On Wednesday night the National Artists for 2009 was officially announced on television, and I was shocked to learn that there are seven awardees. Early last month we attended the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) General Assembly at the Manila Pavillion, and we learned that the NCCA and Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP)-led body for the selection of National Artists have officially submitted only four names to Malacañang for the Presidents confirmation. How come there are seven?
The original four names, according to insider source, are Federico Alcuaz (visual arts), Manuel Urbano a.k.a. Manuel Conde (film), Lazaro Franciso (literature), and Ramon Santos (music). The additional awardees are Cecile Guidote-Alvarez (theater), Francisco Mañosa (architecture), Carlo J. Caparas (film and visual arts), and Pitoy Moreno (fashion design).
While we don't question the inclusion of Alvarez, Mañosa, Moreno, and (OK let's give it to him for his work as komiks writer and illustrator, but never as filmmaker) Caparas, we wonder how the addition happened. And how come Ramon Santos was dropped from the list?
Malacañang issued a statement the day after that the President's role is purely ministerial, approving only what NCCA and CCP recommended. If this were true, somebody tampered with the official recommendation before it reached the President. There is something anomalous in the selection, and both NCCA/CCP and the Office of the President have a lot of explaining to do to keep the integrity of the National Artist awards.
