Second Mate Keft Sobredo, former Editor-In-Chief (EIC) of The Dolphin, won first prize for his entry "Anaw" in the Short Story - Hiligaynon category of the 73rd Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature contest last October 19.
"Anaw" follows Jay's life onboard, told from Bert's point of view. The main characters's life was inspired by a real-life company mate of 2/M Sobredo nicknamed "Timoy" who is an Able-Bodied Seaman (AB), a husband, and a father just like Jay.
He wrote this story with a goal of putting light and showing a different perspective on the lives of seafarers.
"If I will not write this, the Palanca will never have a story in its entire history that is truthful to seafaring, our profession, written by someone who is also a seafarer," 2/M Sobredo expressed.
He started submitting his stories with themes about seafarering at Palanca since 2023. Two years ago, he passed a collection of English poems, and last year, he began to write short stories.
Notably, 2/M Sobredo is a 2014 graduate of this university and has ever since worked with Maersk. He is also a multi-awarded writer and speaker.
He is set to attend the awards ceremony on November 26, 2025, at Manila Polo Club, Makati City.
Pubmat by Mdpn. Joshua Tanciano
Photo from 2/M Keft Sobredo's Facebook account