Palanca Awards returns, honors nearly 60 writers

By Alvin I. Dacanay

December 2, 2022 120

WINNING WRITERS (Foreground, from left) The Carlos Palanca Foundation’s Carlos Palanca 4th, Sylvia Palanca-Quirino, Criselda ‘Dang’ Cecilio-Palanca, Carl Anthony Palanca and Nemesia Bermejo pose for photos with the winners of the 70th Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (background) in Bonifacio Global City, Taguig City on Wednesday, Nov. 30, 2022. PHOTO BY JOHN RYAN BALDEMOR

THE Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature ended its two-year hiatus on Wednesday night with its 70th edition honoring nearly 60 writers, including a broadcast journalist, a prize-winning independent filmmaker and a Bacolod-based poet-lawyer.

On the sidelines of the awarding ceremony in Taguig City, Criselda "Dang" Cecilio-Palanca of awards sponsor Carlos Palanca Foundation told The Manila Times that seeing Filipino writers at the annual literary gathering "happy to be here, to see each other again" was "really heartwarming."

"We were just waiting" for the coronavirus pandemic to end, she said of the foundation's "big decision" to not hold the awards in 2020 and 2021 — when state-mandated quarantines and physical distancing measures were enforced to limit Covid-19's spread — "because we knew that the writers always looked forward to this."

"Thank God that [the awards are] back," she added.

In her speech, Cecilio-Palanca said that out of 1,455 literary works submitted this year, 56 received prizes, and of the 59 writers who won, 28 were first-timers. One of them was television journalist Atom Araullo, who clinched first prize for his essay "Letter from Tawi-Tawi," which was first published on GMA News Online on August 5.

The essay is the text version of a documentary he and his colleagues made earlier this year, about an educator who visits children in their homes to teach them — and by extension, their parents — in a province where illiteracy is high and the residents are prone to manipulation and misinformation.

He told reporters he had almost finished writing the essay — partly out of a worry it would soon lose currency, especially after the May 2022 elections — when the Palanca Awards announced its return this year. He said he submitted it as a "personal challenge," adding that he "never imagined in a hundred years that I would make it to the awards."

Like most new recipients of the prize, Araullo, who counts journalist and novelist Ernest Hemingway as an inspiration, considers his win a "great validation."

Also big winners this year were Khavn and Raymundo T. Pandan Jr., whose "ANTIMARCOS" and "Bittersweetland" nabbed the grand prize in the Novel in Filipino and English categories, respectively.

A previous winner for poetry in 1997 and futuristic fiction in 2001, Khavn scored his third Palanca for a work described in Filipino in a blurb from one category judge, performance poet Victor Emmanuel Carmelo "Vim" Nadera Jr., as "a prolonged cry of opposition to the return of the Marcoses in the Philippine government."

Upon accepting his prize, the maverick director of the Gawad Urian-winning "Balangiga: Howling Wilderness" gave an impromptu, rap-style acceptance speech that paid tribute to Ericson Acosta, the activist-author reportedly killed in a military operation in Negros Occidental province earlier on Wednesday.

Pandan, who earlier won for poetry in 2006 and poetry for children in 2012, dedicated his latest work on an October 31 Facebook post "for Negros, for its people, for the crop which sustains us, and which we must sustain to endure but also to find joy in our bittersweet lives."

The former law dean of University of Saint La Salle in Bacolod said he first began writing the first draft in 1984, completed it the following year and edited it for this year's competition almost at the last minute.

The ceremony's guest of honor was University of the Philippines professor emeritus and scholar Dr. Nicanor G. Tiongson, who, in his speech, urged his fellow writers to create works that fearlessly expose wrongdoing and oppose abuse of power.

"Tandaan na ang mga akda na ginagawa natin ay makakatulong para mapalaya ang ating mga kababayan ang kanilang sarili sa bakal na kamay ng mga kawal ng kasinungalingan (Remember that the works we create would help free our countrymen from the iron hand of the forces of falsehood)," Tiongson said.

"At sa kanilang paglaya, unti-unting maglalaho ang buwang ng kamangmangahan na naghahati sa atin at ating mga kapatid, at sama-sama nating mabubuo ang gintong lipunan ng pakikipagkapwa sa tinubuang lupa (And once they're free, the ignorance dividing us from our brethren would gradually vanish and we'll form together that golden society of fellowship in our homeland)," he continued.

Regarded as the country's counterpart of the United States' Pulitzer Prize, the Palanca Awards was named after business and philanthropist Carlos Palanca Sr., and established in 1951. It aims to cultivate Philippine literature by providing incentives for writers and serving as a treasury of their works.

Here is the full list of winners:

KABATAAN DIVISION

KABATAAN SANAYSAY. First prize: Glorious Zavannah Exylin C. Alesna, "Pamimintana." Second prize: Hansly Kendrich C. Saw, "Ang Larong Naipanalo Ko." Third prize: John Clarence D. Espedido, "Mga Bantas ang Nagsilbi kong Guro."

KABATAAN ESSAY. First prize: Glorious Zahara Exylin C. Alesna, "Home is a Bowl of Warm Soup." Second prize: Jenine A. Santos, "Covid-19 is My Alter Ego." Third prize: Gavin Micah T. Herrera, "The Social Pandemic."

