EXEMPLARY Thomasian literary writers were awarded in their respective genres at the 29th Gawad Ustetika hosted by The Varsitarian on December 14 at the Plaza Mayor.

     The annual literary contest had received 154 entries this year, a bigger number than last year’s. The Varsitarian accepted entries from November 4 until 16.

     Works submitted were in different genres of literature, namely, Dulang May Isang Yugto or One-Act Play, Sanaysay, Katha, Dula, Maikling Kwentong Pambata, Essay, Fiction, and Poetry.

Winners

     A third, second, and first prize can be awarded per category. Special citations were also awarded in some categories. But in other cases, there could be no winner at all.

     Such is the case of the Essay category, judged by Oscar Campomanes, Shirley Lua, and Danilo Francisco Reyes, wherein there were two honorable mentions, Sophia Beatrice B. Lazo’s On the Woman’s Anatomy, and John Evan P. Orias’ Thread, but there were no announced place winners.

     Meanwhile, only third and second prizes were awarded in the Fiction category, which was judged by Francezca Kwe, Angelo “Sarge” Lacuesta, and John Jack Wigley. The winners were Karina D.R. Pe Benito for Parlor Geis, and Paul Castillo for Reply Slip, respectively. While other categories gave little to no awards, some categories gave out all the three places and threw in a special citation or two.

     Among these categories is the Katha category, judged by Eros Atalia, Abdon Balde Jr., and Jun Cruz Reyes, wherein Seis by Rijel Immanuel Reyes, and Seldang Babasagin by Joshua Carlo T. Pile were special citations, Langoy by Christine Emano won third place, Kuwentong Kuwentista by Ryan Jamil V. Ario won second place, and QWERTYUIOP by Christian P. Mendoza won first place.

     Another category which gave out a lot of awards is the Poetry category, judged by Carlomar Arcangel Daoana, Mookie Katigbak Lacuesta, and Mariano Kilates, wherein Hans Lawrence Malgapu’s Borderline between Déjà Vu and Jamais Yu and Rommel V. Roxas’ Taking the Moment of Inertia received special citations. Maria Karen M. Valera’s Melancholia won third place, Jan Marvi F. Atienza’s Unresolved Geometries took second place, and Joshua Carlo T. Pile’s The Vanishing Sea won first prize.

     The Sanaysay category, judged by Romulo “Joey” Baquiran, Jerry Gracio, and Jose Wendell Capili, gave Jansen Joel C. Romero’s Bilog a special citation; Marie Giselle Dela Cruz’ Pan de Coco, Hexene Giselle D. Daya’s Si St. Jude Thaddeus, and Rommel V. Roxas’ Cuatro Aguas won third, second, and first places respectively.

     Meanwhile, awardees in the One-Act Play/Dulang May Isang Yugto category, which was judged by Ralph Semino Galan, Jose Victor Torres, and Chuckberry Pascual, were Danielle Joyce E. Factora for Ang Kasalanan sa Kasalanan third place, second place for Sarung Bangi by Christine E. Emano, and first place for Kris Joven Medalla’s Baraha.

     The Tula category, judged by Joselito Delos Reyes, Victor Emmanuel Carmelo Nadera Jr., and Benilda Santos, gave third place to Hulagway by Paul Castillo, second place to Paglayas at Iba Pang Tula by Elaine Lazaro, and first place to Katalik ng Palad by Rommel Roxas.

     Finally, Christine E. Emano’s Ang Nanay kong Tatay, Hope Jael S. Perez’ Ang Pagtupad sa Kahilingan ni Lucia, and Marie Giselle R. Dela Cruz’ Tahing Kamay ni Nanay won third, second, and first places respectively in the Maikling Kwentong Pambata category which was judged by Rebecca Añonuevo, Michael Coroza, Luis Gatmaitan, and Eugene Evasco.

Special Awards

     Two special awards were also up for grabs, although only one of them can be won by a student.

     This award is the Rector’s Literary Award which recognizes the work which best mirrors the Catholic vision of redemption and the Thomist reconciliation of faith and reason among the first placers of each category. The award was the original name of the Gawad Ustetika before it was revived in 1986 after it was shut down during the Martial Law regime as Gawad Ustetika, which is an amalgam of UST and estetika or aesthetics.

     However, the Rector’s Literary Award for this year has not been awarded yet. “The Rector’s busy schedule didn’t fit and was not able to choose a winner,” The Varsitarian’s Publication Adviser, Joselito B. Zulueta said to the audience. He did say that if the Rector does choose a winner, it may be announced on the January issue of The V.

     The other special award is the Parangal Hagbong, which is given to Thomasians whose accomplishments left a great impact in the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

     One of this year’s Parangal Hagbong awardees is Norma Miraflor, who was a writer for the Blue Quill, the publication of the then Faculty of Philosophy and Letters, a Varsitarian editor, a teacher, a journalist, and multi-Palanca Award winner.

     Drama enthusiast Piedad Guinto Rosales is another Parangal Hagbong awardee who has established DZST, now Radio Veritas, established the Aquinas Dramatic Guild, teacher, and has aimed to establish a Drama Department at the Faculty of Arts and Letters.

By Xavier Allen C. Gregorio