But veteran is the big winner with 3 nods in play categories
FOR the 75th or Diamond Jubilee year of the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, 54 winners were chosen out of 2,359 entries, a record-high in the awards history. Of the 54, 36 were first-time awardees.
The ceremony, which annually recognizes Filipinos who exhibit the gold standard in writing excellence, was held in Makati City on Wednesday night.
There were 20 writing categories awarded as the Novel and Nobela categories were not open this year. These categories are open only every two years.
One of the first-time winners was Joan D. Saga-oc, a member of the Philippine Air Force, who was the Essay category grand prize winner for “Echoes of Life in a Kalinga Village: Past and Present.” The essay highlights her native Kalinga culture and conveys the importance of preserving traditions. It will be part of her upcoming self-published book about Kalinga village life.
“I didn’t even know about the Palancas. I heard about it from another author I met in Baguio,” she told BusinessWorld at the awards night. “So I went home and researched it. And I wrote my essay about three separate events of how life used to be in the village, the changes we have now, the vanishing past. It’s very personal.”
Ms. Saga-oc added that because she is self-published, her previous works are found only at Mt. Cloud Bookshop in Baguio City, though they are available to order through her online pages.
“This is a cultural responsibility, especially folk tales, which nobody is sharing anymore because they’re mostly oral. That’s why I decided to write them down and publish them,” she said.
Another first-time awardee was researcher Aldrine F. Anzures, who won the grand prize in the Dulang Isang Yugto category. His one-act play, Anino ng Pagtubos, is a conversation between two hitmen while drinking together, tackling themes of guilt and the human capacity for violence.
“I was more haunted by the idea of the story, of hitmen killing for different reasons,” he told BusinessWorld on the sidelines of the ceremony. “I wanted to see them conversing about that act, to confront the humanity of these people.”
Mr. Anzures explained that he had previously submitted his play to be staged, but it was not accepted — and that he is still working on improving it for it to be performed in the future. He said the Palanca win has validated that there is something to the story.
“It’s a lesson that, sometimes, there are plays that read well but aren’t ready yet for performance,” he said. “I never gave up on it because it’s my first time ever to write a play.”
BIG WINNER
The big winner that evening was playwright and filmmaker Dustin Celestino, who won first place for a full-length play in English with Fidelity, third place for a full-length play in Filipino (with no other winners) for A.NI.MAL, and second place for a one-act play in Filipino for Elehiya.
“This was not expected at all! Although I send several submissions every year, I don’t expect most of them to win,” he told BusinessWorld via Messenger. “At the end of the day, any competition about art is extremely subjective. This year, I had time to write for five categories, so winning three is definitely a pleasant surprise.”
Mr. Celestino’s works, whether for film or theater, are a hybrid of both forms, with dialogue-heavy scenes, long takes, and actors performing as if on stage. They are usually political in nature and reference current events, which for him means “they demand urgency.”
“I think our best-received works are films that we’re able to exhibit while the issues portrayed are still relevant. But, in our experience, it’s always two to three years delayed,” he said. His Palanca-winning play from 2019, Ang Duyan ng Magiting, was filmed and released at Cinemalaya in 2023.
He added that A.NI.MAL, about the corruption scandals of 2025, will “only be a year late,” as it is to be filmed and released at Cinemalaya in 2026. Meanwhile, Elehiya will be used for the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Virgin Labfest theater festival in 2026.
“When writing, I don’t decide whether something is a play or a film, because I freely adapt between media,” Mr. Celestino added. “It is a process I enjoy, because every adaptation teaches me more about the limits, as well as the advantages, of each art form.”
PASSING THE TORCH
The Palanca Awards, after 75 years, is an important avenue for writers to pursue different opportunities, said Dr. Ruth Elynia D. Mabanglo, poet, playwright, translator, educator, and guest of honor at this year’s ceremony.
In 1995, Ms. Mabanglo was the first woman inducted into the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature Hall of Fame. Her published works include “Anyaya ng Imperyalista,” “Gahasa at Iba Pang Tula,” and “Balada ni Lola Amonita.”
“The Palanca Awards opened many doors for me, the most consequential of which was to go to Hawaii,” she said in her speech. “At the University of Hawaii, I became the head of the program offering a Bachelor’s degree in Filipino and Philippine literature outside of the Philippines.”
For her, the new generations of awardees, beyond being recognized, should be able to pursue their own opportunities.
Meanwhile, Criselda Cecilio-Palanca, who represented the family behind the award, pointed out in a speech that it means a lot for the awards to be standing strong amid “bewildering times, with the world experiencing many challenges.”
“We realize that we cannot afford to stay stuck in our comfort zones in the midst of a fast-evolving and ever-confounding landscape. We see before our eyes the swift passing of the digital torch through generations, even as we grapple with the increasing intrusion of ChatGPT and AI in writer territory,” she said.
Established in 1950 in memory of Don Carlos Palanca, Sr., the Palanca Awards aims to develop Philippine literature by providing incentives for writers, to serve as a treasury of Philippine literary gems, and to assist in their dissemination. — Brontë H. Lacsamana
Winners of the 2025 Palanca Awards
FILIPINO DIVISIONMaikling Kuwento
1st Prize — “Isang Kahong Cassette Tapes” by Lee Joseph M. Castel
2nd Prize — “Myrna, Aso” by Gilbert M. Baldoza
3rd Prize — “Ang Ilusyon a Kulay ng Ating Budhi” by Ronaldo S. Vivo, Jr.
