A celebration of evocation

The round tables were made to fit a dozen instead of the usual 10 guests. The aisles became much narrower as more tables were set up at the Rigodon Ballroom of the Manila Peninsula Hotel, the customary venue for Palanca Awards Night. All with reason. On Sept. 1, 2010, the most prestigious literary contest in the country marked its 60th year.

Guest of honor was the eminent, elegantly silver-haired Greg Brillantes, who delivered a speech that would likely be discussed among literary circles, provocative as its thesis was: basically that there is no need to rule out any language that Filipino writers use as being only that of the “power elite.”

National Artist for Literature Frankie Sionil Jose listened intently, only deigning to directly address the speaker once when a technical glitch kept depriving him of the elite power of the microphone: “Ayaw sayo!”

We’re that kind of joshing family, anyway. Make that a community, as Sylvia Palanca-Quirino stressed in her own remarks. 

“We have stood together for 60 years now. We have celebrated this awards night together since that first historic affair held on Sept. 1, 1951, when we initially honored the best among our writers.

“It began as a tribute to the memory of our grandfather, Carlos Palanca Sr., who lent inspiration for what has become a revered institution for our country and our literature. It was his heirs, our father Carlos Palanca Jr. and his siblings, who institutionalized this tribute — and the tradition continues to be honored by our present chairman, Carlos Palanca III.    

“The 60 years of the Palanca Awards have involved three generations, fittingly enough, and have now begun to involve the fourth generation.

“What started as a simple short story contest has since expanded to embrace practically all of the known literary genres, so much so that Palanca prizes are now received for a total of 22 categories, inclusive of regional languages besides the two main divisions of Filipino and English. To date, 832 writers with a total of 1,994 winning works have been honored.

“We have all become part of a larger sphere of strength and tradition. We have become a community. And we all feel proud to belong to this continually expanding network that is the Palanca community.

“We are not talking here simply of the Palanca family. It has gone beyond our lineage and blood kinship, beyond our family and company — to now include, throughout the past 60 years, the Palanca community of gifted Filipino writers, indeed, our best and brightest.

“... Each year, young writers undergo this rite of passage. By dint of creativity and courage, they gain entry into the Palanca community. Each year there is also manifested a balance of the old and the new. These are what mark our growth together while undertaking a strong and beautiful course of endeavor.

“The Palanca Awards have seen growth. So has the spirit behind it. So have the parameters and paradigms. Joined together, the Palanca community keeps evolving in the healthiest manner.

“There is no stopping this growth and evolution, for it is the very memory, the very imagination, the very spirit, and the actual history of our race that we commend and celebrate year after year.

“May we continue to grow even more meaningfully into an even stronger, even more beautiful community. 

“On our 60th year, it is my honor to say this: Thank you all for being part of our Palanca community.” 

Why, you’re most welcome, Sylvia.

By the by, was she deeply moved when Hall-of-Famer and Philippine STAR columnist Isagani Cruz surprised her and the Palanca family with copies of a specially printed volume of works by Palanca Hall of Fame awardees, now numbering 22. 

Sept. 1, 1968 was when I first attended the awards night, then held at the Coral Ballroom of the Manila Hilton, with a gorgeous Imelda R. Marcos as special guest. Heck, it’s been 42 years since. I’ve only missed out on the first 18. That means I’m one of those who may be called post-debutantes. 

I remember certain years when the awards rites went out of the ordinary, as during a stormy night when we squeezed into a small hall of the then corporate headquarters of ... hmm, wait, let me squeeze it out of my capacious memory banks ... La Tondeña? Was that on Arlegui St. off Quiapo, now a Palanca St. in Manila and not the one in Makati? Basta, masaya pa rin.

Or that night when most of us stood to raise fists and sing Bayan Ko, with guest of honor Cardinal Sin looking on sternly but approvingly. Somehow I remember the year: 1984.

A number of primus inter pares members of our Palanca community we now miss: Franz Arcellana, Nick Joaquin, Adrian Cristobal, Freddie Salanga, A.B. Battung, among others. But their sons, daughters and granddaughters have taken their place.

We used to be able to smoke right around our tables and close to the open bar. Now we have to slide away to the side garden, thankfully close enough behind the buffet tables, near which Jimmy Abad and I always sagaciously select a table.

