Writing in Filipino
One of the books read aloud to our young writers during our summer writing workshop was, “Salamat Po!” by Russell Molina. It’s a book written in Filipino about the little things we can be thankful for everyday. I love the whimsical illustration of the book and the cheerful colors used by the artist, Tokwa Peñaflorida.
My favorite part from the book is “Salamat po sa aking Nanay at ang mga halik sa aking pisngi. Sa malakas na tawanan, hagikhik at kiliti.”
I love the sound of Filipino words. I remember watching Noli Me Tangere the Musical and found the sound of Filipino words so beautiful. My foreign friends would even tell me that I sound like I’m singing when I’m speaking in Filipino.
After the storytelling session, the kids started to write about the things and people they are thankful for. We do encourage our students to write in Filipino but it’s the first time that one of our students wrote in Filipino. Hopefully, we’ll have more young writers writing in Filipino in our future classes.
Salamat Po
by Hannah Arribas, 8 years old
Salamat po sa Kuya kong nagmamahal sa akin.
Salamat po sa aking Nanay na nagtuturo sa akin mag Tagalog.
Salamat po sa aking Lola na nagbigay ng mga prutas sa amin.
Salamat po sa aking Tatay na nagdrive ng ating sasakyan.
Salamat po sa aking kaibigan na naglalaro sa akin.
This article was first published in Manila Speak on May 30, 2015
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Where the Write Things Are is a creative writing center for kids, teens, and adults. If you love writing or need some inspiration to get to write, our writing studio is the place to be. Check out our monthly classes and our Facebook page.
Creative Writing Classes for Kids/Teens and Adults:
1. Young Writers' Hangout - August 5, August 19, September 9 & September 23 (1:30pm-3pm)
2. Adult Creative Writing Class with Dean Francis Alfar (Speculative Fiction) – September 16 (1:30pm-4:30pm)
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