FDCP’s ‘Parangal ng Sining’ to honor Philippines cinema icons, pioneers

Among the awardees of this year’s Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) “Parangal ng Sining” (“Honor of the Arts”) are Armando “Bing” Lao, Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo Jr., Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, Gloria Romero, Nicanor Tiongson, and the film organizations, Society of Filipino Archivists for Film (SOFIA) and ABS-CBN Film Restoration FDCP.

They will be given recognition in an awarding ceremony on April 19 at Seda Vertis North, Quezon City for their “significant contributions to the development of Philippine cinema.”

According to newly-appointed FDCP chairperson and chief executive officer Jose “Joey” Javier Reyes, the selection of the honorees was in line with FDCP’s thrust of honoring the past, navigating the present, and preparing for the future.

“If we look at the honorees, very few are performers. We are paying tribute to the people who have done research and who have become major teachers, who have become the (posts) of what Philippines cinema is today,” stated Reyes.

New FDCP head Jose ‘Joey’ Reyes and Joierie Pacumio, executive director of the Film Philippines Office.

“There is one big tribute to performers but now, our emphasis is on the people who made us feel that movies are not just movies for entertainment but movies are very much part of cultural history.”

He cited Tiongson, a film critic, writer, educator and scholar, who is also the founding member of Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino and the Professor Emeritus of the University of the Philippines (UP) Film Institute. He authored “The Urian Anthology” and “The Cinema of Manuel Conde.”

He also served as vice president and artistic director of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), chair of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and co-founder of the Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival.

On the other hand, Del Mundo Jr., a filmmaker, screenwriter, and educator, has written screenplays for National Artist for Film Lino Brocka’s “Maynila, sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag,” Mike De Leon’s “Kisapmata,” and “Batch ’81.” He also helmed “Pepot Superstar” and “Paglipad ng Anghel.” He was a founding member and former chairman of Manunuri ng Pelikulang Pilipino and served as the President Emeritus of SOFIA.

Award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Lao has penned screenplays for  Jeffrey Jeturian’s “Kubrador” and Brillante Mendoza’s films “Kinatay” and “Serbis.” He bagged Gawad Urian Awards for Best Screenplay for Chito S. Roño’s “Itanong mo sa Buwan” and “La Vida Rosa.” He conducted “Found Story” screenwriting workshops for aspiring screenwriters.

Besides being an actress, Roa-Rodrigo served as the president of the Movie Workers Welfare Foundation (Mowelfund), Inc. for 18 years.

“We are also honoring Boots Anson Roa-Rodrigo, not as an actress but as a leading proponent of Filipino leadership in film, in her work for Mowelfund,” declared Reyes.

“We are honoring Tita Boots not only because she is an actress but also one of the major movers of Philippines cinema. We know that she has done a lot of films but her contribution at Mowelfund and taking care of Filipino film workers is more important.”

Additionally, Romero — dubbed as the “Queen of Philippine Cinema” — will also be conferred the “Parangal ng Sining: Lifetime Achievement Awards.” She is best-known for her iconic films under Sampaguita Pictures such as “Dalagang Ilocana” and “Cofradia.” She also took on unforgettable matriarch roles in “Tanging Yaman,” “Magnifico,” and “Rainbow’s Sunset.”

Considered as a “prominent figure in the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema,” Romero’s career spanned more than 70 years in the showbiz industry. She also served as an inspiration to a new breed of Filipino actors.

“There is absolutely no better way of defining the Filipino movie queen than Gloria Romero. In her 90s right now, Gloria Romero has become the epitome not only of professionalism but everything that Filipino cinema was before in the past decades,” noted Reyes.

Two organizations dedicated to film archiving and restoration — SOFIA and ABS-CBN Film Restoration Sagip Pelikula — will also be granted awards at the forthcoming event.

Founded in 1993, SOFIA has been archiving films for 30 years and still “remains true to its mission of preserving Filipino films and educating the public of our rich cinematic history.”

