Lance Joseph Martinez

More Than What’s Told In A Children’s Book: In Conversation With Award-Winning Author Cheeno Sayuno

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<p><em><strong>Buwan ng Wika</strong></em> has always been more than just a celebration of the national language—it’s also a moment to honor Filipinos who tirelessly champion its use. This year,<strong> Metro.Style</strong> shines the spotlight on one of today’s voices in children’s literature: award-winning author <strong>Cheeno Sayuno</strong>.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756173608544Cheeno Sayuno PhD .JPG" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>At 34, the Amadeo, Cavite native has already carved a unique path in both writing and academia. He holds a PhD in Communication from UP Diliman, a Master’s degree in Communication Arts from UPLB, and a BA in Mass Communication from Cavite State University. Currently based in the United States, he serves as a postdoctoral research associate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s School of Information Sciences, where he focuses on Filipino and Filipino American children’s literature.</p><p>Cheeno’s passion for writing children’s literature didn’t just come overnight, but is deeply rooted in his childhood experiences.</p><p>“Because of poverty, I grew up without access to reading materials at home. Aside from some borrowed books and limited books in school libraries, I did not know where to access stories. But as a kid, I would imagine stories during playtime,” he recalled during an exclusive interview with the Metro.Style.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756173754386Cheeno Sayuno with children.JPG" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>His journey as a writer took flight during his MA studies at UPLB. What began as a classroom discovery eventually led him to national recognition when his very first story bagged two Palanca Awards.</p><p>“I discovered the genre of children’s literature in one class, joined competitions and workshops after, and discovered this fascinating world of storytelling for children. My first story, <em>The Magic Bahag</em>, got me my first of two Palanca awards, and more than ten years after, I am constantly trying to learn more about the genre, both creatively and academically,” he shared.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:700px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756174059971Cheeno Sayuno&#x27;s The Magic Bahag.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner">Photo from Lampara Books</span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>Interestingly, Cheeno’s journey as a writer didn’t begin in Filipino. He first attempted to craft stories in English, admitting that it took time before he had the courage to use his own language as his medium.</p><p>“It took a lot of courage for me to write in Filipino and finally confront the language that is actually familiar to me. Writing in Filipino, I realized, is liberating because you are able to talk about familiar cultural experiences in a language that you are also both familiar with. At the same time, it is important for children to learn to speak in Filipino (and their respective mother tongue) first and foremost, and so I thought I would contribute to that,” he explained.</p><p>Beyond his advocacy to champion the national language, Cheeno believes children’s literature is a boundless field brimming with untold stories. For him, it’s this limitless potential that fuels his drive, knowing there are still stories he can share with young readers.</p><p>“I also think that there are a lot of picture books out there that have been published, but there are more stories to tell, and there are kinds of stories that maybe I could tell,” he said.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756174158251Cheeno Sayuno with kids.JPG" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Yet even as he celebrates the genre’s potential, Cheeno remains keenly aware of its challenges.</p><p>“Children’s literature has always been an undermined genre. Up to this day, many scholars belittle the craft of children’s literature just because they think that children’s literature is &#x27;just for children,&#x27; although we also see that more and more visibility and acceptance. There are also so many picture books published across publishers, each carrying novel voices and compelling narratives and illustrations, but we are always in competition with international (western) works,” he said.</p><p>Cheeno also emphasized how funding and institutional support remain critical, adding, “Funding and support for creators for children can also be improved. But recently, we are thankful because the support for the genre has been increasing, we have more visibility in national and international spaces, and more and more creators craft stories and make them accessible to child readers!”</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756196049766cheeno author .png" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div style="text-align:center"><br/></div><p>Drawing comparisons with other countries, Cheeno noted how Southeast Asian neighbors are more proactive in empowering their writers.</p><p>“Our government should pick up more strategies in terms of supporting creators through book development grants. This is done in many countries, not only in Southeast Asia but globally (for instance, Singapore has a strong support for children’s literature production). In many Asian countries, when you go to bookstores and libraries, you would find that many, if not all, of the books are written in their national language,” he shared.</p><p>The author further pushed for stronger initiatives to foster a reading culture among Filipino children.</p><p>“There should be more libraries and inclusive spaces for reading. More stories should reach more kids, even in far-flung areas (NBDB’s Book Nook Project does this, but a next step could be more permanent and mass distribution of resources instead of a proposal-based system). Young learners should be motivated to read, learn, and write narratives about their experiences. More reading programs, more funding, and more rethinking of our positionality as a nation in terms of the role of the Filipino language in promoting reading,” he added.</p><div><br/></div><div><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756174268094IMG20250802131231.jpeg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>For Cheeno, while government-led programs are vital, the effort must also begin within Filipino households.</p><p>Cheeno argued that while learning English has its advantages—such as understanding cultures beyond the country’s borders, using stories in English as “windows” to the outside world, and navigating messages in today’s digital age—he still hopes parents will embrace Filipino as their children’s first language. </p><p>“I hope parents today would still be open to teaching Filipino as the first language because this grounds their children and their national identity as Filipino children. Parents should also know that learning Filipino first is <em>not</em> a disadvantage because learning in the mother tongue impacts children’s appreciation of language, literature, and communicative behavior. They would be confident to speak their hearts out in a language that is rooted in their culture and motherland!” he stressed.</p><div><br/></div><div style="text-align:center"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1756174317453tempImage9b9DmT.jpg" style="width:700px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/></div><div><br/></div><p>Ultimately, Cheeno believes that nurturing a love for books written in Filipino can ignite something much bigger—an appreciation for the nation itself.</p><p>“By telling stories about our historical and contemporary cultural experiences in languages (Filipino and regional languages, the children’s mother tongue), we can help children in a more effective and deeper sense, then they can transform into Filipino children who are empowered to nurture a new sense of nationalism. <em>Sa bata at pagkabata magsisimula</em>, and from there, we can rebuild our nation stronger,” he added.</p><p>To know more about Cheeno, you may visit his website at <a href="https://cheenosayuno.com">https://cheenosayuno.com</a><br/><br/>Photos from <strong>Cheeno Sayuno</strong></p>

<p>Buwan ng Wika has always been more than just a celebration of the national language—it’s also a moment to honor Filipinos who tirelessly champion its use. Metro.Style shines the spotlight on one of today’s voices in children’s literature: award-winning author Cheeno Sayuno.</p>

Buwan ng Wika has always been more than just a celebration of the national language—it’s also a moment to honor Filipinos who tirelessly champion its use. Metro.Style shines the spotlight on one of today’s voices in children’s literature: award-winning author Cheeno Sayuno.

How Award-Winning Book 'The Magic Bahag' Led Author Cheeno Sayuno to Champion Filipino Children's Literature

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How Award-Winning Book 'The Magic Bahag' Led Author Cheeno Sayuno to Champion Filipino Children's Literature

Lance Joseph Martinez

Published August 26, 2025 04:35 PM PHT

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Updated August 26, 2025 04:39 PM PHT

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Children's Literature

Palanca Awards

Cheeno Sayuno

Filipino Writer

Filipino Author

Buwan Ng Wika

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