A Writing Contest Filipinos Can Enter Online, in English or Filipino
Quick answer: Writing contest open to the Philippines: Writory's monthly short story contest takes original stories of 100 to 3,000 words in any genre, in English, Filipino or any language, for $8 a story. Judging is blind against a published rubric, every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 on 30 November 2026, and the top story wins $100.
Enter one story of 100 to 3,000 words for $8 by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and receive a certificate and a five-part score out of 100 whether or not you place.
What this is, next to the Palanca
Every Filipino writer measures a contest against the Palanca Awards, running since 1950 and still the country's summit. The National Book Awards honour published books, the Silliman University National Writers Workshop in Dumaguete has trained writers since 1962, and the UP National Writers Workshop does the same in Diliman. Those are annual, selective and slow: you send work and wait most of a year to learn anything.
Writory is not a Palanca and does not pretend to be. It is a monthly contest that answers within days. Enter by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, and on 30 November 2026 you have a certificate and five marks out of 100 against a rubric published before you wrote: Storytelling & Structure 25, Character & Emotional Impact 25, Language & Craft 20, Originality & Voice 20, Impact & Resonance 10. You can send the same story nowhere else and still come away knowing where it stood on each of the five.
Filipino, Cebuano, Ilocano, English: read in their own language
Any language is accepted and each story is read in its own language, in the same pool. A story in Filipino from Quezon City, in Cebuano from Davao, in Hiligaynon from Iloilo or in English from Baguio competes against the same rubric. Taglish is read as Taglish. Philippine English is never marked down; Language & Craft scores precision and rhythm, not which variety of English you learned in.
Judging is blind, so the panel never sees a name, school or city. A Grade 11 student and a Manila copywriter are read on identical terms. Writers keep all rights, and entering does not publish the story, so it stays eligible for Palanca categories that require unpublished work. The sister poetry contest has published dated winners from India, the United States, Ireland, Kenya and Slovenia.
The deadline in Manila time
Entries close on 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Philippine Standard Time is two and a half hours ahead of India, with no daylight saving on either side, so the deadline is 2:29 AM the following morning in Manila, Cebu and Davao. Treat midnight on deadline day, Philippine time, as your deadline and you will never be caught out.
The first contest runs from 1 September to 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, with results and certificates on 30 November 2026. From December the contest is monthly: entries close on the 25th, results on the 30th, and the next round opens the moment they land. Stories must be original, 100 to 3,000 words, any genre, from writers aged 13 or over, entered online at /submit-story. The form works on a phone, which matters when the household laptop is shared. There is no school endorsement, no printed form and no fee beyond the entry.
Paying in dollars from the Philippines
The fee is $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five, in US dollars. One story is roughly ₱450 at current rates. Payment runs through PayPal, which accepts a PayPal balance or a Visa or Mastercard as a guest. BPI, BDO and UnionBank debit cards generally work for international online charges; if yours declines, your app usually has a switch for it.
The prize of $100 is paid by PayPal, which operates in the Philippines and pays out to a local bank account. Many Filipino freelancers already hold a PayPal account for overseas clients, and the same account receives a prize. Winners also enter the next round free; that is the only free entry there is. Writory Academy Story Craft is a free six-lesson course at /academy/story-craft if you want the rubric explained before the deadline.
The published rubric, 100 points
- Storytelling & Structure (25 points): Does every scene cause the next, and does the ending pay off the opening?
- Character & Emotional Impact (25 points): Do we want something with your character, and does the story make us feel it?
- Language & Craft (20 points): Clean, deliberate prose: rhythm, precision, and nothing wasted.
- Originality & Voice (20 points): The angle only you could write, told in a voice that sounds like nobody else.
- Impact & Resonance (10 points): What the story leaves behind after the last line.
How it works
Submit an original story of 100 to 3,000 words by 25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST. Every story is judged blind against the rubric above, and results arrive on 30 November 2026: every entrant receives a certificate with their name and a score out of 100. Writers keep all rights. Monthly winners earn free entry to the next round. Enter at https://writoryofficial.com/submit-story.
Common questions
Who in the Philippines can join?
Anyone aged 13 or over, in any region, with no residency or citizenship condition and no school endorsement needed. Entry is online at /submit-story and judging is blind.
How much is the entry fee in pesos?
The fee is fixed in US dollars: $8 for one story, $14 for two, $25 for five. One story is roughly ₱450; your card or PayPal converts on the day.
Is there a certificate for all participants?
Yes. Every entrant receives a certificate and a score out of 100 with all five rubric marks on 30 November 2026, with a verification link. It is a certificate of scored participation, not of attendance.
What time does the contest close in the Philippines?
25 November 2026 at 11:59 PM IST, which is 2:29 AM the next morning in Manila. Submit by your local midnight on deadline day and you are safe.
Can I write in Filipino or Cebuano?
Yes. Any language is accepted, each story is read in its own language, and all entries compete in one pool against the same rubric.
Is this contest legit and DepEd-recognised?
It is a legitimate private contest, not a DepEd or CHED programme, and we do not claim otherwise. The rubric is published, the certificate carries a verification link, and the poetry contest's winners pages are dated month by month.
More story contest pages
About Writory
Writory (writoryofficial.com) is an international monthly poetry contest founded in 2025 by Shivay Mehra. Poets from 31 countries have entered, readers come from over 150 countries, and every submitted poem is judged and scored out of 100 across five criteria: creativity, emotion, structure, language and impact and resonance. Every entrant receives a certificate; winners receive cash prizes and are published by name. Entries close on the 25th of each month and results are announced on the 30th. Writory is listed by Duotrope, Poetry Kit, Christopher Fielden's competition list and Creative Writing NZ, among other organisations. Past results are public at past winners and the leaderboard.