The First Sugbuhanong Bahandi Awards

CEBU, Philippines — The Cebu City Government capped August’s inaugural staging as Cebu City Arts Month with a gala dinner and awards night for Cebuano artists and arts movers.

Held at the Arctic Room of Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino on August 31, the main highlight of occasion took form in recognizing the forerunning recipients of the Sugbuhanong Bahandi award.

Poised as a way to recognize and celebrate the accomplishments of Cebuano talents in the visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, media arts, music, dance, theater and allied arts fields, the award is granted to individuals who have made significant contributions to Cebu City’s ascension as a creative city.

It was mainly drawn to form by Cebu City vice mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, wherein the City’s Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission will be responsible for the selection and evaluation of the award’s nominees, and conferment of the awards to deserving individuals will be held during the culminating activity of every Cebu City Arts Month moving on.

Here are quick takes on the recipients of this year’s Sugbuhanong Bahandi Awards.

Jose “Kimsoy” Caras Yap, Jr.

After graduating with a degree in Architecture from the Cebu Institute of Technology, Jose “Kimsoy” Yap, Jr. further honed his skills by studying painting at the National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts in New York.

A magnanimous mentor, he found a creative synergy with prominent Samboan-born artist Benji Goyha in organizing workshops and art excursions with younger Cebuano artists – so much so that several now-well-known Cebuano artists like Cesar Castillo, Maxcel Migallos, Pempe Ybañez, Ivy Ang, Gigi Ocampo, Darby Vincent Alcoseba and Melver Mercado, among many others, are noted to have been influenced by his creative expertise.

Kimsoy’s artistry hinges on the art of restraint, which is evinced in his meticulous use of line and space. His roster of distinctions includes recognition from the Southeast Asian Art Competition and multiple accolades from the National Academy of Design School of Fine Arts in New York.

Nicolas Romo Pacaña

Premier Cebu-born danseur Nicolas Pacaña has long captivated the international ballet scene in holding distinctions like being the premier danseur of the Honolulu City Ballet, and soloist-then-principal dancer at the Boston Ballet.

He was also the lead danseur of the Atlanta Ballet during the 80s and 90s, where he became very well-known for his interpretations of “Prince Desire” in The Sleeping Beauty, “Taverna” in Carmina Burana and playing lead roles in Blanchine ballets.  He held the position of lead danseur for the Atlanta Ballet for eleven years.

Pacaña began training under the tutelage of Fe Sala Villarica, founder of BalletCenter Cebu, in 1968. From there, he journeyed to Los Angeles on a scholarship to study under former Royal Ballet London soloist Patricia Stander, and eventually found his way into the Atlanta Ballet in 1982.

In 1994, he was named as the co-artistic director of the Atlanta Festival Ballet and Festival Ballet School. In 2001, he was invited by his former mentor, Fe Sala Villarica, to return to Cebu City as a guest dancer and choreographer. Since then, he has been most instrumental in presenting repertory programs for BalletCenter in Cebu City and the Royeca Schools of Ballet in Davao City, Tagum City and General Santos City. In 2006, he was named co-artistic director of Ballet Center Cebu with Gregory Aaron.

Resil Buagas Mojares

For more than fifty years, Dr. Resil Mojares has written more than twenty books on Philippine history, literature and politics.

In 2018, the researcher, writer and educator made history in being the first Cebuano to have been conferred with a National Artist Award, after having received six Philippine National Book Awards, a Carlos Palanca Memorial Award, a Centennial Award for Cultural Research from the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the 2013 Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi award from Ateneo de Manila University.

Dr. Mojares’ roster of distinctions also includes the Grand Goodman Prize for History from the Association of Asian Studies and the Fok Ying Tung Southeast Asia Prize. He is the founding director of the University of San Carlos’ Cebuano Studies Canter, and is widely praised for pioneering Cebuano and national identity formation via actively networking various organizations and individuals in the research and documentation field.

