THE BOTTOMLINE WITH BOY ABUNDA EPISODE
Monday, July 21, 2014
NORA AUNOR, 2014 U.P. GAWAD PLARIDEL RECIPIENT
 |
| This portrait will be displayed at the Gawad Plaridel Gallery at the lobby of U.P. College of Mass Communication. |
PRESS
RELEASE
18
July 2014
University of the
Philippines
College of Mass
Communication
---------o0o----------
----------o0o----------
Nora Aunor is the recipient of the 2014 U.P.
Gawad Plaridel, the annual media award of the University of the Philippines.
Ms. Aunor (Nora
Cabaltera Villamayor), said the UP College of Mass Communication which made the
announcement, is being recognized for her “unique artistry and versatility as a
singer,” as well as for “portraying with keen intelligence and uncommon sensitivity
an amazing range of cinematic roles.”
Among the films
showcasing her excellence as an artist, says the citation prepared by UP CMC,
are Bona; Himala;Bakit
May Kahapon Pa?; Naglalayag; Minsa'y
isang Gamugamo; Fe, Esperanza, Caridad; Tatlong
Taong Walang Diyos; Annie Batungbakal; Flor
Contemplacion Story; and Thy Womb.
Aunor was also
commended for producing “movies of notable quality” like Banaue, Alkitrang
Dugo, Atsay, Mga
Uod at Rosas and Tisoy. These films,
said UP CMC, helped raise the bar in Philippine filmmaking.
Aside from singing,
acting and producing films, Aunor also starred in memorable and long-running
television programs like the Nora Aunor Show and Superstar which
“showcased her skills in song and dance and set a trend in Philippine
television.” She also had the weekly drama anthologies Nora
Cinderella and Ang Makulay na Daigdig ni Nora which
“brought to the public both fine dramatic acting and relevant narratives of
everyday life.”
UP CMC also cited
Ms. Aunor for using her “tremendous popularity as an opportunity to (help) the
masses…appreciate films and plays that dramatized and analyzed the abject
conditions of the Filipino majority and the poor and powerless characters that
she played with conviction.”
The U.P. Gawad Plaridel
consists of a trophy specially designed by National Artist Napoleon Abueva,
which will be awarded to Ms. Aunor by UP President Alfredo Pascual and UP
Diliman Chancellor Michael Tan in ceremonies on August
27, 2014 (Wednesday), 2:00 pm at the U.P. Film Institute Film Center’s Cine
Adarna. Ms. Aunor will also deliver a lecture during the
ceremonies.
Established by the
UP CMC, the annual U.P. Gawad Plaridel recognizes Filipino media practitioners
who have excelled in any of the media (print, radio, film, and television) and
who have performed with the highest level of professional integrity in the interest
of public service.
The U.P. Gawad
Plaridel’s past recipients are Ms. Eugenia Duran-Apostol (2004, print), Ms.
Vilma Santos (2005, film), Ms. Fidela “Tiya Dely” Magpayo (2006, radio), Ms.
Cecilia “Cheche” L. Lazaro (2007, television), Mr. Pachico A. Seares (2008,
community print), Mr. Kidlat Tahimik (2009, independent filmmaking), Ms. Eloisa
“Lola Sela” Canlas (2011, radio), Ms. Florence “Rosa Rosal” Danon-Gayda (2012,
television) and Mr. Jose “Pete” Lacaba (2013, print).
The award is named
after Marcelo H. del Pilar (Plaridel), the selfless propagandist whose
stewardship of the reformist newspaper La Solidaridad gave
voice to nationalist sentiments and libertarian ideas in the 1890s. Like
Plaridel, the recipient of the award must believe in a vision of a Philippine
society that is egalitarian, participative and progressive, and in media that
is socially responsible, critical and vigilant, liberative and transformative,
and free and independent.
Friday, July 11, 2014
Portrait of the National Artist as a Filipino
By Alma
Anonas-Carpio
Published in the
Philippines Graphic magazine
----------o0o----------
----------o0o----------
When Filipinos talk of a "national
icon," that person is, to our minds, the very image of who we are. He or
she is the embodiment of our lives, our struggles, our successes, our very
humanity—and, yes, our art.
