Two Dumaguete writers won top prizes at the 72nd Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature held Nov. 22 at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.
Michael Aaron Gomez clinched 1st prize for the short story in Cebuano for his entry, Pamalandong ni Antigo Mokayat, as well as a special prize for the novel in English, for The People’s Republic of Negros.
Gomez has previously won in 2016 for his one-act play in English.
Lyde Sison Villanueva, meanwhile, won 2nd prize for poetry in English for his entry, La Muerte De La Luz.
Gomez and Villanueva are both graduates of Silliman University.
Another Negrense writer, Serafin Plotria Jr. from Bacolod, won 1st prize for the short story in Hiligaynon for his entry Ang Liwat nga Paglupad ni Lolo.
Established in 1951, the Palanca Awards are named after businessman and philanthropist Carlos Palanca Sr., and sponsored by the Carlos Palanca Foundation Inc. The awards have honored 2,580 Filipino authors with medals and certificates.
For 2024, a total of 54 writers, 31 of whom are first-time awardees, were chosen as this year’s recipients. There were 22 writing categories.
Film director and writer Jun Robles Lana, recipient of the Palanca Awards Hall of Fame in 2006, was guest of honor and speaker at this year’s awarding ceremony.
Meanwhile, four writers were elevated to the Hall of Fame, including Eros Sanchez Atalia, who clinched his fifth 1st prize for the novel Thirty Virgins; Mikael de Lara Co, for his poetry collection Panayam sa Abo; Miguel Antonio Alfredo V. Luarca, for his full-length play Corridors; and Joshua Lim So, for his one-act play Pagkapit sa Hangin.
The Hall of Fame is awarded to writers who have won five 1st place wins in any category.
Many of this year’s awardees are also alumni of the SU National Writers Workshop, including Gomez and Villanueva; Co, Lim So, Jan Kevin Rivera [1st prize, short story in English], Antonio Hernandez [2nd prize, short story in English], Joel Toledo [1st prize, poetry in English], Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta [3rd prize, poetry in English], Dustin Edward Celestino [2nd prize, full-length play in English], Hannah A. Leceña [2nd prize, short story in Filipino], John Dave Pacheco [2nd prize, poetry in Filipino], and Bryan Mari Argos [2nd prize, short story in Hiligaynon]. [Buglas Writers Guild]
