Nora: In the heart of Pinoys, I am an artist

MANILA, Philippines - Breaking her silence, movie superstar Nora Aunor yesterday admitted feeling hurt over being snubbed for the National Artist award.

 But she expressed gratitude for the expressions of support and said she was happy to see that in the heart of Filipinos, she is seen as an artist.

“I admit that I was hurt by the incident. But the outpouring of support that I saw and felt from my kababayans – those people I worked with in the industry, my fans, friends, priests and nuns, teachers and others from the academy, from the media, national artists, ordinary citizens here and abroad – is enough for me to feel that even if I did not get any trophy or was not recognized by those in power, in the hearts of my kababayans I am an artist,” the veteran actress said in a statement.

“I would like to say thank you to all the people who have supported me and continue to support me on this issue regarding the National Artist Awards,” she added.

She said the honor given to her by the Filipino people is more valuable than being declared a National Artist.

Aunor also assured the public that she continues to hone her craft in acting to please them.

She said the people who believe in her inspire her to improve her skills, make her work harder and make her a better and dignified Filipino citizen.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) legal counsel Trixie Cruz-Angeles assured Aunor they understood her sentiments.

“We reassure (Aunor) that on our part, NCCA and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) were the ones who recommended her name as a National Artist. So while we feel for her, we stand by our decision that we would recommend her and let us (see) what future actions can be taken to address this kind of situation,” she said.

She said they are considering re-submitting Aunor’s name to Malacañang. However, she said the move has yet to be agreed upon and voted by the NCCA’s board of commissioners and the CCP’s board of trustees.

“Usually the cycle of the National Artists is every two to three years, so the joint NCCA and CCP boards would still have to decide whether they would submit right away or submit in the next cycle, so without that decision we still do not know,” she added.

Only Aunor was excluded from the list submitted by the NCCA and the CCP to Malacañang.

President Aquino on June 20 declared six outstanding Filipinos as national artists. They are Alice Reyes (dance), Francisco Coching (visual arts), Cirilo Bautista (literature), Francisco Feliciano (music), Ramon Santos (music) and Jose Maria Zaragoza (architecture, design and allied arts).