Born in the town of Polanco in Zamboanga del Norte, he moved to Cebu during his undergraduate years, when he earned an AB English degree in 1964. He got his MA in literature in 1969, and graduate studies in anthropology in 1974 at the University of San Carlos, where he is now a professor emeritus.

Rodolfo Escalona Villanueva

Ordained a priest on June 5, 1963, Rodolfo Villanueva is the liturgical composer of several liturgical music pieces lik ethe “Cancionero Cebuanos”, “Twenty-Four Masses”, “Salterio Cebuano” and the “Festive Series” which are pieces which the Archdiocese of Cebu continues to use.

Apart from being a composer, he taught English and music, and is also a writer. Under the pen name Renato Madrid, he has published several titles like the collection of short stories “Southern Harvest” in 1996 and the novels “Devil Wings” (published in 1997) and “Mass for the Death of an Enemy” in 2000.

As Renato Madrid, Villanueva was shortlisted last year for entry into the Order of National Artists in the Field of Literature, which fittingly complemented his many Palanca Awards and National Book awards from the Manila Critics Circle.

Kenneth Chen Cobonpue

Known for unique designs that integrate natural materials that’re molded through innovative handmade production processes, Kenneth Cobonpue is a multi-awarded industrial designer and manufacturer.

He graduated in 1991 with an Industrial Design degree at the Pratt Institute in New York, and subsequently worked and studied in Italy and in Germany.

In 1995, he returned to the Philippines to manage the furniture company of his mother, Betty, who is considered to have pioneered the use of rattan in furniture. In 1998, he established his own brand which currently has more than three hundred employees and craftsmen in Cebu, and offices and showrooms in Germany, Portugal, Manila and the USA.

His designs have been featured in several full-length films, and in 2020, the Cultural Center of the Philippines awarded him with the organization’s highest prize for his contributions to Filipino culture and design.

He is the fonder of the Industrial Design Program of the University of the Philippines – Cebu, and became the chairman of the Department of Industrial Design at De La Salle – College of Saint Benilde.

Romulo “Mulong” Noel Galicano

Mentored by the “dean of Cebuano painters” Martino Abellana, Romulo Galicano, pursed his passion for painting by studying Fine Arts at the University of the East Ramon Magasaysay in Manila.

From there, he has earned a reputation for masterfully capturing expressive works that depict lifescapes and landscapes of life in the countryside, apart from crafting detailed renderings of everyday Filipino experiences.

Famed for masterfully capturing the essence of Filipino culture and traditions, he is the founding chairman of the Portrait Artists Society of the Philippines, which is a Cebu-headquartered organization that’s devoted to hone and fine tune the craft and artistry in portraiture.

The Winners of the First Cebu City Arts Month’s Competitions

Also recognized during the gala were the winners of the month’s revue of competitions which included the “Tatak Sugbo Painting Competition”, the “Binisaya Cinemathon 2023” and the “Coskultura” competition, among many others.

“Tatak Sugbo Painting Competition”

1st Place – Wilfredo Cañete

2nd Place – Jayson Droña

3rd Place – Antonio Alcoseba

Run  Vladimir Valdehueza, John Lee Bolorio, Boyet Auditor and Clint Normandia

Coskultura Competition

Winner – Marydee Manayaga

Best in Props Making – Claire Dacalos

Best in Skit Performance – Lian Katrin aMelencion

Best in Skit Performance (fight choreography) – Alexis Steve Cesa

Binisaya Cinemathon 2023

Best Film Award - “Ang Adlaw Nga Namatay Si Pilip” by Adurey Jellan Langcamon, Zhynnon Mar Mantos and Zildjian Cedreic Regañon

Audience’s Choice Award - “Ang Adlaw Nga Namatay Si Pilip” by Adurey Jellan Langcamon, Zhynnon Mar Mantos and Zildjian Cedreic Regañon

Logo Design Competition

Winner – Leevine Panogalinog