Newcomers make up over half of this year’s Palanca winners

FROM 1,405 ENTRIES, the 71^st Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature chose 54 winners, of which 30 are first-time awardees. The annual ceremony recognizing Filipinos who exhibit the gold standard in writing excellence was held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City on Monday night.

There were 20 writing categories awarded as the Novel and Nobela categories were not open this year. These categories are open only every two years.

Biologist and research associate Rio Renato Pulido Constantino was awarded the Essay category grand prize for “The Year of the Periwinkle.” The essay is a reflection on the importance of soil and plants in grounding people, written during Mr. Constantino’s ordeal with cancer over the span of a year.

Meanwhile, another first-time awardee was teacher Kimberly Rose L. Pillo, who won the grand prize in the Sanaysay category. Her honest piece, “Kung Paanong Nagmukha akong Sponge sa harap ng mga Pinggan,” helped her clinch the award, a dream come true that she never expected.

The youngest winners this year are 13-year-old twin sisters, Glorious Zavannah Exylin C. Alesna and Glorious Zahara Exylin C. Alesna, who took home the third and second prizes for the Filipino and English essay categories in the Kabataan Division respectively.

BIG WINNERS
There were two big winners that evening.

Playwright Miguel Antonio Alfredo V. Luarca won first place in both Filipino and English full-length play categories for his works Nekropolis and Dogsblood.

Meanwhile, Ian Rosales Casocot, a teacher at the English Department of Siliman University in Dumaguete, bagged 2^nd place in three categories in the English division: short story (“Don’t Follow Me, I Don’t Even Know Where I’m Going”), poetry for children (“Bisaya for all that we gugma”), and one-act play (The Midsummer of Manuel Arguilla). This brings his total haul of Palanca Awards through the years to nine.

THE ROLE OF WRITERS
Every Filipino writer, regardless of age, gender, medium or genre of choice, or years of experience, has a role in nation-building, said Dr. Luis P. Gatmaitan, guest of honor at the awarding ceremony.

“Noong pandemya, iniligtas tayo ng mga kuwento (During the pandemic, stories saved us),” said Mr. Gatmaitan in his speech.

An award-winning children’s book author, columnist, and radio host inducted into the Palanca Awards Hall of Fame in 2005, Mr. Gatmaitan said that stories in any shape, form, or platform can be more effective in relaying messages than plain facts and figures.

Studies have shown that only two areas of the brain are activated while taking in facts and figures whereas three areas are activated when reading or listening to stories, he said.

“This makes our role as writers very important.”

Meanwhile, Criselda Cecilio-Palanca, in a speech representing the family behind the award, pointed out that artificial intelligence can never really replace writers.

“Nuance, poignance, ambience, petulance, pathos, subtlety, irony, and humor are some of the many variables that are still on our side,” she said.

Established in 1950 in memory of Don Carlos Palanca Sr., the Palanca Awards aims to develop Philippine literature by providing incentives for writers, to serve as a treasury of Philippine literary gems, and to assist in their dissemination. — Brontë H. Lacsamana

Winners of the 71^st Palanca Awards

FILIPINO DIVISION

MAIKLING KUWENTO
1^st prize — “Ang Tariktik” by Peter Solis Nery

2^nd Prize — “Buwaya” by Jay Jomar F. Quintos

3^rd Prize — “Boses Pusa” by Ella Jane G. Hermonio

MAIKLING KUWENTONG PAMBATA
1^st prize — “Si Toyo at si Suka” by Jaylord S. Losabia

2^nd Prize — “Si Liya at ang Dapithapon sa Ilaya” by Mikka Ann V. Cabangon

3^rd Prize — “Babasagin, babasagin!” by Iza Maria G. Reyes

SANAYSAY
1^st prize — “Kung Paanong Nagmukha akong Sponge sa harap ng mga Pinggan” by Kimberly Rose L. Pillo

2^nd Prize — “Auslander: Mga Danas sa Alemanya” by Al Joseph A. Lumen

3^rd Prize — “Ako ay si Ako nga” by Edward Joseph Fernandez

TULA
1^st prize — “Epistolaryo ng Bagamundo at ang tugon ng Multo” by Mikael de Lara Co

2^nd Prize — “Ang Hindi Maiwasang Patlang” by Rogelio dela Rosa, Jr.

