DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Agustin ‘Don’ Pagusara Jr., Palanca winner, poet and playwright, and also Davao Today columnist was one of three Filipino language writers conferred the Gawad Dangal ng Panitikan 2025 by the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino.
The other honorees include UP Professor, poet, playwriht and essayist Luna Sicat-Cleto; and film director, screenwriter, author Rodolfo ‘Jun’ Lana.
The Gawad Dangal ng Panitikan, or Honorary Awards for Literature, is given by the government’s Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino in recognition of the lifetime achievements of writers for their contribution to Filipino culture, pride and heritage including regional languages.
Pagusara, born in Tangub, is a poet and playwright whose work includes an anthology of poems Mga Tunok ug Kaginking sa Hunahuna written during his imprisonment in Martial Law, and Kasingkasing sa Panahon, Panahon sa Kasingkasing written post-EDSA.
He has also written several plays and musicals depicting Mindanao people’s struggles from the 1980s and 90s such as Sinalimba, Mindasilang, Uyayi sa Digmaan, Yutang Saad, Bungkatol Ha Bulawan and May Hadlang ang Umaga which were performed by the trailblazing Kaliwat Theatre Collective and some of them were staged at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.
In the anthology Dulaang Cebuano, Pagusara translated Cebuano plays into Filipino and English, offering readers a glimpse into regional plays.
Pagusara has won three Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for short story and received recognition from Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (Umpil).
The awarding of honors for the writers was held on April 28 at Makati Place Hotel. Pagusra’s son, Kahlil, received the award on his behalf, as the 86-year old was not able to travel for health reasons.
In his written speech delivered by his son, Pagusara said he developed his love of Cebuano literature after writing a short story at age 12 and nurtured his skill reading literary works in Bisaya Magazine where he eventually contributed.
“Ang tinuturing kong mas importanteng panalo ay hindi sa mga gatimpalak, kundi sa nakamit na tagumpay ng kultura ng mamamayan, kung saan naging kasangkapan ang aking mga akda para sa bagong pananaw sa buhay at sining (What I consider as a more important victory is not just awards, but the victory achieved by the people to advance their culture, of which my work is part in transforming one’s perspective in life and in the arts),” Pagusara wrote.
“Kaugnay nito sa mithiin kong paunlarin ang sariling panitikan, alinsabay sa hangarin na baguhin ang di kanais-nais na pananaw ng karamihan ng ating kababayan, minamaliit ang sariling wika. Bilang sentral sa karera ng ating literatura, inilarawan ng aking panunulat ang pagmamahal sa sariling wika at panitikan at pagdadakila sa mga manunulat na katutubong wika sa ating bansa (This is connected with my vision to nurture our literature with the desire to change the undesirable view among of us who belittle our own language. Central to my work in literature is the conveyance of love of our language and literature and to glorify the writers of our native tongues),” he added.
The other honorees include Luna Sicat-Cleto, daughter of writers Ellen and Rogelio Sicat, who has garnered several awards from Palanca, Gawad CCP and other literary awards for short stories, poems, essays and stories for children. She earned a Madrigal Prize for Best First Book.
Jun Lana has won awards as writer, screenwriter and film director, including 11 Palanca Awards, screenplay awards for co-writing Jose Rizal (1998) and Muro Ami. His films Die Beautiful and Bwakaw earned him directing and screenplay awards. (davaotoday.com)
don pagusara, Gawad Dangal ng Panitikan, Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino
