palanca 2007 - the wowowee edition

Now this year's Palanca Awards night was truly different. Truly, truly different.

(Susan Lara)

(Marge Evasco)

It began innocently enough. Nikki and I arrived, and after linking up with Marge Evasco, Susan Lara and Mookie Katigbak (who was the absent Sarge Lacuesta's proxy eros), signed in the reception area and proceeded to search for the "best table". The "best table" is all about location, with particular emphasis on two things: proximity to food and quick access to the smoking area.

(Glen Mas and Ian Casocot)

We were later joined by Ian Casocot and Glen Mas, before table hopping to say hello to friends, new and old.

Dinner was announced and I found myself second only to Hall of Fame inductee Nicholas Pichay at the buffet (we shared a conspiratorial wink before breezing through the appetizers - shameless, yes, but effective, considering the loooong line of hungry writers LOL).

(Nikki & Dean Alfar, photo by Lilit Reyes)

Outside in the smoking area, I teased Butch Dalisay, asking him to show me his new iPhone - which I did not think he already had. With a small smile, he reached into his coat pocket and produced The Redeemer, and my jaw dropped. It is (insert superlatives here)! I considered savagely attacking him then and there and running away with the iPhone but the awards had yet to be given away and they would notice his absence. Anyway, he told me he'd blog about it (the iPhone, not my death threat).

As the awards were announced and the prizes given, there was a lot of rubbernecking to see just what faces matched the new names. Every year there are a lot of first time winners, which is just wonderful. I like meeting new writers - like Crystal Koo, who flew in to claim her prize (her megawatt smile was infectious) and Sheila Dela Cuesta (who also flew in from Singapore).

(Isagani Cruz, Butch Dalisay, me, Carla Pacis, Nemie Bermejo)

Chris Martinez's winning play was the performance highlight of the evening - but as it turns out, the evening had more surprises in store.

Out of the blue, special prizes - multiple P100,000 prizes - were raffled off to winners and judges by the Palanca Foundation and other generous people (I think the Palancas gave away P700k). We were transformed into a happy and anticipating Wowowee crowd, secretly hoping and praying that our names would be called. Danton Remoto, Glen Mas and I were happily kibitzing when Ian's name was called out. Fantastic! He got P50k! I was holding out for a car or for a ref or a TV when the last cash prize was called - and went home empty handed (well, apart from the check for the winning story, of course). But still, for that span of time, it was like a Christmas party for the Palancas - crazy and very different from the usual affair.

(Danton Remoto and Isagani Cruz)

Sana maulit muli.

We had a wonderful time, being able to chat with Jing and Tony Hidalgo, Bing Sitoy, Vim Nadera, Mike Coroza, Jimmy Abad (hey Cyan, hope to see you sometime soon), and many other happy folk.

Thanks to the Palancas for a great night.

(Photo by Lilit Reyes)

List of winners of the 2007 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature here.

Read the winning pieces at Literatura.

palanca awards 2007: winners updated

Our continuing update as news comes in (latest update - 8.31.07)

English division

Short story

First Prize: "Flames" - Sarge Lacuesta
Second Prize: "Dreaming Valhalla" - Douglas Candano
Third Prize: "Benito Salazar's Last Creation" - Crystal Koo

Short story for children

First Prize: "The Elusive Banana Dog" - Lakambini Sitoy
Second Prize: “Poor, Poor Luisa” – Dean Francis Alfar
Third Prize: “The Last Days of Magic” – Ian Rosales Casocot

Poetry

First Prize: "Hands for a Fistful of Sand" – Mikael Co
Second Prize: "Geographies of Light" – Jodie Reyes
Third Prize: "Imaginary Numbers" – Dinah Roma

Essay

First Prize: “Lost in Childrensville” – Wilfredo Pascual
Second Prize: "Culture Shocked: A Story of Recovery” - Apol Lejano-Massebieu
Third Prize: ? - Allan Pastrana

One-Act Play

First Prize: "Time Waits" - Debbie Ann Tan
Second Prize: ? - Joshua So
Third Prize: “Battery Park” – Allan Lopez

Full-length Play

First Prize:
Second Prize: “Games People Play” – Glenn Sevilla Mas
Third Prize:


Filipino division

Short story

First Prize: “Paputian ng Laba” – Allan Derain
Second Prize: ? – Jerome Gomez
Third Prize:

Short story for children

First Prize: “Junior” – Shiela dela Cuesta
Second Prize:
Third Prize: ? – Michael Coroza

Poetry

First Prize: "Corpus" – Carlos Piocos
Second Prize: ? - Rebecca T. Añonuevo
Third Prize: ? – Jerry Gracio

Essay

First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:

One-Act Play

First Prize: “Our Lady of Arlugui” – Chris Martinez
Second Prize: “Baka Sakali” - J. Dennis Teodisio
Third Prize: “Ellas Inocentes” - Layeta Bucoy