Last Monday, we were joined (around the table and not in the smokers’ garden) by Essay judge Susan Lara, Poetry judge, Philippine STAR columnist and fellow Atenean dementor Danton Remoto, Kabataan Essay judge (for both Filipino and English) Karina Bolasco, Beaulah Taguiwalo who was one of my two co-judges for Short Story for Children, her loving spouse and my dear buddy Mario Taguiwalo, Full-Length Play judge Nes Jardin, Dulang May Isang Yugto judge Dennis Marasigan, Tony Hidalgo and Jing Pantoja-Hidalgo, and our buddy from Davao Ricky de Ungria, premier poet. (One-Act Play judge Ricky Davao was at another table, close to the stage where Vim Nadera served in stentorian fashion as monster of ceremonies.)

 In any case, Ric de U.’s presence made Poetry judge Jim and me very happy, as we seldom see him these days, except when he comes over to try to restore order in Intramuros, that is, at the NCCA or National Commission for Culture & the Arts. 

Eagle-eyed as always, my compadre Ric spotted a figure in the distance and announced that the great epic poet (and Poetry judge) Cirilo Bautista had just walked in. Hey, that would make it a reunion for the Four Whoresmen of the Apocalypso — a.k.a. D’Orig PLAC, minus dear departed Freddie.

The numbers can be quite overwhelming on Palanca Night. So are the faces old and new, and the names one can only attempt to attach to them if Lady Marmalade a.k.a

Mnemosyne shows up. Thus, this chronicler can only namedrop that part of the community that was on our side of the ballroom. Can’t dance with everyone, right? 

This year no one gained entry to the Hall of Fame. But a good majority of the winners were first-timers, and so very young. Notable too was that the distaff side seemed to have dominated certain categories, such as for the regular Short Story and the Essay, as well as for the Short Story for Children — where Beaulah, Dina Ocampo and I selected Irene Carolina Sarmiento, Hiyasmin Ledi Mattison and Grace Chiong as the winners.

Our first-prize winner Irene turned out to be the daughter of our good friend and perennial short fiction winner Menchu Sarmiento. It wasn’t Irene’s first Palanca; she had topped the now defunct Futuristic Fiction category several years ago. 

Franz’s granddaughter Corinna Esperanza Arcellana Nuqui won third prize in the Essay. She was chaperoned by our comadre and daily Net correspondent Grace Montederamos Arcellana, better half of compadre Juaniyo who was a no-show, likely because he was prepping up for another live TV coverage of the FIBA World Championships in Turkey, which has been keeping us both up till 4 a.m.

Another no-show was buddy Butch Dalisay, who texted to say it was because he was already diligently executing his next Philippine STAR column that very night. (At Metrowalk’s casino, I wonder?)

A double-winner was the precocious 18-year-old Miro Capili, daughter of our friend Ross Capili the painter non-pareil. Miro was a fellow at the Silliman University National Writers Workshop last May in Dumaguete. But Susan, Jimmy and I may not be able to claim any credit for enhancing her natural gift of craft, since she already won first prize in the Kabataan Essay last year. This time she repeated that feat, then capped it by also topping the regular Essay category. Not bad for a jejemon babe who can dance in jejespeak, jeje. 

I was also quite elated that a former stude in my Ateneo poetry workshop class, the stud Rafael “Waps” San Diego, won second prize in Poetry with a collection I managed to go through after the great news, titled “My Name in Reverse.” Third-placer in that category with “Latitudes & Other Poems” was Joel Vega, whom I last saw in Rotterdam several years ago. I believe he’s still based there, which explains his absence last Wednesday. Bagging first prize was our decades-old buddy from Dumaguete, now based in Tacloban where she teaches: Merlie Alunan with “Tales of the Spiderwoman.” 

Let us end this celebration of evocation that’s the fine lot of everyone in the Palanca community with an excerpt from one of Merlie’s winning poems, titled “Woman of Many Words”:

“Still her words came, an endless joyous rain,/ he swam in its flood, he filled his mouth/ with them, and still she loved him and loved him,/ her words flooded his mind and stole his sleep.”

