INSIDE THE PALANCA (September 07, 2009)

After agreeing to emcee the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature awarding ceremonies, the first thing we got was a call reminding us to stick to the script.

National Artist Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera was chosen to be the guest speaker, so why worry?

Well, right before his speech last September 1 at the Manila Peninsula's Rigodon Ballroom, in came Mr. Carlo J. Caparas, one of the judges in Dulang Pampelikula.

Dr. Lumbera congratulated the deserving winners whom he compared with the recently proclaimed National Artists – including CJC who won for Visual Arts and Film but was criticized by the former since the latter's nomination was rejected twice during two deliberations at the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

Their verbal jousts in both print and broadcast media unconsciously alerted us to quickly proceed with caution to Mrs. Sylvia Palanca-Quirino and Carl Anthony Palanca conferring Dr. Lumbera the Gawad Dangal ng Lahi.

With no ad lib, we segued to Mrs. Palanca-Quirino for her message as the Carlos Palanca Foundation's Director General.

But, mounting tension filled the air, when all of a sudden, we saw CJC stand a few meters away from the elevated stage as if waiting for his turn to rebutt Dr. Lumbera's argument earlier: “Ang dangal na dulot ng parangal ay hindi laging kanais-nais. Kailangang malinis ang kamay ng nag-aalay nito. At walang ginawang manipulasyon ang tatanggap upang magkamit ng karangalan. Ang burak ng transaksiyong politikal ang nagpapamura sa dangal na tinatanggap at tumatanggap na rin.”Deus ex machina took us by surprise.

In the form of journalist Alma Anonas who ambushed CJC for a longish interview!

Then, without further ado, we went on to introduce the judges and the judged!
Two of our colleagues from the University of the Philippines -- Reuel Aguila and Eugene Evasco – made the Hall of Fame Awardees 22, all in all, since 1995.

However, the Hall of Famer of Hall of Famers was the indefatigable Edgardo Maranan, who bagged two more first prizes: one for his essay entitled A Passage Through The Storm and another one for his poetry collection written for children called The Google Song and Other Rhymes for Children. Richelle Ann Lim and Mica Roi Torre, shared the spotlight with the veterans -- Alex Cortez, Ricky Davao, Robert Sena, Soxy Topacio, and Lou Veloso -- who acted in Dennis Teodosio's Asunto. The two kids read the 33rd-time Palanca Awardee's poems with other buenamanos in English (namely Heidi Abad and Frank Peňones) and in Filipino (like Evasco, Jess Santiago, and Mike Coroza) – who did a Balagtasan sa Radyo with Teo Antonio and us, last Saturday over DZMM's Radyo Patrol Sais Trenta for the show Pasada Sais Trenta Sabado hosted by Henry Omaga-Diaz and Nina Corpuz. We eventually learned that it was also simulcast over DZMM's Teleradyo, Channel 26 in Sky Cable, so it was also a Balagtasan sa Telebisyon!

Tomorrow, at 6 p.m., U.P. Diliman Chancellor, Sergio Cao will have a concert with guest pianist, Raul Sunico, the new Cultural Center of the Philippines's Artistic Director, at the College of Music's Nicanor Abelardo Hall. A dinner hosted by U.P. President Emerlinda Roman, for former Dean Sunico's predecessor, Nestor Jardin, also the CCP president, on September 14, same time, at the U.P. Executive House.

And this is what recognition is all about.

As Dr. Lumbera put it last Tuesday night: “Ang parangal sa inyo ay walang bahid ng pamumulitika, pagkat ang tanging hinihingi nito sa pinararangalan ay magpatuloy na lumikha ng masining at makabuluhang mga akda sa mga darating pang araw.”

TEXT SUPPORT:
Can you see what is so special with the following phrases?
MURDER FOR A JAR OF RED RUM
NEVER ODD OR EVEN
NO LEMONS, NO MELON
NURSE! I SPY GYPSIES! RUN!
PARTY BOOBY-TRAP
WAIS A CAR OR A CAT I SAW?
YO, BANANA BOY!

CONSIDER THIS:

How come abbreviated is such a long word?