Full-length Play

First Prize: ? - Nicholas Pichay (Hall of Fame this year)
Second Prize:
Third Prize: "Ang Mga Huwad" - Rody Vera

Teleplay

First Prize:.
Second Prize:
Third Prize:

Screenplay

First Prize: “Prisoner Alpha” – Mike Alcazaren
Second Prize:
Third Prize:


Iloko Short Story
First Prize: ? - Noli Dumlao
Second Prize:
Third Prize: ? - Aurelio S. Agcaolili

Cebuano Short Story
First Prize: "Pamato" - Merlie Alunan
Second Prize: Ferdinand Balino (not certain of placing)
Third Prize:

Hiligaynon Short Story
First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:

Kabataan Essay
Essay

First Prize:
Second Prize:
Third Prize:

Sanaysay (Filipino)

First Prize
Second Prize:
Third Prize: ? - Kathleen Teresa M. Ramos

____
Update 8.31.07

Lakambini Sitoy sent me an email:


Hi, Dean.
Your blog has an almost complete list of the 2007 Palanca winners. It was the same last year.
I don't know to what extent the internet and blogging has dispensed with formalities surrounding prizes like this.

What I do know is that way back in 1995, when a journalist called Mozart Pastrano tried to publish the news of my win in the Philippine Daily Inquirer around August 28, Jose Dalisay Jr. advised me that anticipating the Palanca Foundation's formal Sept. 1 announcement was an act of disrespect for that august body.

Accordingly, I called Mozart, and when that didn't work, the lifestyle editor, Eric Caruncho. I asked Eric to either pull the article about me, or edit it.

He very generously removed the reference to the Palanca win, although the difference was just a few days.

Of course, there've been leaks for years, so that many winners go to the Awards already knowing much of the lineup. But people have tended to keep the good news to themselves.
I suppose things have changed drastically. I wonder if anyone from either the writers' community or the Palancas has ever written you about this.

Congratulations on your win.

Best regards,
Bing


I wrote Bing back and apologized, and told her that "The internet has changed how we anticipate and share news, I think. My intent was to share good news and excitement, and many people, including winners themselves, shared news of their wins either via my blog or email or SMS", and removed her name - but she wrote back and said no offense taken, as she was just relating an event that happened to her ten years ago, as well as Butch's opinion of it. She requested for her name to be restored, so there it is, as well as for part or all of her original letter to be posted, which it is.

It was never my intention to disrespect the Palancas, just to share the happy news of winners. The list on this blog is neither official (I have no way of verifying news passed to me on the comments or text or email, for example) nor complete.

palanca awards 2007: updated

At a day-long photo shoot, I get a call from Nikki who reads me a letter. It takes a couple of moments for my brain to process it, but it turns out that my story, "Poor, Poor Luisa", won 2nd prize (Short Story for Children) at this year's Palanca Awards.

I had to temper my happiness (I was with client, after all) and managed a degree of emotional restraint (haha). I am grateful to the Big Guy above for all his wonderful blessings (suddenly, the number '10' is the most fantastic number in the universe)!

You can read the story here.

If you know someone who won, let me know so we can add to the happy list below!

(Updated) Kudos to:

Apol Lejano-Massebieu - "Culture Shocked: A Story of Recovery (2nd Prize, Essay in English - her first Palanca! And she's one of the contributors for Phil Spec Fic V2, up for a National Book Award)
Crystal Koo - "Benito Salazar's Last Creation" (3rd Prize, Short Story in English - also her first, yay!)
Glenn Mas - "Games People Play" (2nd Prize, Full-Length Play in English - his umpteenth - he is such a wonderful playwright)
Sheila dela Cuesta - "Junior" (1st Prize, Short Story for Children in Filipino - also her first)
Wilfredo Pascual - (1st Prize, Essay in English - his second 1st prize in Essay, after his incredible Nora-centric piece "Devotion" in 2004)
Mikael Co - "Hands for a Fistful of Sand" (1st Prize, Poetry in English)
Mike Alcazaren - "Prisoner Alpha" (1st Prize, Screenplay in Filipino)
Michael Coroza - (3rd prize, Short Story for Children in Filipino)
Allan Derain - "Paputian ng Laba" (1st prize, Short Story in Filipino)
Jerome Gomez - (2nd prize, Short Story in Filipino)
Allan Lopez - "Battery Park" (3rd Prize, One-Act Play in English)
Rebecca Anonuevo - ? (2nd Prize, Poetry in Filipino)
Debbie Tan - ? (1st Prize, Play in ?)
Dina Roma - "Imaginary Numbers" (3rd Prize, Poetry in English)
Chris Martinez - "Our Lady of Arlegui" (1st Prize, One-Act Play in Filipino)