Filipino Division

Dulang Pampelikula

1st – Kristoffer G. Brugada (Patikul)

2nd – Jerry B. Gracio (Magdamag)

3rd – No Winner

Dulang Ganap ang Haba

1st – No Winner

2nd – Liza C. Magtoto (Rated PG)

3rd – Christian R. Vallez (Kapeng Barako Club: Samahan ng mga Bitter)

Dulang May Isang Yugto

1st – Nicolas B. Pichay (Isang Araw sa Karnabal)

2nd – Floy C. Quintos (Suor Clara)

3rd – Allan B. Lopez (Higit Pa Dito)

Kabataan Sanaysay

1st – Christopher S. Rosales (Gulayan Klasrum)

2nd – Marianito L. Dio Jr. (Ang Aking Pangalan, Ang Aking Kababata at ang Mithing Tilamsik para kay Third)

Tula

1st – Carlos M. Piocos III (Guerra Cantos)

2nd ^— Romulo P. Baquiran Jr. (Parokya)

3rd – Mark Anthony S. Angeles (Engkantado)

Tulang Pambata

3rd – Will P. Ortiz (May Puso Ang Saging)

Maikling Kwento

1st – No Winner

2nd – Rommel B. Rodriguez (Toxic)

3rd – Thomas David F. Chavez (Sa Kabilang Lupalop ng Mahiwagang Kaharian)

Maikling Kwentong Pambata

1st – Christopher S. Rosales (Si Berting, ang Batang Uling)

2nd – Renerio R. Concepcion (Ang Kagilagilalas na Paglalakbay nina Mumo at Am-I)

3rd – Bernadette V. Neri (Parada ng mga Alingawngaw)

Sanaysay

1st – Maria Clarissa N. Estuar (Ang Reyna ng mga Tumbong)

2nd – Ferdinand P. Jarin (D’Pol Pisigan Band)

3rd – Mark Gil M. Caparros (Sina Bunso at ang mga Batang Preso)

English Division

Full-length Play

1st – Jay Crisostomo IV (God of the Machine)

2nd – Jorshinelle Taleon-Sonza (The Encounter)

3rd – Lito Casaje (Shooting the Boys)

One-act Play

1st – No Winner

2nd – No Winner

3rd – Peter Solis Nery (The Wide Ionian Sea)

Short Story

1st – Ma. Elena L. Paulma (Three Kisses)

2nd – Ma. Rachelle Tesoro (Waiting for Rain)

3rd – Catherine Rose Galang Torres (Café Masala)

Short Story for Children

1st – Irene Carolina A. Sarmiento (Tabon Girl)

2nd – Hiyasmin Ledi C. Mattison (Little Bear Goes Home: A Love Story)

3rd – Grace D. Chong (I am an Apple)

Poetry

1st – Merlie M. Alunan (Tales of the Spiderwoman)

2nd ^— Rafael Antonio C. San Diego (My Name in Reverse)

3rd – Joel H. Vega (Latitudes and Other Poems)

Poetry for Children

1st – Duffie Alejandrino H. Osental (After the Storm and Other Poems)

2nd – Patricia Marie Grace S. Gomez (Poems from the Pantry and Prehistoric Times)

3rd – Ma. Celine Anastasia P. Socrates (Playgrounds)

Essay

1st – Miro Frances D. Capili (Vinyl)

2nd – Florianne Marie L. Jimenez (Postcards from Somewhere)

3rd – Corinna Esperanza A. Nuqui (Library)

Kabataan Essay

1st – Miro Frances D. Capili (The Nature of Nurture)

2nd ^— Anton Raphael S. Cabalza (A Shot at Perfection)

3rd – Catherine D. Tan (Green at Heart)

Regional Division

Short Story – Cebuano

1st – Richel G. Dorotan (Si Tarzan)

2nd ^— Jonecito R. Saguban (Tinuboang Sapatos)

3rd – Noel P. Tuazon (Patas)

Short Story – Iluko

1st – Sherma E. Benosa (Dagiti Pasugnod ni Angelo)

2nd – Ariel S. Tabag (Voice Tape)

3rd – Joel B. Manuel (Apo Bannual! Apo Bannual!)

Short Story – Hiligaynon

1st – Andy P. Perez (Bayuso)

2nd – Ferdinand L. Balino (Dumdumon Ko Ang Imo Guya)

3rd – Jesus C. Insilada, Ed. D. (Walingwaling)