2015 Judges

THE FILIPINO READERS’ CHOICE AWARDS IS NOW AT THE BDAP SITE. CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS ON FRCA 2022!

FICTION IN ENGLISH

Paula Alabado

“Those who don’t believe in magic will never find it,” says the line closest to her heart. This little girl believes and finds the magic in books, reveling in stories after stories like she cannot live without them. She is not a big fan of the dull and the mundane, but prefers to burrow into the comforts of fiction and fantasy. With a cup of tea on rainy days, she loves to snuggle up to the pages of Roald Dahl, Jane Austen, Haruki Murakami and Jenny Han. Aside from owning a library, she also dreams to befriend Juli Baker from Wendelin Van Draanen’s “Flipped”, climb the sycamore tree and grow a chick or two, then hurriedly drag her to Middle-earth to swoon over the elves of Rivendell because Bryce Loski just isn’t worth it.

Faiqah Dianalan

Pollie Santos

Pollie is a twenty-something hotelier, a Slytherin alumna, eccentric artist and all-around geek. She first got herself lost in Neverland, then studied magic in Hogwarts, and eventually got the hang of Middle Earth. Her preferred genre is fantasy, but other literary favorites include Riding Freedom, Northanger Abbey, Little Women, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and One Hundred Years of Solitude. In her spare time, she likes to immerse herself in more fictional worlds, write stories and poetry, doodle plot bunnies, and sketch people.

FICTION IN FILIPINO/TAGLISH

Jayson Fajardo

Jayson Fajardo has an AB Filipinology degree from a mighty maroon and gold state university. He enjoys writing flash fiction, because honestly he does not really have the time to write a novel. He also reviews films, not as himself but as random characters that possess his being. He’s also an active member of Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books (PRPB).

Marie Ricana

Marie Ricana (@cris_ricana) is a Makati-based IT specialist and network/system administrator. She had always been an avid reader since childhood, and had grew up reading Adarna children books and Collier’s Encyclopedia at school, and sneaking out her mother’s D.H. Lawrences and steamy Silhouette & Harlequin romances at home. While Marie doesn’t have a favorite genre, among her favorite authors include Jane Austen, J.R.R. Tolkien, Tony Perez, Anton Chekhov, and Arthur Conan Doyle. She is an active member of two book clubs, Flips Flipping Pages and The Filipino Group at Goodreads. While an engineer by profession, she dreams of writing a book someday, preferably a non-fiction or a short story/essay collection. Her hobby includes millinery, sewing, writing a weekly column for a local pro wrestling news website, and writing book reviews in her blog, http://blackbodyslists.blogspot.com/.

Jessan Miramon

Jessan’s days consist of rabble-rousing at book shops, sticking post-its with random doodles on school yard walls, prancing around in an almost pudpod Converse high-tops, and having a lot of what he calls “magical adventures.” His life seems to be divided up into playtime, snack time, and naptime. He enjoys making things with his hands and singing about things he does while he is doing them. Jessan hopes to one day find Where’s Fluffy and kiss his elbow.

ROMANCE IN ENGLISH

Kat Sales

With nearly 1,000 books in her Kindle and a more than two dozen printed books on her TBR pile, it’s hard for Kat to finish the stories she wants to write. Her love for books and belief that the country needs more libraries led her to take up Masters in Library and Information Science in UP Diliman. This budding author is a newbie NaNoWriMo winner and a writing class junkie. She is currently working in Canva as a Customer Happiness Specialist. In her spare time she dabbles in sketching, calligraphy, and knitting. She writes about random things at http://www.saberkite.com.

Tefanie Terante
Joyce Reano

ROMANCE IN FILIPINO/TAGLISH

Maricel Corales

I am 33 and a proud mom to an 11-year old brainy and pretty girl named Hannah. I share my passion for reading with my girl and it has been one of the many activities we do together. I started reading novel when I was 8 with Oliver Butterworth’s The Narrow Passage and my love for reading never ceases till this day. I started reading Filipino romance book when I was 12 and I own a collection of Martha Cecelia’s Kristine Series and Sidney Sheldon novels too. I enjoy reading during my free time and even at work. I am thriving in BPO Industry as Quality Evaluator for one of the country’s largest BPO company.  I am a woman of vast interest from Astrology to traveling to witchcraft and fine-dining. I have a major in Chemistry and a license educator. I love learning new things and strongly believe that every minute is a learning opportunity.

Hiyasmin Bisoy

Si Hiyasmin Bisoy ay mahilig magbasa. Isa siyang mag-aaral ng Philippine Studies sa Unibersidad ng Pilipinas-Diliman at isa ring propesyunal na taga-panood ng TV para sa isang estasyon.

Josephine Litonjua

Josephine started reading Tagalog romance books at the age of seven. She picked up her aunt’s copy of “Pag-ibig, paalam na nga ba?” by Helen Meriz and never looked back.