FILIPINO DIVISION

MAIKLING KUWENTO. First prize: Charmaine M. Lasar, "Ang Value ng X Kapag Choppy si Mam." Second prize: Abegail E. Pariente, "Barangay Alitaptap." Third prize: Alec Joshua B. Paradeza, "Kung sa Bawat Pagtawag ay Pagtawid sa Dagat."

MAIKLING KUWENTONG PAMBATA. First prize: Mark Norman S. Boquiren, "Si VeRaptor1 Laban kay Trolakuz." Second prize: Wilfredo Farrales Sarangaya, "Balong Batsit, ang Bidang Bulilit at Bayaning Bulinggit." Third prize: Benedick N. Damaso, "Mirasol para kay Lola Sol."

SANAYSAY. First prize: Venice Kayla Dacanay Delica, "Kung Magkapalad Ka't Mangmang." Second prize: Jhon Lester P. Sandigan, "Tatlong Pancit Canton." Third prize: Nathaniel R. Alcantara, "Isang Dekadang Kontrata sa Piling ng mga Mikrobyo."

TULA. First prize: Ralph Lorenz G. Fonte, M.D., "Uyayi ng mga Patay na Buwan." Second prize: Enrique S. Villasis, "Pintula." Third prize: Sonny C. Sendon, "Mga Anino sa Guho at iba pang mga tula."

TULA PARA SA MGA BATA. First prize: Christian R. Vallez, "Tula, Tula, Paano ka Ginawa?" Second prize: Rebecca T. Añonuevo, "Ang Bangbang." Third prize: Ninia H. dela Cruz, "Mga Pahina sa Alaala ng Nanay."

DULANG MAY ISANG YUGTO. First prize: Andrew Bonifacio L. Clete, "Punks Not Dead." Second prize: Layeta P. Bucoy, "Dance of the Foolies." Third prize: Ryan Machado, "Huling Haraya nina Ischia at Emeteria."

DULANG GANAP ANG HABA. First prize: Joshua Lim So, "Mga Silid ng Unos: Tomo Uno." Second prize: Rodolfo C. Vera, "Anak Datu." Third prize: Steven Prince C. Fernandez, "Badung."

DULANG PAMPELIKULA. First prize: Avelino Mark C. Balmes Jr., "Amoy Pulbos." Second prize: Noreen Besmar Capili, "DOS." Third prize: Ehdison M. Dimen, "Ang Pananalangin sa Getsemani."

NOBELA. Grand prize: Khavn, "ANTIMARCOS." Special prize: Edgar Calabia Samar, "Teorya ng Unang Panahon."

REGIONAL DIVISION

SHORT STORY, CEBUANO. First prize: Noel P. Tuazon, "Barang." Second prize: Manu Avenido, "Ikigal." Third prize: Januar E. Yap, "John Wayne ug ang Goldfish kong Inahan."

SHORT STORY, HILIGAYNAN. First prize: Peter Solis Nery, "Ang Macatol Kag Ang 'Queen of Relief.'" Second prize: Early Sol A. Gadong, "Malipayon nga Katapusan." Third prize: Ritchie D. Pagunsan, "Esperanza."

SHORT STORY, ILOKANO. First prize: Oswald Ancheta Valente, "Ti Kimat Ken Ti Silag." Second prize: Remedios S. Tabelisma-Aguillon, "Ti Ubing." Third prize: Rodolfo D. Agatep Jr., "Karton."

ENGLISH DIVISION

SHORT STORY. First prize: Ian Rosales Casocot, "Ceferina in Apartment 2G." Second prize: Exie Abola, "Ardor." Third prize: Hammed Bolotaolo, "The Money Changer."

SHORT STORY FOR CHILDREN. First prize: No winner. Second prize: Elyrah L. Salanga-Torralba, "Cloud Keeper." Third prize: Heather Ann Ferrer Pulido, "My Grandma Who Lives in Half a House."

ESSAY. First prize: Alfonso Tomas P. Araullo, "Letter from Tawi-Tawi." Second prize: Michaela Sarah de Leon, "Filipino Millennial Monomyth." Third prize: Alexandra Francesca A. Bichara, "The Helmsman's Daughter."

POETRY. First prize: Ramil Digal Gulle, "Bol-anon Prodigal." Second prize: Soleil David, "A Few Dawns from now, A Sunfish." Third prize: Lawrence Anthony R. Bernabe, "The Blueline."

POETRY WRITTEN FOR CHILDREN. First prize: Elyrah L. Salanga-Torralba, "An Empty Chair in the Corner." Second prize: Peter Solis Nery, "Picnic, Symphony and other concepts of a 4th Grader needs to know." Third prize: No winner.

ONE-ACT PLAY. First prize: Ronald S. Covar, "The Cave Dwellers." Second prize: Bonifacio P. Ilagan, "Salvaged Eman." Third prize: Maria Kristine B. Roxas-Miller, "Agencia Feliz."

FULL-LENGTH PLAY. First prize: Layeta P. Bucoy, "Orgullo Compound." Second prize: Jay Mariano Crisostomo 4th, "Black Bordello." Third prize: Dustin Edward D. Celestino, "The Lost Filipino Patriots of America."

NOVEL. Grand prize: Raymundo T. Pandan Jr., "Bittersweetland." Special prize: Alvin dela Serna Lopez, "1762.