Rene O. Villanueva (September 1954–December 2007) was a Filipino Dramatist and Children's Story Writer who made his mark in Philippine Literature in the late 1970s and well into the first decade of the 21st century. He had a remarkable contribution to Filipino culture as shown in his prolific output which generates continuing interest in his plays and books for young people. Villanueva was born in La Loma, Quezon City and studied in public schools, the Lyceum of the Philippines, and the University of the Philippines. As a young person, he already had the inclination to the arts, telling stories to playmates and winning in national school writing contests. In college, he was active in the theater as a writer and as a performer. Later when he got into the writing workshop circuit, he joined the literary group Galian sa Arte at Tula (GAT) to learn from veteran writers. In a children's literature workshop, he stood out as a fellow, and critic National Artist Virgilio S. Almario recognized his writerly gifts. His drama auspiciously began in 1978 with "Entreswelo" and "Pag-ibig ni Mariang Makiling" which won an award in the playwriting workshop, Palihang Aurelio Tolentino. Then in 1980, he won his first Palanca Award with the one-act play "Kumbersasyon" and from then on his pen did not falter a beat. He came out with memorable dramatic works like "May Isang Sundalo"(1981), "Sigwa" (1984), "Botong" (1990), "Kalantiaw" (1994), "Dobol" (1994) and "Watawat" (1999). Villanueva's stories for children garnered prestigious prizes, including Palanca Award-winning works like "Bertdey ni Guido" (1989), "Ang Unang Baboy sa Langit" (1990), "Tungkung Langit at Alunsina"(1990), "Nemo, Ang Batang Papel" (1992), and "Tatlong Ungas" (1999). For his pioneering contribution to local children's literature, Villanueva was nominated by the Philippine Board on Books for Young People (PBBY) to the 2002 Hans Christian Andersen Award for Children's Writer, the most prestigious international recognition in the field of writing for children. He is the first Filipino writer to have been nominated to the award. His indomitable spirit as a writer, teacher and cultural worker found him travelling all over the country to share his views on children's welfare, creative writing, curriculum enrichment, and teaching materials development.

Luna Sicat-Cleto was born on January 29, 1967. She completed her AB in 1990 and her MA in 1999. The daughter of distinguished writers—Ellen Sicat won important awards while the late Rogelio Sicat remains to be one of the most remarkable fictionists in Philippine literature—Luna has garnered several literary awards of her own, including the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award for her short stories, essays, poems, and stories for children; the Gawad CCP for one-act play; and the Gawad Chancellor for her literary work. In 2005, she won the Madrigal-Gonzalez Best First Book Award for Makinilyang Altar, published by the University of the Philippines Press. Her works have also been recognized as integral to the development of the tradition of women's writing in the country. She is a professor at the Department of Filipino and Philippine Literature at the University of the Philippines, Diliman, where she is currently working on her Ph.D in Malikhaing Pagsulat. (http://www.panitikan.com.ph/authors/s...)

Natasha Vizcarra is a freelance science writer and editor who has contributed to Forests News, Landscape News, Science Findings, and High Country News. She was a writer, assistant editor and eventually editor for Sensing Our Planet: NASA Earth Science Research Features for ten years. As a journalist in the Philippines, her work appeared in the Philippine Daily Inquirer, the Philippine Graphic Magazine, the Sunday Inquirer Magazine, the Philippines Free Press, the Union of Catholic Asian News and the Associated Press. Natasha is also known in the Philippines as an award-winning children’s book author and an award-winning children’s magazine editor. Natasha earned a B.A. in Communication (major in Journalism) and an M.A. in English Studies (major in Creative Writing) from the University of the Philippines, and a masters’ degree in Education (major in Environmental Education) from the University of Minnesota Duluth. She also provides writing and editing services to Philippine and international nonprofit organizations, universities and corporate clients. She lives in the Boulder-Denver area.