THOMASIAN winners in this year’s Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature included a former Varsitarian editor and their works tackled contemporary concerns in social realist style.
Faculty of Arts and Letters alumnus John Pacala won first prize in Maikling Kuwento for his entry, Ang Reyna ng Espada at ng mga Pusa, about an old homosexual prisoner who turns down the executive clemency granted him for obvious humanitarian reasons because he would rather stay behind bars and enjoy the freedom he has ironically discovered there which he never felt outside.
The Political Science alumnus said his victory was merely added pleasure to his pursuit of his passion for writing.
“I really love to write and the Palanca Awards is like the true measure for writers,” Pacala said. “Most of the characters I write are anti-heroes, because I like themes that break moral boundaries.”
Brylle Tabora meanwhile won second prize in Dulang Pampelikula for his screenplay, Sekyu, which probes the life of a security guard who uncovers dark secrets in a building he’s guarding in Cubao.
“Sekyu” also explores power relations.
Tabora, a former managing editor of the Varsitarian, said that he followed the tradition of Cannes-winning Thomasian director Brillante Mendoza and prolific screenwriter Armando Lao.
“I follow their tradition which has a very serious tone and very much grounded on realism,” he said.
Literature sophomore Lance Santiago bagged second place for Kabataan Sanaysay for his essay, “Ang Nakakakiliting Kalabit ng Bukang-Liwayway,” which emphasizes the significant role of Filipino literature in uniting the nation.
“Like what I wrote in my essay, what is the sense of reading literature if you don’t read your own?” he said.
The three Thomasian winners said the future of literature in the country does not depend alone on the writers, but also on the audience, particularly the younger generation of readers.
“If you want serious literature, there are many great local literary works people can read,” said Tabora.
Pacala said literature will never die and will only change in medium, as there are other platforms like Wattpad and blogs which can be used as alnernative media for writing.
“It simply evolves but it’s the same content. Same writing style [and] everything from the very beginning of literature,” he said.
Santiago called for quality literature.
Without quality, literature “could… eventually die,” he said. D.A.P. Baybado and C.A.P. Sta.Cruz