Maikling Kuwentong Pambata
1st Prize — “Ginoong Buwan” by Elyrah Loyola Salanga-Torralba
2nd Prize — “Problema Ko Si Nanay” by Genaro R. Gojo Cruz
3rd Prize — “Si Tala Sa Mahiwagang Pila Ng Jeep” by Dawn Gabriela Emmanuele G. Dela Rosa
Sanaysay
1st Prize — “Ari” by John Brixter M. Tino
2nd Prize — “Si Richard Gappi at Ako” by Filliffe Rae Anthonie C. Anorico
3rd Prize — “Ang Apat Kong Ina” by Angela Cabanes
Tula
1st Prize — “Paghimbing sa Templo” by Ronald A. Atilano
2nd Prize — “Guho” by Alvin C. Ursua
3rd Prize — “Doomsaying” by Karl Isaac M. Santos
Tula Para Sa Mga Bata
1st Prize — “Mga Minatamis na Taludtod” by Christopher S. Rosales
2nd Prize — “Unang Tibok ng Pusong Musmos” by Genaro R. Gojo Cruz
3rd Prize — “Ang Salita ay Isang Ugat” by Klara Domagtoy Espedido
Dulang May Isang Yugto
1st Prize — Anino ng Pagtubos by Aldrine F. Anzures
2nd Prize — Elehiya by Dustin Edward D. Celestino
3rd Prize — Dantay sa Patay by Rouchelle Dinglasan
DULANG GANAP ANG HABA1st Prize — NO WINNER
2nd Prize — NO WINNER
3rd Prize — A.NI.MAL by Dustin Edward D. Celestino
DULANG PAMPELIKULA1st Prize — Ang Birheng Ipinagkanulo by Christopher T. Cabahug
2nd Prize — Watsonville by Rodolfo C. Vera
3rd Prize — Mga Kalapating Matayog ang Lipad by Arjanmar H. Rebeta
ENGLISH DIVISIONShort Story
1st Prize — “Goat” by Al Ryanne G. Gatcho
2nd Prize — “Golgotha” by Enrico Miguel Perez
3rd Prize — “Milked For Milk” by Christopher D. Gabriel
Short Story for Children
1st Prize — “Captain Crayon and the Doodle Pirates” by John Bryan R. Balolong
2nd Prize — “That’s What I Said” by Manuelita Contreras-Cabrera
3rd Prize — “Kapid” by Bryan Mari J. Argos
Essay
1st Prize — “Echoes of Life in a Kalinga Village: Past and Present” by Joan D. Saga-Oc
2nd Prize — “The Cemetery Playlist” by Catherine S. Babao
3rd Prize — “Autoethnography of a Hermit Crab” by Mark Alden Arcenal
Poetry
1st Prize — “Translocation” by Jan Dennis S. Destajo
2nd Prize — “Strange, Black Silhouettes” by Alfonso G. Manalastas
3rd Prize — “Exodus 15” by Ryan Paul T. Caidic
Poetry Written for Children
1st Prize — “All The Worlds I Know” by Cyne Jarvis J. Zarceno
2nd Prize — “Wonders In The Whirlwind: Poems to Make You Think, Dream, and Do” by Junard P. Duterte
3rd Prize — “Words That Wiggle and Dance” by Salvacion D. Tandoc
One-Act Play
1st Prize — Repatriation by Russell Stanley Q. Geronimo
2nd Prize — The Field of Forgotten Dreams by Nicolo Ricardo C. Magno
3rd Prize — One-Winged Butterfly by Debbie Ann L. Tan
Full-Length Play
1st Prize — Fidelity by Dustin Edward D. Celestino
2nd Prize — LVNA by Rafael Paolo D. Jimenez
3rd Prize — The President’s Therapist by Salvacion D. Tandoc
REGIONAL DIVISIONShort Story-Cebuano
1st Prize — “Ang Kataposang Bato sa Isla Pangaea” by Jose Alenogene I. Limpangog
2nd Prize — “Unglo” by CD L. Borden
3rd Prize — “Samin” by Kenjiro P. Mitsui
Short Story-Hiligaynon
1st Prize — “Anaw” by Keft Sina-On Sobredo
2nd Prize — “Binakol” by Rex Menard L. Cervales
3rd Prize — “Bagat” by Al Jeffrey L. Gonzales
Short Story-Ilokano
1st Prize — “Ni Inang Cion ken ti Panagur-urayna” by Freddie P. Masuli
2nd Prize — “Ti Bannuar Ti Bario Tabueng” by Lito P. Hilidon
3rd Prize — “Fireplace” by Prudencio G. Padios
KABATAAN DIVISIONSanaysay
1st Prize — “Tamang Pagluto ng Sinigang” by Joshua P. Manio
2nd Prize — “Enter Prompt: Ma, Sorry Po!” by Jhanna Louise C. Amado
3rd Prize — “Suki Ako ng Pagod” by Euna P. Oraiz
Essay
1st Prize — “The Salt Sermon” by John Carl Ll. Guardian
2nd Prize — “Everything is Made Up” by Charisse Mae M. Gonzalo
3rd Prize — “Ctrl + V? No Thanks” by Celestin Nicole R. Facistol