The mourning after

The tail end of typhoon Kiko didn’t dampen their spirits. Artists of all colors and convictions, cultural workers, academe, art lovers and sympathizers from the media, militant and party-list organizations, and student groups braved the threat of heavy rains coming from different directions as they converged at the CCP front ramp to attend a “necrological service” for the death of National Artist title. They came in mourning black, and paradoxically, a celebratory mood pervaded the affair as they came triumphantly as one voice, united in their outrage over the demise of the once-prestigious awards.  

What ignited the indignation rally was the inclusion of four awardees by Malacañang, bypassing the rigorous selection process by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) committees. The mere presence of eight living previously proclaimed National Artists Bencab, Bienvenido Lumbera, Rio Alma, Virgilio Almario, F. Sionil Jose, Napoleon Abueva, Eddie Romero and Arturo Luz, and the late Cesar Legaspi as represented by her daughter popular singer Celeste Legaspi, gave much credence to the rally.

You may recall that last July 29 Malacañang announced the seven new National Artists — namely Magno Jose Carlo Caparas (visual arts and films), Jose Pitoy Moreno (fashion design), Cecille Guidote Alvarez (theater), Francisco Bobby Mañosa (architecture), Lazaro Francisco (posthumous award for literature), Federico Aguilar Alcuaz (visual arts, paintings, sculpture and mixed media) and Manuel Conde. Catching everyone by surprise, of the seven, only Francisco, Conde and Alcuaz had gone through a two-year screening process and were on the final list of nominees submitted by the selection committee to Malacañang.

It was the dropping of one nominee — Dr. Ramon Santos (for music), short-listed in May by the selection committee — and the inclusion of four other names (Alvarez, Caparas, Mañosa and Moreno ) by Malacañang that ignited the uproar. In the 37-year history of the National Artists awards, this was the first time this has happened. In the past, there have been inclusions by previous administrations but always one at a time. The protesters are particularly appalled by the inclusion of Alvarez and Caparas, claiming they are not fit to be bestowed the country’s highest artistic honors, and claim the Palace decision was an act of “political accommodation” and excessive use of its presidential prerogative.

 They believe that Alvarez’s inclusion is a breach of protocol and delicadeza. Being both the presidential adviser on culture and the executive director of the NCCA, she is automatically disqualified according to NCCA’s rule automatically disqualifying all NCCA and CCP Board members, officers, staff and consultants from being nominated. Alvarez’s callousness dishonors both her and the title, particularly because she herself is a high official of the NCCA, one of the two cultural agencies (the other being CCP) tasked with screening the nominations.

But Alvarez denies having lobbied for the title, while the protesters dispute this, saying she did. “But how can I refuse the President?” she was overheard gushing. “She’s lying through her teeth. She’s as much a liar as the master she serves,” quipped one of the protesters.

The Order of National Artists is the highest national recognition given to Filipino artists. The protesters’ manifesto proclaims that they will never recognize Malacañang’s two anointed national artists this year, and furthermore outlines plans to boycott the yet-to-be-announced conferment date of the National Artists title.