarding ceremony later this year.