3^rd Prize — “Ex Novo Mvndo” by Ralph Lorenz G. Fonte, M.D

TULA PARA SA MGA BATA
1^st prize — “Tutula, Tutuli, Tutulo” by Dexter B. Gragasin

2^nd Prize — “Ako, mga tulang pambata” by Genaro R. Gojo Cruz

3^rd Prize — “Tugma ng Buhay kong Payak” by Keisiah Dawn T. Tiaoson

DULANG MAY ISANG YUGTO
1^st prize — Ang Lipnayan ng ating mga Katawan by Eljay Castro Deldoc

2^nd Prize — The Divine Family by Dan Ian Paulo B. Mariposque

3^rd Prize — Fermata by Dustin Edward D. Celestino

DULANG GANAP ANG HABA
1^st prize — Nekropolis by Miguel Antonio Alfredo V. Luarca

2^nd Prize — Pingkian by Christian R. Vallez

3^rd Prize — Atin ang Panahon by Joshua Lim So

DULANG PAMPELIKULA
1^st prize — Love Child by Jonathan P. Jurilla

2^nd Prize — Elehiya by Jimmy F. Flores and Emmanuel Q. Palo

3^rd Prize — Beki Naman by Raymund T. Barcelon

ENGLISH DIVISION

SHORT STORY
1^st prize — “Vile Creatures” by Exie Abola

2^nd Prize — “Don’t Follow Me, I Don’t Even Know Where I’m Going” by Ian Rosales Casocot

3^rd Prize — “Amadito and Amanda” by Katrina D. Torralba

SHORT STORY FOR CHILDREN
1^st prize — NO WINNER

2^nd Prize — “The Legend of Ipot-ipot” by Jonny Bernas Pornel

3^rd Prize — “The Race to Uswag” by Elvie Victonette B. Razon-Gonzalez

ESSAY
1^st prize — “The Year of the Periwinkle” by Rio Renato Pulido Constantino

2^nd Prize — “Profile of a Stateless Person: Notes on a Deportation Proceeding” by Russell Stanley Geronimo

3^rd Prize — “Normalizing Survival” by Francine M. Marquez

POETRY
1^st prize — “Translating Wildfires” by Patricia Mariya Shishikura

2^nd Prize — “Carrying” by Vince Raphael V. Agcaoili

3^rd Prize — “Lou Reed Meets Delmore Schwartz at a Bar” by Michael Maniquiz

POETRY WRITTEN FOR CHILDREN
1^st prize — “Odd Numbers” by John Patrick F. Solano

2^nd Prize — “Bisaya for all that we gugma” by Ian Rosales Casocot

3^rd Prize — “Paper Planes” by Simone Marie Sales

ONE-ACT PLAY
1^st prize — Neneng by Randy Q. Villanueva

2^nd Prize — The Midsummer of Manuel Arguilla by Ian Rosales Casocot

3^rd Prize — My Lover’s Presscon by Rossielle Sarabia Manicad

FULL-LENGTH PLAY
1^st prize — Dogsblood by Miguel Antonio Alfredo V. Luarca

2^nd Prize — NO WINNER

3^rd Prize — NO WINNER

REGIONAL DIVISION

SHORT STORY-CEBUANO
1^st prize — “Lenteng Pilokilay” by Neile Genica M. Sy

2^nd Prize — “Ang Magsusulat Nga Haduol na sa Kamatayon” by John Dante

3^rd Prize — “Alindasay” by CD Borden

SHORT STORY-HILIGAYNON
1^st prize — “Kauhaw sa Tingadlaw” by Ritchie D. Pagunsan

2^nd Prize — “Lola Violeta” by Alvin Q. Larida

3^rd Prize — “Puno sang Aligotgot” by Serafin I. Plotria, Jr.

SHORT STORY-ILOKANO
1^st prize — “Diro Ti Disierto” by Rodolfo D. Agatep, Jr.

2^nd Prize — “Idiay Langit, Awan Lanit” by Jorge Richard P. Guerrero

3^rd Prize — “Piglatan” by Clarito De Francia

KABATAAN DIVISION

SANAYSAY
1^st prize — NO WINNER

2^nd Prize — “Aranya sa Kisame” by Amancio A. Caponpon V

3^rd Prize — “Sa Panahon ng Bagabag at Balisa: Paghagilap sa Pira-pirasong Retaso ng Hinahon at Pa(g)hinga” by Glorious Zavannah Exylin C. Alesna

ESSAY
1^st prize — “Living on play in a world on pause” by Francis Roberto San Antonio Sevillena

2^nd Prize — “The Bully is you” by Glorious Zahara Exylin C. Alesna

3^rd Prize — “Five More Minutes, Please!” by Rheyn Khrieztine S. Dela Pena