SPOT.ph got the official statement of Leo Martinez, Director General of the Film Academy of the Philippines, about the selection of Carlo J. Caparas as National Artist for Visual Arts and Film:
Where did he come from?
Some weeks back, news was rife about the National Artist Awardees awaiting confirmation by Malacañang. Cited as National Artist for Film, albeit posthumously, was Manuel Conde. We at the Film Academy of the Philippines had nominated Director Celso Ad. Castillo, but really, nobody can dispute Mr. Conde’s place in Philippine cinema¹s history. We believe that even Director Castillo who is similarly deserving of the award will graciously acknowledge the greatness of the man.
Two days ago, the confirmation was finally announced and to our surprise and to the surprise of many in the film industry, the National Artist Award for Film was also conferred on Carlo Caparas. Not only that, he was bestowed the National Artist Award for Film AND Visual Arts.
So, where did he come from? Throughout the long and exacting selection process, Carlo Caparas was never, ever mentioned as nominee, not for film and surely not for visual arts. All of a sudden, he is a National Artist and seemingly the most gifted of all for straddling two major art fields.
There only seems to be one answer to this mystery. Between the Awards selection panels and us, the people, the list of awardees made a stop-over in Malacañang. Someone waved the magic wand and a name appeared, a person who never went through the incisive and deliberate scrutiny that the rest of the awardees were subjected to by the Awards organizers. I believe that this is an act of blatant accommodation.
Conferring the highest award on someone who was never in the running makes a travesty of the National Artists Awards, an institution that has been looked up to, venerated even for the recognition it gives to Filipinos whose body of works or whose contribution to the Filipino people is of the highest order. We have as this year’s awardees Manuel Conde for Film and Federico Alcuaz for Visual Arts. Both are commendable, both beyond question. It has never been done before but had the Organizers wanted to give the same award to more than one person, why not consider the other most deserving nominees. Instead, and to our utter disgust, a new category was coined and the two most prestigious awards for Film and Visual Arts were conferred on Carlo Caparas.
It is a pity that the National Artist Award has been reduced to a joke.
LEO G. MARTINEZ
Director General
Film Academy of the Philippines
Photo from filmacademyphil.org
Asa ka pa eh alam mo naman na we are being fucked by GMA.
Caparas as National Artist? Insult to the highest degree.
Lino Brocka
Ishmael Bernal
Gerardo de León
Fernando Poe, Jr.
Eddie S. Romero
Manuel Conde
tapos….Carlo Caparas???
OH MY GAAAAADDDDD!!!!!!!
According to NOMINATION PROCEDURE of NCCA national Artist
• Members of the Special Research Group, as well as agencies attached to the NCCA and CCP shall not submit nominations.
• NCCA and CCP Board members and consultants and NCCA and CCP officers and staff are automatically disqualified from being nominated.
How come Cecile Guidote Alvarez, Commissioner (Executive Director, National Commission for Culture and the Arts) was bestowed as National Artist for Theater eh diba automatically disqualified nga kapag NCCA and CCP Board Members, consultant, officers and staff? Hindi naman pala sya kasali sa shortlist of nominees that was submitted to President Arroyo last May.
Halata namang dagdag bawas ang ginawa ni arroyo dito. Grabe ka naman Alvarez, nahiya ka na lang sana tanggapin ang award na yan alam mo naman ang rules and regulation (sabhin na nating deserving ka kasi malaki rin naman daw ang naitulong mo still mali pa rin kasi nga ATTACHED KA SA NCCA so dapat hindi ka NATIONAL ARTIST).
SABAGAY, kung malaking PERA AT FAME ang paguusapan PAKAPALAN na lang talaga ng mukha diba??? Dapat may category na rin kayo na include jan NATIONAL ARTIST for PAKAPALAN ng MUKHA at doon ka bagay ALVAREZ.
an artist that i follow has aptly called caparas and guidote as “NOTional Artists”
When I was browsing sa mga nominees pa lang, I was already telling my wife na ano ba ‘yan merong mas maraming karapat-dapat naman. Then the big bang…as you have said, out of nowhere, CAPARAS! I am a nobody, however, I know what a national artist must be.
it’s not because caparas identifies with the masang tao but it’s because there are other people worthy of being given the national artist award. caparas may be able to translate his ideas into movies but that doesn’t make him an artist.
Thats the good thing in here in the Philippines, ang mga gangsters and criminals natin nasa mainstream, nasa position.
Walang panaman ang mga gang sa states.
Since the National Artist award has been reduced to a sad joke… I think all previously-awarded national artists should return the award. Just pile those medals and statuettes onto GMA’s grubby hands. Shame on her and on those ass-licking prestige-seeking so-called “national artists”.
I fully agree with Mr. Martinez. This is so sad that Filipinos could not recognize real talent when they see one. Everyone has taste, but something has to be done about having choosing the judges who sit in the National Artist Awards. They have to have “good” taste. It is sad to see the continuous erosion of our values and our perception of art. What about Gemino Abad who recently garnered an award for Premio Feronia award in Literature in Italy? He carried Philippines with pride. How come he was not given a National Artist award? Was he even nominated? How come other countries can recognize real talent when they see one? Are we simply limited to the likes of fantasia stories or Carlo J. Caparas?
This issue had gone so far and drag so many names to nowhere. Each of us is an ARTIST in our own little way - those who were nominated & awarded were the ones who have made a difference/contribution to FILIPINO ART and deserves the recognition & award - we are not in the position to DICTATE nor JUDGE that an ARTIST is not eligible for it nor tell the he/she is less of an artist to the ones that “WE WANT” to have the award. My point is simple - If we/someone really wants to have the awards then work for it - work hard, work really really hard - instead of criticizing other people, so that when the right time comes that you were able to get the award you can say to yourself w/ pride and conviction that you really deserve it BUT if that TIME doesn’t come at all well atleast you can tell to yourself that you’ve done your part and made a difference/contribution to our country then be PROUD of it.
Basta maalala ko kay Carlo J Caparas is yung Visconde Massacre na may Back to the Future Soundtrack. Artist nga ba ika. Im very sorry to say this but Carlo J Caparas is among the worst Film Director i know.