Atienza said three major awards would be given out – the first and highest awards is the Diwa ng Lahi Award, second is the Gat Antonio Villegas Award and the third is the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Awards.
According to the mayor, the awardee for the first category will be chosen from a field of past and present awardees in all categories. The second award will be given to a Filipino artist who continues to promote the legacy of the late Mayor Villegas in the field of arts and culture. The third award has eight categories, including music, film, architecture, sculpture, painting, dance, theater and literature.
To qualify, Atienza said nominees should have contributed to the improvement of the country through his field of art. The artists should have distinguished themselves through research and preservation of culture, promotion and development of traditional art forms or styles and have pioneered in the development of their art.
The mayor also noted that the artists should have also created a significant body of works and displayed excellence in their art form and have promoted the national culture, identity and dignity of the Filipino people through the content and form of their work.
Atienza said the conferment of awards was started in 1963 by the late Mayor Antonio Villegas.
He noted that posthumous awards would be given starting this year.
Deadline for submission of nominations is May 15 and nominations may be submitted to the Manila Tourism and Cultural Affairs Bureau. Inquiries can be made at telephone number 5274084 and 5275185. – Cecille Suerte Felipe