Which is why there is such a strong clamor
over Malacañang's snub, intentional or not, of actor Nora Aunor. Aunor was
dropped from the list of National Artist nominees—glaringly so, for she was the
only nominee not proclaimed a National Artist.
This is a Filipina with prodigious thespian
talent, with a powerful yet sweet singing voice: La Aunor, as she is called by
her star-struck following. In a nation where fame is fleeting, Aunor's fame
comes with a longevity that few achieve and even less can begin to aspire to.
More to the point, La Aunor is the very
image of the common tao: She is dusky, what we call "morena," in a
sea of celebrities hawking skin whiteners. She speaks from the heart, in the
vernacular where other celebrities capitalize on their accented twang. How much
more "national" can you get?
Add that to the established fact of her
innate artistry: God-given skill and talent she has honed over the course of
several decades without cease. Add, too, what she has given the country's
actors in terms of support and, where they sought it, mentorship. Is this not
what a National Artist is supposed to do? And she has been doing this without
the title for many years.
DESERVING
Where others rest on their laurels, Aunor
takes risks to push the envelope, to add her voice to the people's voices, to
tell their stories and take on social issues that need resolution. Is this not
what our nation seeks to be, what every Filipino reaches for every day? And she
does this using her exquisite talents paired with skills built to the pinnacle
of excellence.
Hers is a fame that is, thanks to her
dedication to her craft and choice of difficult but very meaningful roles,
well-deserved despite all the pop culture and political addenda to her resume.
Hers is not paparazzi-driven fame that burns bright and dies in the burning. It
is the old-world kind of fame that is built, brick by brick, to withstand the
test of the ages, as art should.
All those things should have made for a
solid case to confer the title of National Artist upon La Aunor. But, wait,
there is more: Both the NCCA and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)
said Aunor passed all hurdles in the selection process, too, including the most
difficult part, the peer review.
As Trixie Cruz, legal counsel for the
National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) put it, Aunor's “works were
reviewed by experts, peers and national artists. We recognize Nora’s genius,
artistry and contribution to the field and her remarkable body of work.”
No less than National Artist for Literature
F. Sionil Jose nominated Aunor for the honors Malacañang has decided not to
confer upon her. So why the snub?
Speculations on the whys were rife over
social media and on the very streets of the capital. Some said Aunor was
snubbed because she was too "masa," too "bakya," too
morena. Yet others blamed her political choices: She sang and danced for former
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo back in the day, and was romantically linked
with outsted President Joseph Estrada during their careers as actors.
That, and a statue of Aunor from the iconic
movie "Himala" was erected on the Ilocos Norte site where that
memorable scene was shot, something that may link Aunor to the Marcos family
that is rooted in the solid north. Politics, like bird's eye chilies, is best
used sparingly. In cases like the creation of National Artists, it should be
eschewed completely, for there is little to no art in politics—at least of the
Philippine variety.
Yet others think it was the drug charges
brought against Aunor in the United States for possession and use of
methamphetamine hydrochloride—charges which were cleansed from her slate when
she proved that she had kicked that destructive habit. “Morality is not part of
the criteria," filmmaker Joel Lamangan had told GMA News. "It’s the
body of work that matters.”
Really, the whole kit and caboodle of
declaring someone a National Artist should have nothing whatsoever to do with
that candidate's political choices or personal moral code or practices.
In an ideal world, in the kind of
Philippines that Filipinos seek to create, the National Artist epithet would be
conferred upon an artist who is exemplary at his or her craft, and has
contributed to the national patrimony of art continuously, greatly and
steadily.
Were that to be the basis, then, yes, Aunor
would be a National Artist, no question.
PRESIDENTIAL
PREROGATIVE
Such speculations, in true showbiz fashion,
run rife in the absence of an explanation from the authorities that did the
snubbing. Silence on the matter only throws more fuel onto the fire.
As of the last week of June, Malacañang has
yet to provide any solid statements on the question of why Aunor was not
included in the list of newly-minted National Artists.
All the Palace had to say on the matter was
that it does not know the reason behind President Benigno Aquino III's decision
to exclude Aunor from the list of newly-proclaimed National Artists.
