Palanca to publish real-life inspiring stories

MANILA, Philippines – Seeing a Filipino dining alone is a rare sight in the Philippines.

More often, Filipinos would dine in groups of 4, 5 or 6, notes Ramon Jimenez, Jr., the secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT) and the guest of honor at this year’s Palanca Memorial Awards. 

“Filipinos gather for 3 things: a prayer, a good meal and a good story,” Jimenez told the literary writers present at the 2012 Palanca Awards held at the Grand Ballroom of the Peninsula Manila Hotel on Sept. 1. 

In his speech, Jimenez noted that prior to the launch of the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” campaign of the DOT, they let loose the campaign through social networks and, to date, there are — hold your breath — 75,000 versions from the original 3 of the “It’s More Fun in the Philippines” ads.

This, he says, is proof that we Filipinos just love telling a story (whatever form it may take). 

He said that he wishes that the DOT could bring the works of the Palanca awardees to the 130 festivals they attend all over the world. 

Meantime, the Palanca Foundation made some important announcements to the Palanca community.

“The First Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards Research Facility will soon be made available to the public in Park Trade Building at the Madrigal Business Park in Alabang, Muntinlupa City,” announced Palanca Foundation director-general Sylvia Palanca-Quirino.

“It will be the first of several such research facilities planned nationwide — as repositories of the wealth of literature that has been produced and continues to be produced by our Palanca-winning writers,” she said. 

She also announced that a series of books that will serve as an inspiration toward nation-building will be published under the auspices of the Carlos Palanca Foundation.

“This series, titled ‘I Did It – So Can You!’ will celebrate the lives of Filipinos who rose from simple beginnings to achieve meritorious success in their respective fields of endeavor,” she revealed.

The first book, she said, “is a gem of practical advice from one of the pillars of insurance, Mr. Bobby Madrid” whom she said started a career in the life insurance industry as an agent “and rose from the ranks to become the first Filipino president of Manulife and later became the founding president and CEO of Pru Life UK which he built from the ground and made into one of the biggest life insurance corporations in the country today.”

The second book-in-a-series will feature “the eminent cardiac surgeon Dr. Jose Garcia who performed the first heart transplant in the Philippines.” She said that the “internationally-renowned surgeon established the Makati Heart Foundation to provide for the transfer of knowledge and skills to local surgeons and nurses.”

He was said to have founded the Asian Hospital and Medical Center which is famous for its “world-class treatment and facilities.”

Dr. Garcia is currently a senior Cardiac Surgeon at the Washington Hospital Center in Washington D.C. and is a Clinical Professor of Surgery at Georgetown University in Washington. 

The Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature was established in 1950. Heirs of Don Carlos Palanca, Sr. thought it fitting “to commemorate his memory through an endeavor that would promote education and culture in the country.”

The awards aim to develop Philippine Literature by providing incentives for writers “to craft their most outstanding literary works” and “by being a treasury of the Philippine’s literary gems from our gifted writers and to assist in its eventual dissemination to our people, particularly the students.”

62 years ago, the awards called on fictionists to submit their best short stories in English or Filipino.

Through the years, the following categories were added:

• One-act Play and Dulang May Isang Yugto, 1953
• Poetry and Tula, 1963
• Full-length Play and Dulang Ganap ang Haba, 1975
• Essay and Sanaysay, 1979
• Novel and Nobela, 1980
• Short Story for Children and Maikling Kuwentong Pambata, 1989
• Teleplay and Dulang Pantelebisyon, 1990
• Screenplay and Dulang Pampelikula, 1994
• Short Story – Iluko, Short Story – Cebuano, Short Story – Hiligaynon, 1997
• Kabataan Essay and Kabataan Sanaysay, 1998
• Futuristic Fiction (English) and Futuristic Fiction (Filipino), 2000
• Poetry for Children and Tulang Pambata, 2009

In 1995, the award-giving body instituted the Palanca Hall of Fame for someone “who has achieved the distinction of winning 5 first prizes in the regular categories.”

The Kabataan Award, on the other hand, “gives recognition to a Palanca awardee who wins 4 first prizes in this division.”

Researchers can access this year’s winning works through the Carlos Palanca Foundation library and the official web site, www.palancaawards.com.ph. – Rappler.com