Mona Liza Santos will be recognized at San Diego Magazine’s Celebrating Women Awards on November 4, 2026, an event honoring women whose leadership, creativity, and contributions are making an impact throughout the San Diego community.

As a 2026 Celebrating Women finalist, Mona Liza is being recognized for her work as a children’s author, publisher, educator, and founder of World Love Press. Her work focuses on children’s literature, emotional literacy, kindness, cultural identity, confidence, and creating meaningful connections with families and communities.

For Mona, this recognition is especially meaningful because it comes from the community she calls home. It represents not only her growth as an author and entrepreneur, but also her commitment to using storytelling and intentional kindness to create a lasting positive impact for children and families.

TOFA Awardee 2026

Interviewed about how travel, life experiences, and motherhood shaped the stories she creates for young readers around the world. Mona Liza Santos will be honored as a 2026 recipient of The Outstanding Filipino Awards (TOFA) on October 24, 2026, at the Terry Theater at the Jacksonville Center for the Performing Arts in Jacksonville, Florida. Recognized as a California-based children’s author of more than 40 books and the founder of National Intentional Kindness Day, Mona Liza is being celebrated for her work in children’s literature, kindness, emotional literacy, cultural identity, and community impact.

For Mona Liza Santos, this recognition represents more than an award. It reflects a growing legacy of helping children feel valued, confident, proud of who they are, and inspired to become kind and resilient individuals. It also honors her Filipino American heritage and her commitment to creating meaningful books and initiatives that positively impact children, families, and communities.

Kwento at Kulay (Story and Color)

One of the most meaningful milestones in Mona Liza Santos' journey as a children's author took place in July 11, 2026, when she became the first Filipino children's author to launch Seafood City's inaugural , Kwento at Kulay (Story and Color) family literacy program at the company's Chula Vista location.

As the first interactive storytelling partnership of its kind at Seafood City, Kwento at Kulay transformed a traditional book signing into an engaging family literacy experience. Centered around Mona's award-winning children's book, The Filipino in Me, the program featured live read alouds, interactive activities, creativity, cultural pride, and meaningful family connection.

Families registered through Seafood City's official SFC+ mobile app, while shoppers, neighboring businesses, and members of the community paused to enjoy the story as it unfolded. The event demonstrated that children's books can create meaningful moments wherever families naturally gather, including places many people would never expect, such as a neighborhood grocery store.

Following the event, Seafood City's Events and Marketing Associate, Jean Eloise Claudio, shared:

"Thank you once again for a wonderful event! It's the first ever Kwento at Kulay, so you pioneered the start of Filipino authors at Seafood City! Seafood City Chula Vista's staff emphasized how wonderful you were to work with, and that it was a very smooth and well-crafted event. We look forward to continuing this partnership."

The partnership reflected a shared commitment to making literacy more accessible while celebrating Filipino culture, family connection, and community engagement. For Mona, the experience reinforced a belief that has guided her work from the very beginning.

Children's books belong everywhere. They belong in libraries and classrooms, but they also belong in grocery stores, museums, bookstores, shopping centers, community festivals, and every place where families naturally gather.

Every event Mona creates is designed to be more than a book signing. Her goal is to provide an engaging experience where children discover the joy of reading, families create lasting memories, and communities come together through storytelling, kindness, emotional literacy, and cultural pride.