Diplomat leads Favorite Book Award winners

Catherine Rose Torres was on a PAL flight to Manila from Puerto Princesa when she picked up a copy of the STAR and read that she was the grand-prize winner of 2011’s Favorite Book Award, a joint project of the Philippine STAR, National Book Store and Globe Telecom.

While this may not be anything out of the ordinary at first glance, it was sweet serendipity that we announced the winners on that particular Sunday simply because Catherine was in town. You see, she is a diplomat working at the Philippine Embassy in Singapore and hadn’t been home for a whole year. 

Catherine’s winning essay is about The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy. She is a Palanca awardee for fiction, and her writing and photographs have appeared in various publications. She is married to a Korean and has also lived in New Delhi and Tokyo.

“Books are the only thing I can buy heaps of without drawing dagger looks from my husband, another avid reader and a fellow fan of Indian literature,” she said in a speech read by her sister Joan, who represented her at the awards. “You take a look at my Statement of Assets, Liabilities, and Net Worth — which, as every Filipino knows by now, we are supposed to file regularly as civil servants — and you’ll find that our collection of books is worth more than what jewelry I have. Books are my gems.”

She added: “I didn’t just win the prize for something I wrote. More important was what I read — those excellent books, and their writers, which I wrote about in the piece. So, to borrow the words of Alanis Morissette: Thank you, India. Bahut shukriya.”

It was this sense of appreciation and love for books that was the prevailing atmosphere during our book awards last Tuesday at The Conservatory of The Peninsula Manila Hotel — as it has always been for more than a decade our holding the book awards.

Nanay Socorro Ramos, founder and GM of National Book Store, welcomed everybody to the event, including book lover and Globe Telecom chairman of the board Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala.  

In his speech, STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte wondered about the future of reading and predicts that we may even be able to read books on our Swatch watches in a Futurama-like future. Swatch Philippines president Virgie Ramos agreed with this. Our awards are getting swankier in venue and the food getting more gourmet every year, thanks to Tita Virge, who also asked chef and restaurateur Gaita Fores to prepare a special pasta station at the Peninsula buffet spread.

STAR Lifestyle editor Millet Mananquil, head of editorial board Isaac Belmonte and editor in chief Amy Pamintuan, Ayala Corp. chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, NBS founder and GM Nanay Socorro Ramos, and STAR Lifestyle columnist Jessica Zafra

This is probably also the only event that STAR editorial board head Isaac Belmonte goes to without a prepared speech and yet every year we love his “non-speech.” Globe Telecom Yoly Crisanto, head of Corporate Communications Division, and NBS VP for purchasing Cecilia “Bak” Licauco both emphasized the importance of books especially in this high-tech age we live in and this project that has lasted for more than a decade. It didn’t seem so long ago since Lifestyle editor Millet Mananquil, Bak and Joy Buensalido got together to iron out the technicalities of the contest. From the STAR’s news section were editor-in-chief Amy Pamintuan and managing editor Romel Lara. 

Also at the VIP table were Presy Ramos of Crossings Department Store and daughter Xandra Ramos Padilla, a third-generation Ramos, together with NBS’s Miguel Ramos and Trina Licauco-Alindogan. Martin Licauco, Bak’s son and Nanay’s youngest grandchild, played the piano during the luncheon.

Supreme’s Tim Yap and Cai Subijano provided laughs and chika as emcees.

“That is the wonderful thing about this contest that NBS, STAR and Globe have been holding for many years: it shows us that books remain relevant to our lives,” said Catherine. “It helps us readers, and writers, feel that we are part of a community — that we aren’t mad if we read books on our weekend, or on the commute to and from work, instead of playing Angry Birds on our iPhone or iPad.”

As the grand-prize winner Catherine won P50,000 (half cash and half National Book Store gift certificates) and a Globe Handyphone.

Second-prize winner was Miro Frances Dimaano Capili who wrote about the books of Steven Millhauser. Miro has received three first prize Palanca awards for “Vinyl” (2010, Essay category), “The Nature of Nurture” and “Rated X” (2010 and 2008 respectively, Kabataan Essay category). She was a fellow for Creative Nonfiction at the 49th Silliman University National Writers Workshop. Miro won P30,000 and a Globe Handyphone. 

Third prize went to Catherine Tan, who wrote about Jonathan Lethem’s The Disappointment Artist. Catherine is a freshman at the University of the Philippines Manila, taking up a pre-med course and hopes to become a “writing doctor.” She won P20,000 and a Globe Handyphone.

Joining our winners were five honorable-mention winners, who won P10,000 (cash prize from STAR and GCs from NBS) and a Globe Handyphone. Melannie Joy D. Lando’s winning essay was about Neil Gaiman’s The Sandman: Preludes and Nocturnes. Melannie was raised by a family of teachers and agriculturists and inherited her love of reading from her mother.

Rosario Patino-Yap wrote an essay about Laura Esquivel’s Like Water for Chocolate. Rosario teaches high school English and she recently won second place in the 111th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary (PCSA) Essay Writing. Faye Gonzales wrote about the book The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera. Faye graduated cum laude in March last year from Ateneo de Manila University with a degree in Communications and a minor in Sociology. She is currently a Jesuit volunteer assigned in Eastern Samar.

Grand-prize winner Catherine Rose Torres, a diplomat based in Singapore, was represented by her sister Joan. Awarding her are Globe Telecom head of Corporate Communications Division Yoly Crisanto, STAR president and CEO Miguel Belmonte, National Book Store founder and GM Nanay Socorro Ramos, and STAR head of editorial board Isaac Belmonte.

Neyo E. Valdez wrote about Ordinary People by Judith Guest. Neyo is Rex Bookstore Inc.’s in-house editor and does freelance writing and editing. Amalia Airiz Casta wrote about The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano. Amalia is a graduate of the Lyceum of the Philippines University with a degree in AB Journalism and was the literary editor of the school organ and of the school’s literary folio.

The Lifestyle editorial staff was all there — Ching Alano, Therese Jamora-Garceau, Igan D’Bayan, Kathy Moran, Scott Garceau, Lai Reyes, and myself. This year’s event was also attended by some of our writers and columnists: Jessica Zafra, Esquire Philippines editor Erwin Romulo, YoungStar editor Raymond Ang, writers Luis Katigbak, Jonty Cruz, Ralph Mendoza and Christopher de Venecia,  M’s RJ Ledesma, YStyle editor Bea Ledesma, Supreme’s David Milan, and Food & Leisure’s Stefanie Zubiri. 

Lifestyle columnists and Palanca Hall of Fame awardees Butch Dalisay and Krip Yuson closed the event, remarking how time has passed since we started the awards. “Our little community is growing,” Butch said in a tone that assured us it would grow some more, and that we will see more outstanding writers who will inspire us to read their favorite books.

Catherine said, “I once voiced my worries on Facebook about the future of printed books, with the advent of e-books. A friend told me, ‘Don’t worry, Cathy, books would outlive us all.’ Why not, when they had been around long before us, right? But I don’t think the continued existence of books that we can smell and feel between our fingers is something we can take for granted. ”

In her entry, winner Melannie wrote, “Books are an escape from the realities of life, they afford me a breathing space when there is none to be had.”

Every year, we carve out this little breathing space to gather writers and friends, and celebrate our love of books.