Open Letter to a (Former) Filipino Artist(a)

If you've read the Philippine Star yesterday like I did, chances are you've come across Kit Tatad's open letter to Erap in its pages. It's impossible to miss it; it spans two entire pages.

I normally avoid talking about politics, because it's such a polarizing subject. But whether we like it or not, polarizing or not, politics does affect ordinary lives. Like mine.

Anyway, after reading the letter, the first thought that popped into my head was: Can Erap completely understand this? It sounds condescending, I know. But honestly, can he?

United Opposition? More like Eeeew-nited Hop-position (they're always hopping back and forth from one party to another, aren't they?), if you ask me.

I don't know whether to laugh or cry for ourselves. Kinda sad, isn't it? Sigh.

Sweeter the Second Time

The January 22 issue of The Philippine Graphic finally released the winners of its Philippine Graphic-Nick Joaquin Literary Awards for 2006. They are:

First Prize: Virgilio Harry C. Tejero, for Perfume Close to My Heart.
Second Prize: Mario Ignacio Miclat, for Antonio and His China Wall.
Third Prize: E.B. Maranan, for Luna's Land.

The judges are: Adrian T. Cristobal, Vicente Garcia Groyon and Lito Zulueta.

In his essay on the winning pieces, Groyon says that many of the stories published in the magazine from August 2005 to August 2006 have unusual content. He also adds that a number of them have deviated from conventional realist fiction in one way or another.

For my part, it's worth noting that this is the second consecutive time Tejero won in this contest, and more impressively, in the same position. It's also worth noting that this is not the first time Miclat's story won an award; it first won a second-prize Palanca--way back in 1988!

CONGRATULATIONS to the winners!