Meanwhile, led by Leo Katigbak of the ABS-CBN Film Archives, Sagip Pelikula has been around since 2011 and has successfully digitized and restored more than a hundred Filipino films, including National Artist for Film Ishmael Bernal’s “Himala,” Peque Gallaga’s “Oro, Plata, Mata,” and Carlos Vander Tolosa’s “Giliw Ko.”

“The ABS-CBN Film Restoration has been instrumental in reintroducing well-loved Filipino classics to Filipino audiences, particularly the youth. It remains committed to its purpose of preserving the country’s cinematic legacy for future generations of Filipinos,” said FDCP.

“I’m a tragic victim of this because I realized about 40 percent of the films I made are gone because they were not properly preserved or restored,” remarked Reyes.

“But these two groups are working very hard in order to preserve Filipino films, in order to make them part of the continuing history of our culture. So we are honoring Sagip Pelikula of ABS-CBN and SOFIA for the work that they have done.”

The FDCP is likewise giving a posthumous award to film curator and archivist Teddy Co  for his “invaluable contribution to the conservation, development, and archiving of the country’s film heritage.” He was known as a staunch advocate of Philippine independent and regional cinema, and was the head of National Committee on Cinema and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Commissioner for the Arts.

An honorary distinction will be conferred to the late actress Jaclyn Jose, as well. She brought pride to the country for being the first Southeast Asian actor to win the Best Actress award at the Cannes International Film Festival for her performance in Brillante Mendoza’s film, “Ma’ Rosa.”

Jose previously appeared in Lino Brocka’s “White Slavery,” Chito Roño’s “Private Show,” and Joel Lamangan’s “The Flor Contemplacion Story.”

“She is the only Filipina actress to win an international award in a major festival (such as) Cannes. And not only that, the tradition that she has left from her growth as the actress na inaakala ng lahat is a bold star to becoming a major actress representing professionalism in Philippine cinema,” shared Reyes.

“We are honoring the giants whose shoulders we stand on,” stressed the new head of the national agency of film. “Because we have a saying, ‘Ang hindi marunong lumingon sa pinanggalingan ay hindi makakarating sa gusto niyang paroonan.’ So ang ating mga higante ng nakaraan (these giants of the past) that until now have placed a huge influence (in the industry), we are honoring them.”

The second year of “Parangal ng Sining” will also honor the memory of the following artists who recently passed on: Mario Dumaual, veteran broadcaster and reporter (July 5, 2023); Willie Nepomuceno, satirist and impersonator (July 26, 2023); Robert Arevalo, veteran actor (Aug. 10, 2023); Angie Ferro, veteran actress (Aug. 17, 2023); and Mike Enriquez, veteran broadcaster (Aug. 29, 2023).

Also to be honored are the late Ethel Ramos, veteran talent manager and entertainment columnist (Sept. 10, 2023); Leo Bukas, entertainment writer and publicist (Nov. 6, 2023); Jun Urbano, comedian and director (Dec. 2, 2023); Gil Soriano, veteran television director (Dec. 6, 2023); Ronaldo Valdez, veteran actor (Dec. 17, 2023)

The list also includes the late Mario Bautista, veteran entertainment journalist (Jan. 13, 2024); Tony Tantay Jr., veteran photographer (Jan. 18, 2024); Romy Vitug, cinematographer (Jan. 18, 2024); Deo Endrinal, Dreamscape Entertainment head (Feb. 3, 2024); and Joe Gruta, veteran theater and film actor (March 10, 2024).

Through “Parangal ng Sining,” the FDCP aims to gather the creatives and stakeholders of the Philippine film industry to celebrate the role of cinema in distilling the nation’s cultural identity. It also aims to encourage Filipino artists, educators, and film institutions to continue to achieve and work for excellence in their craft.

Alden Richards will host the awarding ceremony with Gian Magdangal, Lara Maigue, Aicelle Santos, Bituin Escalante, and 92AD as performers.

The theme of the event is Old Hollywood as a way to revive the glamor of the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema. It will be a “reminiscent of classic Filipino films and the elegant parties held at Sampaguita Studios, honorees and guests will be dressed in black and white finery while the main stage will be displayed in technicolor.”