CEBU, Philippines – Grace D. Chong, the award-winning author of more than 50 devotional and children's books already knew she was destined to become a writer very early in life. She started scribbling random words on her baby book at the age of five, and from then on never stopped writing. But it was only in 1999 that she took her gift for writing seriously. With the encouragement of friends and officemates, she joined the Palanca Awards and her story "The Boy Who Had Five Lolas" won the top prize for best short story, children category.
In 2000, when she retired from her VP job in an advertising company, she wrote the book "Half and Half," about a boy named Mateo. It gave birth to the "Oh Mateo" series which has now 15 books in publication by OMF literature.
The "Oh Mateo" series tells the story of a boy who never grows up, his adventures and misadventures and the lessons he learns from each. The character is named after Chong's father and her brother. "Quiet Time With Mateo" is now serialized in Kidstuff of The Freeman Lifestyle every Sunday.
Grace Chong shares that when she's not writing, she is reading. She also teaches marketing and advertising twice a week at an international university in Manila. She is married to a fellow writer whom she once worked with in the United States; they have three successful children who also write. Her son, who is a lawyer, has also won a few Palancas for essay.
Chong vows to write books of inspiration, devotion, relationship and values for children and families until her last breath. As an author, she never takes credit for all the brilliant books she has written but owes everything to God's Grace.