FORMER Varsitarian editor in chief Victor Emmanuel Carmelo “Vim” Nadera Jr. won Best Book of Nonfiction Prose in Filipino for his essay collection “Tokhang at Iba Pang Nanlabang Sanaysay” at the 43rd National Book Awards.
“The selection process evolved around the criteria of “nanlaban.” So most of the essays, if not all, are products of resistance,” Nadera said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
He said the essays in “Tokhang at Iba Pang Nanlabang Sanaysay” went through critical evaluations before being included in the collection.
The citation read: “Madiskarteng sanaysayista si Nadera. Masiste kumbaga. Siguro dahil mas matandang tinali na siya subalit nakadidiga pa rin ng kontemporanyong estilo sa pagsusulat.”
The collection is the third installment in “Terapiyang Trilohiya,” a trilogy on “personal healing” begun by Nadera during the pandemic.
The synopsis of the book stated, “Inaasahang ang aklat na ito ay mabubuhay upang ipagpatuloy ang pagsasalaysay bilang anyo ng pagpapagaling.”
It was preceded by the poetry collection “Gadaling-Noo,” published in 2017, and the essay collection “Kumusta, 2020?: Alaala ng isang alay,” published in 2022. Both were released by the University of the Philippine Press.
Nadera, a UST psychology alumnus, said writing helped him cope with a number of traumatic phases in his life, citing the onset of quarantine, relocating with his family, and a heart attack in 2023.
Pain and grief became recurring themes in his essays.
“In a way, looking back, it is my way of staying in control, especially, during the pandemic, when the future was absolutely not promised,” Nadera said.
Nadera also encouraged young readers and writers to take action as witnesses of history, recalling an encounter with a student who finished the book in one sitting.
“As writers, we can aspire to become, not necessarily, historians—but historically informed pen pushers,” Nadera said.
“Tokhang at Iba Pang Nanlabang Sanaysay” competed alongside award-winning novelist Emmanuel Barrameda’s work “Pamamahay: Mga Sanaysay.”
“Tokhang” was the Filipinas Institute of Translation choice for “Salita ng Taon” in 2018.
Nadera expressed hope that the recognition would help revive the “Salita ng Taon” with words that mirror the state of the country.
The National Book Awards, formerly organized by the Filipino Critics Circle, was established in 1982. It has been co-administered by the National Book Development Board since 2008.
The awarding rites took place at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong on March 14, coinciding with the 2026 Philippine Book Festival. Charlize Ann D. Lavastida
