NATIONAL? ARTIST? (August 03, 2009)

The National Disaster Consciousness Month was about to end when this tragedy struck.

No, it was not the demise of democracy icon in former Pres. Corazon Cojuangco Aquino whose contribution to Philippine culture was not limited to Kris Aquino only but also to the creation of the Presidential Commission on Culture and Arts (now National Commission for Culture and the Arts) via Executive Order No. 118 in 1987 that, after five years, in 1992, was enacted into law -- Republic Act 7356 – from a bill jointly authored by Senators Edgardo Angara, Heherson Alvarez, Leticia Ramos Shahani, and Congressman Carlos Padilla.

Nor of the last director of Surian ng Wikang Pambansa (before it became the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino) in Dr. Ponciano Pineda, who died one day before the Buwan ng Wika.

We are talking about the death of the National Artist Award!

As expected, nominations were submitted after the deadline last December 31 to the National Artist Secretariat created by the National Artist Award Committee.

Then, experts from the different art fields sat on a First Deliberation to prepare the short list of nominees while a Second Deliberation.

That joint meeting of the Commissioners of the NCCA and the Board of Trustees of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) decided on the final recomendees.

And we – being a part of the First and the Second Deliberations -- recommended Manuel Urbano a.k.a Manuel Conde (Film and Broadcast); Lazaro Francisco (Literature); Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (Visual Arts, Painting, Sculpture and Mixed Media); and Ramon Santos (Music).

Nothing was heard on June 11 at the Malacaňang Palace the time and place the awards should have been given.

Until last week.

On July 29, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita announced in a press conference that Pres. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo conferred the Order of National Artists under Proclamations 1823-1839.

Former Sen. Alvarez's wife, Cecilla Guidote-Alvarez (Theater); Magno Jose “Carlo” Caparas (Visual Arts and Film); Francisco Maňosa (Architecture); and Jose “Pitoy” Moreno (Fashion Design) were added to list.

In the past, nothing happened when Pres. Fidel Ramos allegedly “accomodated” historian Carlos Quirino in a new category called “historical literature” in 1997.
Pres. Joseph Estrada returned favor, they say, when he gave it to his musical director Ernani Cuenco in 1999.

So, when it was the turn of Pres. Arroyo, she reportedly followed her predecessor's footsteps with Dr. Alejandro Roces (Literature) in 2003, with Abdulmari Asia Imao (Visual Arts) in 2006, and with Alvarez, Caparas, Maňosa, and Moreno this year!

However, if we got used to D.N.A. or Dagdag National Artist, could we still take L.N.A. or Laglag National Artist?

Sad to say, the critically acclaimed composer and musicologist was able to prove the truth behind it.

Last Friday, the scheduled tribute to Dr. Santos by the University of the Philippines College of Music -- where he served as dean and university professor emeritus – became more of a call for action than a concert.

Joey Ayala, in his private capacity not as the head of the NCCA Committee on Music said: “Sa proseso ng pagpili ng NA, ako’y bulate lamang, nandoon sa ilalim bilang facilitator ng unang pilian. May musician pa doon sa basement ng proseso. Ewan kung bakit nawala. Baka di type ng mga nasa iitaas na palapag ang trabaho ng mga unang napili. Baka may problema sa budget at may kailangang tanggalin. Who knows? Ako, nais kong magawaran nito dahil may kasamang economic benefits na makapag-bibigay-buhay sa mga proyekto. Kung patay na ako, wala na akong magagawang proyekto. Tanggap ko na kahit na sino ang magawaran ng NA Award, laging may ‘di masisiyahan, at mayroon din namang masisiyahan.”

So what must be done with this title given to “a Filipino who has been given the highest recognition for having made significant contributions to the development of Philippine arts, namely, Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Film, Broadcast Arts, Fashion Design and Architecture, and Allied Arts”?

The world-famous singer-composer had this proposal: “Sa latest round ng NA Awards mukhang maraming ‘di nasisiyahan, lalong-lalo na sa sirkulo ng mandiriwa na aking kinikilusan. Ang sagot ko lamang sa mga text ay “gumawa kaya tayo ng sariling award.” Bakit? Sapagka’t kapag ang damdamin at opinyon ng mga ‘di nasisiyahan ay ‘di kayang sakupin ng nagbibigay ng NA Awards, kahit ano’ng mangyari, ‘di talaga ito masasakop. May sarili silang agenda. Kung ‘di nasasakop ang agenda ng mga ‘di nasisiyahan, e di gumawa ng sariling award. Hindi naman maaaring “baguhin natin sila” – e kung tayo ang baguhin? Inaalay ko nga ang salitang Mandiriwa para sa award, kung nanaisin. Mandiriwa: isang kumikilos sa larangan ng diwa, at ipinagdiriwang ang Dakilang Malikhain na nasa bawa’t nilalang.”

He coined the term after he and his team conducted a SiningBayan Workshop under his Bagong Lumad Artists Foundation, Inc. so he would love to offer it as an alter-native: “Kapag mas marami ang award, mas masaya! Kaya kayang mamahagi ng award na walang poot, inggit, pagkukulang, pulitikahan, at iba pang nakasisirang resulta? Bakit isa lang? Siguro kung walang cash involved, mas maraming award ang puedeng ipamigay. Kung may sponsor, ok lang. Pumapangit nga lang ang trophy kasi linalagyan ng pangalan ng kumpanya o produkto na ‘di maganda ang pagka-layout. Nagmumukhang advertisement. Tanong ko talaga ito – economics aside, bakit tag-isa lang ang “Pambansang Alagad ng Sining”? National Artist for Cinema, isa lang. National Hero, isa lang. National Bird, isa lang. Yung One Town One Product nga, isa lang. Paano tayo magiging malikhain at diverse tulad ng likas nating kakayahan kung laging isa lang ang ine-encourage? Di kaya divisive ang award, lalung-lalo na kapag debatable, subjective, at qualitative ang larangan (tulad ng sining at nasyonalismo) ng award? Buti kung, tulad ng boxing at karera at lotto, may malinaw na panalo't talo.”

Is this Marcosian machination made on April 2, 1972 still relevant? Is the honor created by virtue of Proclamation No. 1001 significant after it was first posthumously conferred on Filipino painter Fernando Amorsolo?

Institutions like Philippine Meteorological Society (PMS) had been doing their share by sponsoring on-the-spot art contests won by such elementary pupils as Gerrika Shi (Saint Jude Catholic School), first; Jamia Mei Tolentino (St. Stephen High School), second; Trisha Co Reyes (St. Stephen High School), third; and high school students like Roy Gallardo (New Era High School), first; Hayami Kudo (Marikina Science High School), second; and Justen Tolentino (St. Stephen High School), third. Eyerything under the sun of its theme: PAG ALERTO, WALANG PELIGRO! As artists, how alert we are?

TEXT SUPPORT:
At exactly the 12th hour, 34th minute, and 56th second of the 7th of August, four days from now, the time and date will be 12: 34: 56 07/08/ 09.
Or 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9!

CONSIDER THIS:
If I could sum up all the causes of hurt, pain, and hatred In one word. It is just…
Expectation.