THERE ARE stories behind the stories, poems, and essays of this year’s winners of the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature.

For Filipino Lecturer Allan Alberto Derain, his story “May Tatlong Kurimaw” stemmed from his desire to re-tell an old epic—“Indarapatra at Sulayman”—and make it relevant to today’s audience.

First time-winner April Jade Imson, also a Filipino lecturer, said her entry “Si Karding at ang Buwaya” is inspired by her desire to change the readers’ perception about the cruel crocodile, which, Imson said, was actually a “water constable” or guardian in Filipino history.

Derain and Imson placed third and second, respectively, in the Maikling Kwentong Pambata category of the Palanca Awards. Aside from Derain and Imson, other Ateneans were honored in the awards.

Filipino Professor Michael Coroza bagged the second prize for his essay “Ang Mabuhay Singers at Ako sa Pag-awit at Pag-ibig” in the Filipino Essay category. Jing Panganiban-Mendoza (AB IS ’00) grabbed the first prize in the same category.

Ana Maria Katigbak (AB Comm ’01) won second prize for “Sl(e)ights,” while Marie La Viña (III AB Philo) placed third for her collection “The Gospel According to the Blind Man” in the Poetry category.

Mikael de Lara Co (BS ES ’03) won first place for his poem “Ang Iba’t Ibang Ngalan ng Hangin” for the Filipino Poetry category.

Miguel Syjuco’s (AB Lit Eng ’02) “Ilustrado” won for the Novel category, which is opened every three years. Christina Tantengco (I AB Comm), meanwhile, bagged second prize for her essay “The Things that Lie Beyond the Postcards” in the Kabataan Essay division.

All awardees were honored September 1 at the Peninsula Manila Hotel in Makati. Now on its 58th year, the Palanca Awards aims to promote Filipino literature in the country by recognizing exemplary Filipino writers.

Crocodiles, monsters

Derain’s story is about three boys from war-torn Mindanao who engage in a game called “pangontra.” In the game, the boys imagine monsters and try to best each other on the kinds of monsters they will imagine.

“Tingin ko may ambag ang aking kuwento sa paraan ng pagkukuwento, sa pagsusulat ng kwentong pambata dito sa Pilipinas (I think my story contributes to the way of telling, of writing children’s stories in the Philippines),” Derain said.

The story tries to value imagination as part of the healing process of kids with traumatic experiences, he added.

Imson’s story, meanwhile, is about a cowardly and hungry boy, Karding, who rides a crocodile to Mebuyan’s town where there is plenty of food.

The story combines elements of fantasy and reality, said Imson.

“Maipagmamalaki ko siya kasi intertextual siya, at sana magustuhan ng mga bata kasi sinikap ko siyang maging nakakatawa (I can be proud of it because it is intertextual, and I hope kids will like it because I strived to make it funny),” she said.

The seen and unseen

La Viña, who graduated high school from the Philippine High School of the Arts, said her poems are “about a search, which implies both the seen and unseen, and the possibilities of misunderstanding things.”

The poems in her collection do not say a single message. Rather, the poems are to be understood and misunderstood in different ways, she said.

“I hope that readers enjoy the poems for their nuances, ambiguities and openness to wonder through language,” La Viña said.

As an Atenean, she added that the poems’ imagery are derived from certain traditions, like theology. “I cannot help writing from the perspective of one who has grown up with these particular experiences.”

Manila

For her Kabataan essay, Tantengco wrote about Manila. She said, “The theme given for this year was, if there’s a foreigner where would you take him?”

Tantengco said she will take the foreigner to Manila, despite its grime and mess. “I think Manila really, really symbolizes the Philippines…it’s full of human experience,” she said.
“It’s very very, it’s a rich place, tipong (like) there’s the Baclaran Church then you have the pamparegla (menstrual inducer),” she added.

This is Tantengco’s second time to win a Palanca, following her first prize on the same category last year.