Her favorite Pinoy romance novelists included Helen Meriz, Gilda Olvidado, and Martha Cecilia.

Today, she is drawn to memoirs, MM romance, cozy mysteries, and crime fiction. She particularly supports Filipino works and is currently one of Pinoy Read Pinoy Books’ (PRPB) moderators. You can find the group here: https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/79945  and you can view her blog here: https://josephinelitonjua.wordpress.com/.

FICTION ANTHOLOGY

Ingrid Membrere

Ingrid Mae Membrere is currently working on acquiring a PRC license for Occupational Therapists. She mostly reads (and hoards) Young Adult and Romance Novels in English, but strives to widen her reading repertoire with the help of her bookish homes: Goodreads – The Filipino Group and Pinoy Reads Pinoy Books. She has no book blog, or any blog yet. In the meantime, she is content with rambling in 140 characters or less with occasional hashtags.
Jaymar Castro

My summers in Pampanga were filled with memories of my lola’s delish bistek, savory pancit luglug we always bought in the public market, and afternoons spent reading those cheap Tagalog horror komiks. My love for reading started with the good ol’ komiks but when I picked Zilpha Keatley Snyder’s The Headless Cupid in our little Grade School Library, I knew my love affair with books started. Snyder gave me a taste of puppy love with reading but it was J.K. Rowling who made me fall madly and deeply in throes of deep affection. Even before its phenomenon, Harry Potter and The Sorcerer’s Stone cemented my desire for words. Then came Edgardo M. Reyes’s Laro sa Baga, the passionate novel who introduced me to Philippine Literature, that there is a bigger world outside those horror stories and fantasy books. As I explored paperbacks and hardcovers of different forms and genres; from novels to poetry; pop romance to non-fiction, my passion to become a storyteller also grew. I was given a chance to fulfill that dream; though not in print, I still make people cry, laugh or kilig for a living. So as a part time TV writer and a full time reader, books that I have read have always helped me write scenes that I have never experienced before — just like experiencing a major heartbreak. Well, maybe the “books before boys because boys bring babies” mantra is to blame.

Bea Vergara

YOUNG ADULT FICTION

Ella Louise Francia

Ella Louise Francia is a 7th Grader from The Raya School.   She is a published writer who wrote the children’s book, “Maria’s Colorful Banca” about survivors of typhoon Yolando when she was 11.  Recently, she was awarded the bronze medal in the Filipino essay-writing contest organized by the Manuel Quezon Museum.  Ella also admits that she is “obsessed with books” and devours titles from her favorite genres that include adventure, mystery, and coming-of-age novels and short stories.  Her enthusiasm for reading extends online where she loves to review and discuss books she has read with friends and family.

Enrico Pelino

I am a writer for Xanadu, LSGH literary publication, and I am a playwrighter and I have written scripts. I also write both poetry and prose.  I love reading books both in Filipino and English. I enjoy books that contain mystery, humor, and romance.

Isaiah Mercader

I’m 3rd Year (Grade 11) student from Claret School of Quezon City. I’m fond of sports, I play football at a varsity level. I’m very fond of photography, films, and books. I enjoy reading books owing to the fact that I’m drawn to stories and different perspectives of individuals coming from different experiences and walks of life. I also use these books as a source of inspiration (i.e. films and such) and food for thought which invites intellectualism and cognition. I enjoy reading novels, philosophy books (they serve as a type of guide), and poetry.

CHILDREN’S PICTURE BOOK

Afia D., age 8
Dana O., age 10
Jodie J., age 9

COMICS AND GRAPHIC NOVELS

Billy Candelaria

Billy Joe Candelaria, avid reader of comic books, foreign or local. One of the numerous interest he has. Now training to be a jedi as a profession.

Danry Ocampo

Danry Ocampo works as senior travel consultant in Makati. Favorite books are ELMER by Gerry Alanguilan and Pugad Baboy by Pol Medina Jr. Most of his free time is spent reading local komiks and spreading exciting news about it on facebook everyday via The Filipino Komiks Readers Group

Carljoe Javier

Carl has a BA in English Studies and an MA in Creative Writing. He is the Managing Editor of Anino Comics and one of the founding editors of Abangan: The Best Philippine Komiks. He reads across a wide range of genres, styles, and literary forms. He writes stuff, too. But everything he writes is driven by all the stuff he loves to read.

POETRY

Myra Garces Bacsal

Dr. Myra Garces-Bacsal is an Assistant Professor at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. She is the Programme Leader of the Masters Program in High Ability Studies and Gifted Education. She serves as the Programme Director of the Asian Children’s Writers and Illustrators Conference for the Asian Festival of Children’s Content held annually in Singapore. She has three book clubs in Singapore with children and adults, and shares her passion for reading and book hunting in her website gatheringbooks.org.

