IPO director-general Adrian S. Cristobal Jr, delivered the opening remarks in the morning before over a hundred UMPIL members and guests. IP Philippines director Carmen G. Peralta spoke on issues concerning the Intellectual Property System, while Atty. Louie Andrew C. Calvario discussed copyright and other legal matters that affect writers and publishers.
The distinguished writer, publisher and cultural activist Gilda Cordero Fernando served as the guest speaker at the Gawad Balagtas Rites conducted in the afternoon, when seven outstanding writers were honored for their lifetime contribution to Philippine literature. Each received the distinctive and weighty Gawad Balagtas wooden trophy hand-carved by artist and writer Manuel Baldemor.
One of the honorees, Merlinda Bobis, came from Australia, where she teaches creative writing at the University of Wollongong. Her fellow Bicolano, Luis Cabalquinto, was expected from New York City where he is based, but he had to cancel his homecoming plans at the last minute.
Dr. Mario Miclat served as the moderator for the morning session, while taking his place in the afternoon was Mike Coroza. An intermission number was provided by the Mabuhay Singers.
Apart from the informative discussion and special camaraderie that highlighted the whole-day affair, particularly memorable for the honorees as well as all the attendees were the citations written and read by UMPIL officers. These deserve to be shared.
For Merlinda C. Bobis for Poetry, Fiction and Drama in English:
"For her poetry that bears the song and murmur of a sea wind, that conceals under its breath the crag and gully of a volcano, or the depth of summer, while triangulating the coordinates of Reason, Emotion and Imagination. And for her fiction that executes a dance step between laughter and reflection, like the oracle and offering of a babaylan. On radio, her play aired in Australia has earned her both notices and listeners, while her work as professor and performer has served for many as inspiration and proof that the quality of Filipino artistic talent is equal to any in the world."
For Luis Cabalquinto for Poetry in English:
"For his poetry that adeptly negotiates between the contradictory impulses of home-seeking and wanderlust, unafraid to lift anchor or ballast, while unfurling the sails of his language in the search for what is simply but meaningfully human. His lines are spare and deliberate, inward-looking but worldly-wise, certainly polished by travel but ever redolent of home. Thus his work has seen print not only locally but in respected publications abroad, and in a manner has given notice to that of his other compatriots newly emerging in the international literary scene."
For Florentino H. Hornedo for Essay in English:
"For his penetrating examinations of Filipino culture, history and identity that unearth fresh insights and open inroads into the persisting questions of being Filipino and building a nation. His research and theoretical studies in literature, education, philosophy and social science have constantly provided invaluable direction and guidance for both mentors and younger minds. In his various roles as critic, editor, professor and curator, he has never let go of either rigor or art; truly he is a consummate writer worthy of emulation by future generations."
For Roy C. Iglesias for Screenplay Writing:
"For his screenplays that give flesh and verity to characters who transcend time and place, leading to the creation of moving pictures that shake obsolescent beliefs and manners of looking at people and society. Whether telling the violence of war or violence in the home, the problems of gender or the unfolding of elaborate fantasy, he limns his images with color and verisimilitude, proceeding from a high aesthetic that is the source of integrity of the film narrative. Thus the various honors and good notices for his work here and abroad."
For Arturo M. Padua for Essay in Iluko:
"For his essays that have become part of the daily fare of Ilocanos from the decade of the 1960s to the present, that took up every issue that had to do with the culture, politics and the vision of the Ilocano. As the first president of Gunglo Dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano iti Filipinas, he initiated the organizational strengthening of Ilocano writers to enable them to publish, provide venues for the various forms of Ilocano literature, and make them accessible to compatriots in the United States. His broad networking with writers and journalists in various countries contributed in no small measure to the interests of Ilokano writing."
For Jesus Manuel Santiago for Poetry in Filipino:
"For his poetry that dares to strike a balance between artistic revolution and the art of revolution, that he puts in the vessel of his music and the metaphor of restraint. In the classroom or on the street, his songs and poems are warmly admired, and inspire the passion for change in society. In turn, his passion for his craft he shares in writing workshops, and towards true artistry he has taken the hand of many a young poet. Equally, he is an organizer of writers, artists and cultural workers, and in year 2000 initiated Kulturang Kalye (Street Culture), to return to and awake in the public the love for artistic creation and appreciation for creative work from various sectors of society."
For Michael Tan for Essay in English:
"For his keenly perceptive, image-filled, and sometimes satirical essays, whose clarity of thought invariably brings him to examine the multifarious areas of medicine, anthropology, culture, language, politics, and gender. Extraordinary in his passion for research, he is also committed to ease the understanding of his readers. In his books and weekly newspaper column, he breaks down barriers between the specialized language of science and the integrative speech of literature. He is also a teacher and an active participant in creating a lexicographic repository of Filipino words, to the great benefit of studies in psychology and medical anthropology."
The special Gawad Paz Marquez Benitez given annually to an outstanding professor of literature was awarded to Rustica C. Carpio, for which the citation read:
"For her various and colorful roles as teacher, playwright, artist, critic, and translator, and as a sensitive guide and shaper of the consciousness of a passionate generation of writers. She wrote quietly and completed 24 books that dealt in-depth with the art of the drama and communication, and which became standard references in literature courses. Ultimately remarkable is her work as the teacher who is also artist and writer, who awoke sentiment in the youth to better enable them to contribute in the making of a nation by way of writing with caliber and competence."
UMPIL officers who read the citations were incoming chair Bobby Añonuevo (I had to resign early this year owing to pressure of work), secretary-general Vim Carmelo Nadera, and board directors Becky Añonuevo, Fidel Rillo, Jun Balde, Joey Baquiran and Ruby Gamboa Alcantara. Other UMPIL stalwarts present were vice chair Celine Cristobal, directors Karina Bolasco, Marne Kilates, Wilson Lee Flores and Beverly Siy, as well as UMPIL chair emeriti Dr. Adrian E. Cristobal and Virgilio S. Almario, National Artist for Literature.
Submission of entries is on Sept. 21 and 22. Visitors can drop by the gallery to cast their votes for the People’s Choice award. The awarding rites will be on Sept. 29, while the short-listed entries will be on exhibit from Sept. 25 to Oct. 6.
The entries may be done in oil, watercolor, pen and ink, acrylic, brush and ink, or mixed media in Western or Oriental style. Three-dimensional works are allowed, provided the final product is wall-bound. No specific theme is required. Entries must be original and executed in 2004 to 2006. The complete contest rules can be found at www.maningning.com.
The Maningning Miclat Award for both poetry and painting is named after the late multi-awarded artist, trilingual poet and writer, teacher, and translator. The trilingual poetry competition is held on odd-numbered years while the painting competition is held on even-numbered years.
For information, e-mail acmiclat@yahoo.com or call Liongoren Gallery at 912-4319.