IN RECOGNITION of his contributions to the development of the Filipino language, the Varsitarian conferred upon Dr. Bienvenido Lumbera the Parangal Hagbong during the 18th Gawad Ustetika Annual Awards for Literature, last Nov. 16 at the Main Bldg. lobby.
Lumbera was honored for encouraging universities nationwide to establish departments for its study and practice during the Marcos regime.
Lumbera admitted that he had been longing to receive the award like an actor waiting to receive his first Oscar.
“Kaligayahan ang nararamdaman ko na dulot ng pagwawakas ng mahabang paghihintay,” he said.
Lumbera finished Litt. B. Journalism, cum laude, in the old Faculty of Philosophy and Letters (now Faculty of Arts and Letters) in 1957. He was the Varsitarian’s Literary editor in 1953.
Started in 1997, the Parangal Hagbong is given to Thomasians who have made valuable contributions to the development of Philippine Literature.
Previous winners included National Artist for Theater Rolando Tinio and Tagalog social realist Rogelio Sicat in 1997, Tagalog fictionist Genoveva Edroza-Matute in 1998, National Artist for the Visual Arts J. Elizalde Navarro in 1999 (he was cited for his art criticism), Cebuana fictionist Erma Cuizon, Philippine Centennial Literary prize winner Reynaldo Duque and linguist and fictionist Ponciano Pineda in 2000, and Palanca award-winning fictionist Lilia Pablo Amansec last year.
On the same night, Legal Management senior Joseph Rosmon Tuazon received the Rector’s Literary Award (RLA). The RLA is given an Ustetika first prize winner and whose winning work best exemplifies the Catholic vision.
Tuazon placed first in the Tula and Katha categories for Sindi and Asocide, respectively. He also placed second in the Poetry category for Nearsight.
“Frankly, I was half-expecting to win it because I did my best and I worked hard on my entries. What came as a surprise was the Rector’s Literary Award,” Tuazon said.
Tuazon also received the Tomasinong Makata and Kwentista ng Taon awards.
In the Poetry category, literature sophomore Angelo Suarez, recipient of last year’s RLA, secured top honors for Moonlore and Other Poems, while Journalism sophomore Glenn Vincent Atanacio received the third prize for Dancing Suns.
Communication Arts senior Kristine Sioson was a runner-up in both the Tula and Katha categories for Bigla Nang Gumagalaw na Larawan and Nang si Juan ang Ginahasa. Next in rank in the Tula category was Literature senior Jelson Capilos for Ang Mercedes at ang Sarao, Etc.
Other winners were Ma. Francezca Therese Kwe, who topped the Essay category with Histories, and Anna Krisna Bautista, who placed third in the Katha category for Sikat. Both are junior Journalism students.
Suarez received the Thomasian Poet of the Year award, while Kwe was named Thomasian Essayist of the Year.
Honorable mentions were given to Journalism sophomore Martin Antonio Cruz for Twilight in the Center of the World in the Fiction category and Civil Law freshman Omar Gabrielles for Bentesingko in the Sanaysay category.
This year’s judges were Danilo M. Reyes, Christine Godinez-Ortega, and Alfred Yuson (Poetry); Vim Nadera, Virgilio Almario, and Jose Victor Torres (Tula); F. Sionil Jose, Rosario Cruz-Lucero, and Lourd de Veyra (Fiction); Dr. Cirilo Bautista, Michael Coroza, and Dr, Bienvenido Lumbera (Katha); Rebecca Añonuevo, Ferdinand Lopez, and J. Wendell Capili (Essay); and J. Neil Garcia, Dr. Ophelia Dimalanta, and Ramil Gulle (Sanaysay).