Both the Palace and Cruz pointed out that
the choice of National Artists is, and always has been, the prerogative of the
President. That said, presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said he is not
privy to the President's reason for excluding Aunor from the list.
"As far as we know, the President acted
within the prerogative as laid down by the law and as laid down by the Supreme
Court decision on the Almario case," Lacierda told the press.
Speaking in a phone interview with the
Philippines Graphic, Jose concurred with Cruz and the Palace on the President's
prerogative in the selection of National Artists: "Do not make the
President a rubber stamp. Do not dismiss the President, because he is the highest
elected official."
The National Artist for Literature went on
to say: "Since its inception, the National Artist award has been a
presidential award by its very nature. The final decision rests with the
President."
IMPROVEMENTS
IN PROCESS
Jose went on to list some changes that he
believes would improve both the prestige and the integrity of the process of
naming the nation's national artists.
"The charter of the Order of National
Artists should be changed," Jose said. "The selection process has to
be improved."
"The committee in charge should make a
list of at least three to five names per category to submit to the
President," Jose added. "Don't remove from [the President] the right
to include a National Artist in that list."
As Jose pointed out, "there are so many
National Artists. My suggestion is that there should only be seven National
Artists—one each from the seven arts. Only on the death of a National Artist
should the committee convene to select a new set of potential
awardees for the President to choose from.
This will make the awards even more prestigious."
It will also make it possible to grant
larger emoluments to the National Artists who are given these honors, Jose
added. Such a move will ensure that National Artists can carry out their tasks
of mentorship and continue to excel in their chosen fields on the funds they
are allocated.
"You have to make it really
prestigious. The emolument should be more. The National Artist should have a
monthly pension akin to that taken home by the justices of the Supreme
Court," Jose said.
He added that National Artists should also
be given ceremonial functions: "The National Artist for Literature should
be named as librarian of the National Library as a ceremonial figure with no
say in the day-to-day running of the library. The NCCA should be headed by a
National Artist. The CCP should be headed by a National Artist."
"I want these cultural institutions to
be led by people who understand the creative process," he added. "The
bureaucrats should have a cultural background and should be respected by the
cultural community."
Jose also tipped his hat to the issue of
delicadeza that hounded the 2009 proclamation of then NCCA director Cecille
Guidote Alvarez and komiks writer and massacre film director and producer Carlo
J. Caparas as National Artists despite the fact they were not included on the
CCP or NCCA lists of candidates sent to then President Arroyo: "Artists
who are in government should not be excluded, but they cannot participate in
the selection--as in they cannot vote."
Alvarez and Caparas have since been stripped
of the National Artist title by the Supreme Court, which, nonetheless
recognized the President's power and discretion to proclaim "all or some
or even none of the recommendees of the CCP and NCCA boards" without need
to justify such actions.
The High Court also ruled in this decision
that the President may remove names from the CCP and NCCA selections of
National Artist candidates, but the Chief Executive may not add to the existing
lists from either cultural agency.
PUSHING
IT
The NCCA stands by Aunor, despite the
legality of President Aquino’s decision to exclude her from the roster of
National Artists.
In fact, Cruz stated that the NCCA would
simply use its option to resubmit Aunor's name in the next batch of National
Artist nominees.
It is a tactic that the President himself
uses. When the Commission on Appointments fails to confirm a member of the Cabinet,
the Chief Executive merely re-appoints the Cabinet member who was not
confirmed. Something, perhaps, that Mr. Aquino learned from his much-reviled
predecessor.
This effort to confer a much-deserved honor
upon an actor who, more than most, embodies the self-image Filipinos carry of
themselves, is going to be elemental: Water dripping on stone, used in a fire
to fight fire kind of way.
Push will come to shove and, while the
President may have the prerogative and the authority to name the National
Artists of his choice, he has also reiterated on many occasions that we, the
people, are his bosses.
It is clear that many, perhaps even an
overwhelming majority, of the people want La Aunor as their National Artist. It
is clear she has the chops to hold the title and the responsibilities that go
with it.
It is time, Mr. President, to put your money
where your mouth is.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)