A boon for writers

In November last year, I wrote about an event that I felt should be better publicized —the National Book Awards ceremony jointly hosted by the Manila Critics Circle (MCC) and the National Book Development Board honoring the most outstanding literary and non-literary titles published in the country in the previous year.

It is to the credit of the MCC headed by Dr. Isagani R. Cruz that this continuing tradition to highlight well written books and promote readership in the country dates back 32 years ago. The 32nd NBA was of a special personal interest to me not only as a book lover but because it was the first time I had committed to put my money where my mouth was, and donate a cash prize for a discipline I enjoy reading on. It was a modest amount and the Elfren S. Cruz for the Best Book in the Social Sciences was born. Other name-bearing prizes then were: Juan C. Laya, Cirilo F. Bautista, Philippine Literary Arts Council, Isagani R. Cruz, Alfonso T. Ongpin, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, names usually associated with literature or recognized as patrons of the arts.

It thus comes as welcome news that just the other day on September 30, the 91^st birth anniversary of the late insurance blazer Robert Coyiuto Sr., the 1^st Coyiuto Prize for Biography was launched by the Coyiuto Foundation in partnership with the Manila Critics Circle.

In introducing the book award at a special commemorative ceremony, James Coyiuto who heads the foundation, narrated that he first got the idea to honor his father, the Coyiuto patriarch in this manner when he came across my column on the 2013 National Book Awards. It surprised him to learn that book awards did not always carry substantial cash prizes, if any.  He called my wife Neni who also chairs the National Book Development Board, and a longtime friend of his from their shared years at International School Manila where James and Cristine Coyiuto’s daughter Caitlin studied, and where Neni taught.

James thought of a book award for biography/autobiography as a great way to support the trailblazing spirit of excellence exemplified by his father’s life. The Coyiutos were also pleased with the biography written by noted writer Charlson Ong a few years ago on their father’s 85th birth anniversary:  Robert Coyiuto, Filipino Mandarin. 

Coyiuto is remembered today as a pioneer in the field of insurance and oil exploration. He was the first Filipino member of Lloyd’s of London and founded Prudential Guarantee and Assurance Inc. (PGAI) in the ‘80s. His heirs led by Robert Jr. have transformed the company into one of the country’s top corporations today.

Aside from the general observation that biography as a genre has not been widely explored and considering the need for models and leaders for our youth to emulate, James was also touched by a letter Dr. Shiu Man Hei, his father’s doctor in the Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York had written him, in acknowledgment of the Coyiuto biography he had received and read.  It convinced James about the need for biographies to be written, read, and to lead people to honor those who should not be forgotten.  And there was also the powerful quotation from French philosopher Paul Ricoeur, “To be forgotten is to die twice.”

James recalls that when PGAI moved to the present office building in 1988, they did not realize that the name of the street they were on was after a philanthropist remembered and honored in a long running annual literary competition. Carlos Palanca was one of the Chinese pioneers who ventured out in search of greener pastures in this country, just like his parents Robert Coyiuto Sr. and Rosalyn Go Coyiuto.

The Manila Critics Circle has already collected the biographies/autobiographies written in English about a Filipino individual or family and published in 2012 and 2013.  Five finalists will be shortlisted and the final deliberations will convene representatives from the MCC and the Coyiuto Foundation, with the winner to be announced at the NBA ceremonies on November 22. The book should give evidence of how the subject made a significant difference in the community.

The author of the winning book will receive a cash prize of P100,000 and a bust of Robert Coyiuto created by sculptor Rafael del Casal. That amount makes the Coyiuto Prize the most generous one in the book industry. The series of awards will be handed out every two years, culminating in 2023, the centennial of Robert Coyiuto Sr.  Should there be no winner for the year, the cash prize will be automatically added to the next scheduled period of the award.

My cash prize cannot match that amount, is in fact dwarfed by it.  But nevertheless I am very pleased that a business corporation like the Prudential Guarantee and Assurance Inc. of the Coyiuto family has come out publicly in support of books and their authors.  I have always advocated that authors be given the status, the recognition, and yes, the monetary compensation they deserve.  What they and their writings contribute to the progress and the spirit of a nation and its many generations are priceless and beyond any and all tangible rewards.

Let the example of the Coyiuto Foundation be a model for many other business corporations.  If many in the corporate world find it so easy to justify investing in sports events and honoring victorious athletes for their feats, why not authors for their written works as well?

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