Animation Council of the Philippines honors Zabala

MANILA, Philippines - The Animation Council of the Philippines, Inc. (ACPI) is honoring Jose Zabala Santos with a posthumous lifetime achievement award in this year’s third Animahenasyon Pinoy Animation Festival, which is slated to run on Nov. 25 to 28 at the Gateway Mall, Araneta Center, Cubao, Quezon City.

Two years ago, the lifetime achievement award for animation was given to Larry Alcala. The main objective of this award is to recognize the pioneers of Philippine animation, and the underlying motive behind this is discovering our own animation identity.

Zabala officially began his career in 1932 with Sampaguita magazine when then editor Amado Hernandez saw his potential. The pre-war period saw the introduction of characters and cartoons such as “Titina,” “Lukas Malakas,” “Sianong Sano” and “Popoy.” In 1935, he popularized Lukas Malakas in Liwayway magazine.

The war put his career in the back seat in 1941. A year later, he ventured into the advertising world with the Manalang advertising agency. He was part of its art department until 1948. Advertising introduced him to animation in which he most enjoyed. A year after Manalang, he joined Philippine Manufacturing Company (PMC). The notable “Juan Tamad” animation that he worked with Francisco Reyes in 1955 eventually immortalized Zabala. However, the six-minute pioneering animated short film for a PMC product shot in 35mm and processed in the U.S., is believed to have never had a commercial run.

At present, there are no written guidelines for the Animahenasyon lifetime achievement award. “In order to institutionalize the proceedings,” Orellana continues, “the succeeding lifetime achievement awards after this would require nominations from any animation/film historians or advocates representing the local animation industry, the academe, and the independent animation and arts community. A process shall be created and the proponent would present to a committee some documents or a list of contributions and achievements of his/her nominee. This committee will then decide whom to bestow the next lifetime achievement award for animation in 2010 and the years to come.”