Dingdong Dantes, Cristine Reyes, and the late movie legend Eddie Garacia and theater titan Tony Mabesa are four of the major honorees in this year’s Ani ng Dangal.
Now on its sixth year, the Ani ng Dangal by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) bestowed sixty-three artists in the fields of architecture and allied arts, literary arts, music, visual arts, and cinema.
This annual event was the highlight and concluding rite of the National Arts Month. Ani ng Dangal Awards, through the NCCA’s Subcommission on the Arts headed by its commissioner Dr. Rolando B. Tolentino. The Harvest of Honors is for artists who have earned the highest international awards and accolades in nine categories: Architecture, Cinema, Dance, Dramatic Arts, Literary Arts, Music, Visual Arts, Folk Arts and Broadcast Arts during the past year.
Adding more stellar value to it is the Ani Ng Dangal trophy sculpted by National Artist for Visual Arts, Abdulmari Asia Imao. The national artist transformed the sarimanok into a mono-winged creature with the National Arts Month rice stalk logo incorporated in the rampant wing’s feathers. The Maranaos’ mythical creature soars above a globe that symbolizes the height of artistic achievement on the global stage.
One of the cinematic arts awardees is director Louie Ignacio. His film, School Service, originally shown in Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival, won the Golden Remy trophy at World International Houston Film Festival.
“When you are honored by the NCCA with an Ani ng Dangal award, you feel like you are heroes who gave honor to the Republic, to the country, and its people, of course. We fought for and let the world-class talents of the Filipino shine on the global cinematic stage. This is my fifth time to win the Ani ng Dangal, so I am truly grateful, mabuhay ang sining at kulturang Pilipino,” declared director Ignacio.
Eric Ramos, another honoree, was the screenplay writer of the pink film Rainbow Sunset. It was headlined by the much-missed Eddie Garcia and Tony Mabesa.
The award-winning screenplay writer said: “I'm grateful to the NCCA for this recognition. This is my sixth award for the most successful film of my screenwriting career, Rainbow's Sunset, and an offshoot of my Best Story Innovation Award for the same film, courtesy of the Worldfest-Houston International Film Festival.”
“And to receive my Ani ng Dangal award alongside the film itself and two of its lead stars, Eddie Garcia and Tony Mabesa, makes the honor even sweeter. Never mind the sad reminder that Tito Eddie and Sir Tony are no longer with us,” he added.