Last Saturday, January 12, 2008, storytellers converged at the Gaisano Mall Spazio for the first TaleCraft Story-Creation Contest. TaleCraft creator Ria Lu was on hand to introduce the card game to interested participants and passers-by. Also present to facilitate the event were her sisters Marie and Maita. Gwing and Ria were also there as volunteers.

Before the event started the participants already practiced their skills by playing the game against each other. And when competition time arrived, they were all ready to compete with their com-competitors in their respective tables. Marie, Ria, and Gwing all served as judges in the elimination round. From Table 1, Ria picked Therese Patricia Yucamco as the best story teller. From Table 2, Gwing picked Javin Jet Tevar. Marie picked both Kelly Marie Conlon and Raymond Palayon to join the finals.

For the final round, Josie Tejada, Margot Marfori, Jhoanna Cruz, and Macario Tiu of the Davao Writers’ Guild judged who among the four finalists would be given the honor as the first TaleCraft Champion of Davao City.

The finalists presented their final stories twice. First sitting down in an intimate story-telling session with the judges. Then, relating their story to the rest of the audience. All finalists had to weave a story using the same set of cards.

Therese, a BS Architecture major at UP Mindanao emerged as the winner with her Historical Fiction about the “real” story behind the foundation of the Katipunan. She bested the three other finalists who were all either AB Creative Writing or AB English Literature majors. Second place winner was Kelly, and 3rd placer was Raymond.