Volunteer Chronicles 2 writing tilt was launched on May 28, 2009 at Powerbooks Greenbelt. It was attended by Hands On Manila President, Wynn Wynn Ong, Hands On Manila officers and trustees, and celebrity-volunteer, Marc Nelson.

VOLUNTEER CHRONICLES Writing Contest II: Volunteer Vacations Mechanics 

1.     ELIGIBILITY

a.     This contest is open to anyone, 16 years and above, who wishes to write about his/her experience doing volunteer work outside his/her resident province/country, including volunteer work while on vacation.

Examples:

-   a person living in Manila volunteers for a project in Batangas

-   an American citizen doing volunteer work while on vacation in Manila

b.    The participant must not be a professional writer (i.e. book author, columnist, or member of the editorial staff of any publication). The Board of Trustees and staff of Hands On Manila Foundation, Inc., the employees of Powerbooks, the Philippine Daily Inquirer & Anvil Publishing, Inc. are likewise disqualified from this contest.

2.     HOW TO JOIN

a.     Each participant should submit a brown envelope containing the following:

                                          i.    Sealed letter size envelope containing the duly accomplished Official Entry Form and Authorization Form. Download the forms http://powerbooks.multiply.com or www.powerbooks.com.ph, or get them at any Powerbooks branch. The Title of the Entry and the Author’s Pen Name should be written or typed on the face of this sealed envelope.

                                         ii.    Printout of the entry.

                                        iii.    Soft copy of the entry (CD or floppy disk).

Note: Finalists will be asked to submit digital or scanned photographs of him/her doing volunteer work.

b.    An entry refers to a short story or an essay about the participant’s true volunteer vacation experience. Each entry should be typewritten in English, double-spaced on 8.5’’ x 11’’ bond paper in font size 12. THE AUTHOR’S REAL NAME MUST NOT APPEAR ON THE ENTRY.

c.     Submit the above requirements to any Powerbooks branch or mail them to the Powerbooks Head Office at #25 Brixton St., Capitol Subdivision, Pasig City.  Deadline is August 31, 2009 at 9:00 pm.

3.     CONTEST MECHANICS

a.     Each entry should have a minimum of 1,000 words and a maximum of 2,000 words.

b.    The period of the contest is from May 15 to August 31, 2009.

c.     All entries will be judged based on the following criteria:

d.    When submitting an entry, the contestant represents and warrants that the work is his own, that the events that transpired in his work are true and that the work has never been published.  The contestant also warrants that he/she has absolute ownership of all intellectual property rights to the entry.

e.     In order to allow public access to the winning works, the author hereby grants, assigns, and transfers to Hands On Manila Foundation, Inc. (HOM) the right, without necessity of any payment other than the prize awarded, to publish the winning entry, or selection or portion thereof as it may desire; to edit the work or any portion thereof to suit the demands of publication and to make the works available for downloading on the Internet or other electronic medium. HOM shall also have the right to appoint or designate editors or directors who may edit the work or any portion thereof to suit the demands of publication or exhibition.

f.     The selection of winning entries shall be made by judges appointed by HOM. The decision of the judges shall be final and cannot be appealed. Ownership over all submitted stories shall be deemed transferred to HOM. HOM may use these stories and the authors’ names in any publicity or advertising campaigns related to the contest or for any future promotions of HOM, without need of compensation or approval.

g.    The deadline for submission of entries is on August 31, 2009 at 9:00pm. Entries will not be returned. Neither HOM nor Powerbooks shall be responsible for lost entries.

h.     Winners will be notified through registered mail, telephone, mobile phone and/or e-mail and these names may be featured in press releases.  Winners shall also be posted at the Customer Service area of all Powerbooks branches, at the Powerbooks website and multiply site, and Hands on Manila’s website.

i.      Winners will be announced on October 15, 2009. The top 3 winners must be present to claim their prizes during the awarding ceremony, the date of which will be communicated at a later date.

j.      All parties submitting entries are deemed to have accepted the rules of the contest, and agree to abide by the same.

k.     Participating Powerbooks branches are the following: Shangri-La, Megamall, Greenbelt 4, Glorietta, Midtown, Mall of Asia, Alabang, Trinoma & Festival Mall.

4.     PRIZES

First Prize: P5,000 worth Powerbooks Gift Cards + Free trip for two (2) to Boracay via SEAir + Free Accommodations for two nights at Punta Rosa Resort + an opportunity to do a Hands On Volunteer Vacations project in Aklan

Second Prize: P3,000 worth Powerbooks Gift Cards + Free trip for two (2) to Bohol via Cebu Pacific + Free Accommodations for two nights at Amarela Resort + an opportunity to do a Hands On Volunteer Vacations project in Bohol

Third Prize: P2,000 worth Powerbooks Gift Cards + Free Accommodations for two (2) at Taal Vista Hotel in Tagaytay + an opportunity to do a Hands On Volunteer Vacations project in Laguna or Batangas

For more information or for questions, contact 386-6521 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .