NCCA honors 2 STAR columnists with Gawad Alab ng Haraya

Philippine STAR columnists Danny Dolor and Paolo Alcazaren were among the recipients of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts Gawad Alab ng Haraya awards.

Danny Dolor, whose regular column in the Philippine STAR, Remember When, is a nostalgia trip through the golden age of Philippine cinema, was among the five cultural workers honored with the Dangal ng Haraya Lifetime Achievement Award. He was cited for his outstanding achivement in cultural promotions as exemplified by his creation of various programs intended to effect greater consciousness about the relevance of history and culture to present times. Dolor’s tireless efforts to advocate and nurture Philippine art and culture encourage others, most notably the youth, to seek better understanding of the elements that constitute the national patrimony.

The four other lifetime achievement awardees were Felice Prudente Sta. Maria, Dr. E. Arsenio Manuel, Dr. Isagani R. Medina, and Dr. Jesus Peralta.

Meanwhile, Paulo Alcazaren, together with Andres Cristobal Cruz and the journal Pelikula, were cited for the Alab ng Hiraya category on Published Articles on Culture and the Arts, Cultural Journalism and Documentation.

Paulo Alcazaren writes about heritage structures, architectural preservation and trends in architecture in his weekly column City Sense in the Philippine STAR’s lifestyle section.

Felice Prudente Sta. Maria was recognized principally for her work with the Metropolitan Museum of Manila where she pioneered the use of museum pedagogy as an effective alternative to traditional education. Through her creation of relevant standards and criteria for the design and implementation of museum programs , she ensured the sustained contribution of the museum sector to society.

Dr. E. Arsenio Manuel was honored for his outstanding achivement in cultural research as embodied in his painstaking and pioneering efforts to explore and document the social organizations, languages and cultures of indigenous peoples.

Dr. Isagani R. Medina was likewise cited for his achivement in cultural research as exemplified by critical and insightful writings that delve deep into the various circumstances and characters that have shaped Philippine history. By bringing together his expertise in library science and his passion for the study and documentation of history, Dr. Medina provides an abundance of knowledge that has enriched the national heritage and strenghtened the national identity.

Dr. Jesus Peralta was honored for outstanding achievement in cultural conservation as emboded in his work and contributions to the disciplines of archaeology and anthropology as well as culture in general.

The rest of the Alab awardees were choreographers Douglas Nierras and Myra Beltran, The Negros Museum for arts management, Davao City Public Library for library information services program, Isang Hudyat Panimula and Luna: An Aswang Romance for theater production and Filipinas Heritage Library for cultural conservation.

The Alab ng Haraya awards recognizes artistic achievements by individual artists, foundations and organizations who have contributed to the development of arts and culture in the country.

The awards were given by NCCA chairman Dr. Jaime C. Laya in ceremonies held last July 20 at the NCCA Culture Hall. It was attended by prominent personalities in the cultural scene. Among them were National Artists Leonor Orosa-Goquingco, Nick Joaquin and Napoleon Abueva, former senator Helena Benitez, former Prime Minister Cesar E.A. Virata and his wife Joy who represented Repertory Philippines, Gilda Cordero-Fernando and Dr. Nick Tiongson.