Eyebrows have been raised over some names included in the new list of the country's National Artists. Named National Artist for Theater was Cecille Guidote-Alvarez, incidentally the executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), which oversees the selection process of the National Artist Awards together with the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Alvarez is also the presidential adviser on culture.
According to a report by Newsbreak, it is a 'shameless' selection. Alvarez runs the the awards secretariat, and advises Malacañang on matters that concern the sector for which the award is intended. Says the report, "Actually, [some artists] also feared that President Arroyo would do dagdag-bawas on the list of awardees that the Council of Experts submitted. That, Gng. Gloria also did. She inserted not just 1 name but 4."
Carlo J. Caparas was also named National Artist for Visual Arts and Film along with the late Manuel Conde (whose production of his self-starring Genghis Khan made waves at the 1952 Venice Film Festival) for cinema, Federico Aguilar Alcuaz for visual arts, Lazaro Franciso for literature, Francisco "Bobby" Mañosa for architecture, and Jose "Pitoy" Moreno for fashion design.
Spot.ph wants to know what you think!
Click here to read SPOT.ph blogger Lourd de Veyra's alternative list for the National Artists Awards.
Click here to read Part 2 of Lourd de Veyra's Alternative National Artist List.
Another case of dagdag bawas? in the past, the country's president like Ramos or Estrada, would shoe in one or two of their favorites. But Gloria added four names to the list and dropped Prof Ramon Santos, clearly abusing her power as president even in the field of culture and arts. Why Pitoy Moreno and Cecile Guidote Alvarez? Why, why, why?
Unfortunately, because she can can can can can. That's the sad fate of the arts under PGMA.
Simple lang. Si Cecile Guidotte Alvarez, walang delicadeza. Siya ang nagpapatakbo ng NCCA at nagbibigay ng payo kung sino ang dapat tumanggap ng National Artists Award, at eto ngayon, naka bantay salakay. Dapat, magresign na siya sa NCCA kung tatangapin niya ang award dahil bukod sa may conflict of interest, double compensation pa siya. Yan ang ayaw na ayaw ng Commission on Audit at ng Sandigang Bayan.
This year's National Artists awards definitely makes a mockery of the "National Artist" Award. What did Cecille Guidote Alvarez do that merited her the Award?? And what did Carlo J do also to get the Award. Both of them are very close to GMA, and I guess that is what they did, get close to GMA. GMA deserves some "Batok" for her Choices.
OMGMA! Pati ba naman yan pinakialaman ni GMA? Wala siyang K! What does she know? And why are the artists not rising up in arms? Ok lang ba sa kanila?
It's patently ridiculous that Carlo J. Caparas was awarded with the title for Visual Arts and Film. Clearly, these two categories are separate, so "Visual Arts" means CJC's work in comics. The puzzling thing is, CJC is NOT an illustrator. He has never drawn any of this comic book stories, least of all his most popular creations. Panday and Pieta were drawn by Steve Gan. Bakekang was drawn by Mar Santana. How can someone who is NOT a visual artist get the National Artist title for Visual Arts? It is illogical, it is ridiculous, and it is insulting to every visual artist out there, including those who deserve it so much more, like Francisco V. Coching and Larry Alcala, who should have been awarded this title long ago.
Dios mio, kung ako si Caparas, hindi ko tatanggapin ang award. Kung ako naman yung mga ibang National Artist, isosoli ko ang award ko. When something is too ubiquitous, too easily obtained, it loses its special character. Walang kuwenta.
this system is just exasperating! sadly, we allow it.
Dumb, thats all i can say...
I dont question Pitoy Moreno's inclusion. My only beef is with Alvarez since she runs the awards. out of delicadeza she should have opted out, though im sure she has her fair share in the arts. For Caparas, there is some bias, since he has been a strong GMA supporter since before.
pati ba baman eto me politika! it sucks!
DAPAT SINAMA SI DOLPHY SI DABOY RUDY FERNANDEZ AT SI MASTER RAPPER FRANCIS MAGALONA SA NATIONAL ARTIST AWARD 2009 DAHIL SILA RIN AY MAY KONTRIBUSYON DIN SILA SA PELIKULANG AT MUSIKANG PILIPINO PHALIBHASA SINA GUIDOTE ALVAREZ AT SI CARLO C. CAPARAS AY LAGING RIDE ON KAY PGMA MGA WALANG HIYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYA SILA!
so so sad...maybe i can be national artist to... my uncle is to GMA
PUTANGINANG PRESIDENTE YAN PATI AWARDS DINADAYA! PUTANGINA NIYA!
To be fair to Ms. Cecille, marami talaga siyang naiambag sa teatro from way back. Pero delicadeza ngayon ang usapan. Sayang, Ma'am. JUST SAY NO.
I really can not understand you guys. Kahit siguro sinong gawing national artist, siguradong may comment kayo. At kahit siguro mga manok niyo ang napili, I am sure you would comment something like "ginawa yan ni GMA to hide her prejudice towards her personal bets..." Ewan.
hindi na (dapat) si gloria ang president sa next awarding of the Natl Artist awards. So yong mga karapatdapat talaga na makakuha ng award na eto, may chance na next time. At ok na rin siguro di sila nananalo during gloria's term kasi sham naman ang presidency ni gloria. Sham na corrupt pa. And for the next NA awards, i nominate Dolphy and Mars Ravelo. And i am sure there are many others also deserving.
Who's complaining anyway? The intelligentsia? They who wish to preserve the so-called integrity of this process so that their ranks may not be shamefully tainted with the names of the unworthy? Funny, but those that scream "dictatorship" and "undue interference" acknowledge that theirs is simply the power to recommend. So who's usurping whose powers anyway when the body constituted simply to recommend now lust to dictate upon the authority that constituted it? National Artist - Artists for the Nation; Not simply for one’s peers. Go around. Ask the ordinary pedestrian if he is even familiar with the names that the joint NCCA-CCP Committee (exclusively) came up with over the years. Arrogance is when two offices believe that they have a patent, nay, a monopoly over who should be named "the country's finest." Hypocrisy is believing they have a grasp of the sentiments of the Filipino, when they obviously reek of contempt for the tastes and sensibilities of the masses.
… the silence … Throwing criticisms isn’t as easy as you thought it would be huh? Why go ahead, call your writers. And while you’re at it, you might want to come up with a stronger thesis on why you think this “sacred process†was subverted. In fact, if the question is procedural, why not bring it up before a court of law? If the issue is substantive, why not present your case why each of the four named “outside of the process†aren’t deserving. If the case is “delicadeza,†why not present proof that undue influence was actually exerted to affect the President’s choice/s? Don’t just throw around motherhood statements and expect to win public opinion. If argumentation were art, you just stumbled upon the lowest form there is. Eureka!
Nawawala na ang kinang at mataas na pagtingin sa National Artist Award sa mga pangyayaring ito. Sa huli naman, ang mga creative output pa rin naman ng mga artist ang magsasalita tungkol sa kanila. Marahil, makukuha/tatanggapin nina Cecile Guidote Alvarez at ni Carlo J. Caparas ang award, pero malinaw sa ating mga Pilipino, tayo-tayo nagkakaintindihan na di sila karapat-dapat muna sa parangal na ito.