IF OUR country had something like a Pulitzer or Man Booker Prize, it would be the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature (CPMA).
It is the most prestigious award in the Philippines for literary works, and this year is on its 67th edition. The annually-awaited call for entries has gone forth, and Filipino writers all over the world are invited to participate.
This year is special because it is a Novel year. Entries for the Novel and Nobela categories are accepted only every two years.
I asked the Palanca Foundation for some information on the most recent winners in those categories, and here is what they sent:
Novel Grand prize winner in 2013: Subversivo, Inc. by Jose Elvin Bueno. Bueno described his novel as an exploration on why we Filipinos suffer or enjoy what we have right now. According to him, Filipinos have the “highest bullshit level detector” and yet they continue to suffer. “This was the idea that led me to write a story with about 140,000 words and 638 pages. It’s a door-stopper of a novel,” says Bueno.
The story of “Subversivo, Inc.” revolves around three main characters whose lives intersect: a senator who is a traditional politician, an advertising honcho, and the leader of the communist party in the country. All three individuals want out of the game, but circumstances get in the way. Subversivo, Inc. is the name of the advertising agency where one of the characters works and subversiveness is also the general theme that pervades the novel. “It has both comedic and horrific elements but the story is grounded in reality,” he adds.
Novel Grand Prize winner in 2015: All My Lonely Islands by Victorette Joy Z. Campilan. All My Lonely Islands is about a young woman’s physical and emotional journey and struggles as an expatriate Filipino kid growing up in different countries. “Crisanta’s [the protagonist] struggle is that of so many Third-Culture Kids [and their] coming to terms with their identities as Filipinos and international citizens,” Campilan said.
The experience resonates deeply with her and became the seed for her writing. “My personal experiences as a TCK living in Bangladesh helped me a lot,” she shared, as her parents worked there as missionaries and community developers. Even in her teens, she was already dabbling with writing what she considered ‘novels’— “as to be expected they were very raw and more like writing exercises than novels.”
Nobela Grand Prize winner in 2015: Toto O. by Charmaine Mercader Lasar. Toto O. tells the story of a boy stuck in a financial rut that forces him out of the comforts of his rural home to meet new friends, survive various struggles, achieve milestones in life, and realize that there’s no place like home.
As a millennial writer, Wattpad (a free writing and reading site) and blogging became Lasar’s platform for expressing her creative ideas. Her win has proven that not all Wattpad writers turn out hackneyed stories, and that a literary gem can come even from the popular Internet site. “I wanted to prove, especially to myself, that I can write a (Wattpad) novel that can win a Palanca, and that [it] is a springboard for writers,” she said.
Perhaps the most well-known of Palanca Novel winners is Smaller and Smaller Circles by FH Batacan. The novel received the recognition in 1999, and became popular enough to be taught in the literature classes of some universities. Batacan later released an expanded version which was published abroad by Soho Press to critical acclaim, and a film adaptation is now being filmed by director Raya Martin.
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The CPMA was established in 1950 in honor of Don Carlos Palanca Sr., a prominent Chinese-Filipino businessman. Palanca (Tan Quin Lay) was born in Xiamen, China in 1869 and migrated to the Philippines in 1884. He engaged in trade—hardware and textiles—and later opened a small distillery called La Tondeña, which made his fortune.
He was a philanthropist, with education being one of his prime causes. When he passed away, his family decided to keep his memory green by endowing a literary prize program that would also promote education and culture in the country.
The awards categories this year are: Novel; Nobela; English Division: Short Story, Short Story for Children, Essay, Poetry, Poetry Written for Children, One-Act Play, and Full-Length Play; Filipino Division: Maikling Kuwento, Maikling Kuwentong Pambata, Sanaysay, Tula, Tulang Para sa mga Bata, Dulang May Isang Yugto, Dulang Ganap ang Haba, and Dulang Pampelikula; and Regional Languages Division: Short Story-Cebuano, Short Story-Hiligaynon, and Short Story-Ilokano.
There is also the Kabataan Division for writers 18 or younger who are to write an essay on the following theme: “How can the youth contribute to building interest in Philippine culture and literature?” and “Paano makaaambag ang mga kabataan sa pagsulong ng interes sa kultura at panitikang Pilipino?”
Published/produced works, which were first published or first produced between May 1, 2016 to April 30, 2017, and/or unpublished/unproduced works may be entered in the contest. Contestants may submit only one entry per category. The deadline of submission is on April 30, 2017. For official contest rules and forms, download them from the CPMA website www.palancaawards.com.ph. For details, contact CPMA at cpawards@palancaawards.com.ph or at (632) 511-0003.
Dr. Ortuoste is a California-based writer. Follow her on Facebook: Jenny Ortuoste, Twitter: @jennyortuoste, Instagram: @jensdecember