Neil Raposon

Neil Patrick Raposon is a law student, an otaku and an avid reader. He is particularly interested in suspense thriller and detective novels. He also adores historical books regarding the dark side of the society.
He is a member of the campus journal since high school and has been writing poems ever since. He is currently a fanfic author at asianfanfics.com with the author name of lien46.

Catherine Torres

INSPIRATIONAL/RELIGIOUS

Paul Tena

Paul Tena is a law student, writer and part-time English writing and speech lecturer at the Universidad De Manila. In his spare time, especially during vacations, he devours books to ease the ever demanding workload both in school and work. His reading preference includes self-help and inspirational stories written by varying writers. Occasionally, he also ventures in to fiction novels, too.

During his childhood back in the province, he was fond of Bible Stories depicting the life of Jesus. While he was in high school, he was consistently inspired by books that do not only feed the mind but also the soul. Among his early favorites include Og Mandino’s Greatest Salesman in the World Series and Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist. He was also fond of reading the Chicken Soup for the Soul Series and Rhonda Bryne’s internationally-acclaimed The Secret Series.

Since education is Mr. Tena’s primary advocacy in life, he believes that reading books particularly inspirational ones can really make a huge difference in a person’s life and eventually to the world. He also believes that Filipino authors are set to conquer the international literary scene in the near future.

Zim dela Pena

I’m Zim Dela Peña. A teacher, booklover, feeling atleta, but above all, a lover of Jesus Christ. I’m on a mission to finish the Bible this year. And I’m enjoying instagram lately so go and follow me, @zimdp.

Angelique Cepeda

HUMOR

CJ Boado

Nobelle Borines

Nobelle Borines is an avid reader of fantasy and horror books including the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, George R.R. Martin, Stephen King, Dan Simmons and Clive Barker, but this doesn’t mean she doesn’t enjoy the humor of Douglas Adams and Terry Pratchett. Although she has yet to join a proper book club, Nobelle can usually be found sitting in a bar with a drink in hand and her nose in a paperback. Super power: can read in any lighting condition.

Jessa Abrenica

FOOD AND COOKBOOK

Joko Magalong

Joko Magalong writes features and reviews about food and restaurants for fun, collects cookbooks and food-related books, and regularly posts food porn in instagram (ig:jokoness).  She also studied culinary arts and helped to develop a cookbook in another life.

Anna Gamboa

Anna C. Gamboa is currently the associate editor of adobo magazine (www.adobomagazine.com) which deals more with local and regional advertising, branding and design; and was the managing editor of Fudge Magazine (which was more about pop culture). She has had the pleasure of editing Lori Baltazar’s Dessert Comes First (a past FilReaderCon winner), has written for various food magazines and guides–and occasionally joins book club discussions with Flips Flipping Pages (when she can spare the time). She reads anything as long as its well-written and/or entertaining–and also enjoys the occasional audiobook when she’s too tired to read.

Haze Frias

Hazel Bartolome-Frias whips up delicious treats, works in food styling and food photography when she isn’t at her day job.  She is an active member of Flips Flipping Pages.  Her favorite book is Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte because she fell in love with the characters and the way it was eloquently written.  Her preferred genres are sci-fi, mystery and horror. When she’s not reading, you can also find her cycling, her other passion.

NONFICTION

Ricka Dumelod

If there were a world beyond this one, Ricka thinks that it would most probably be found inside the pages of a good book. Not necessarily the Bible or her school’s student handbook, but novels like the Ender’s Game or Harry Potter – worlds that look like ours and worlds that only children could see, where people are either born as chosen heroes or the singing, dancing waste of the world that once thought they looked like beautiful snowflakes. In her head is an ever expanding universe, but not everything in it is made up. As a veteran debater, Ricka is passionate towards the struggles of actual people in the real world. It’s not just about watching the news every day, but more about reaching the core truth of human experience, like how the most kindhearted individuals turn into criminals according to The Lucifer Effect, or how nations stumble into the depths of poverty in Why Nations Fail. She believes nothing feels as real as the real world. Well, nothing except for Aldub of course.

Jekki Pascual

Jekki Pascual is a reporter, news anchor and writer for the ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC). He is a Communication graduate from the Ateneo de Manila University and he has done several reports on the book and reading culture in the Philippines. A bookstore is one of his most favorite places. Aside from reading news articles on a daily basis, He also loves to read fiction and non-fiction books. He loves mystery, historical and adventure novels. He also reads books on the economy and history. Currently, he is reading the novel ‘American Gods’ and non-fiction book ‘Why Nations Fail.’

Justin de Castro

Justin de Castro is a street book peddler who believes that the solution to all the problems of this dying country could and should be found somewhere inside a book.