Photo / Palanca Awards
Glorious Zavannah Exylin C. Alesna and Glorious Zahara Exylin C. Alesna are the youngest winners in this year’s Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. The Palanca Awards is considered as the longest-running literary competition in the Philippines and the gold standard in writing excellence.
The Alesnas, who are 13 years old, join legendary authors who have won the prize in the past, such as Lamberto Antonio, F.H. Batacan, Lualhati Bautista, Gregorio Brillantes, F. Sionil Jose, Gilda Cordero-Fernando, and National Artists Virgilio Almario, Cirilo Bautista, Francisco Arcellana, Edith Tiempo, Bienvenido Lumbera, Nick Joaquin, Amado Hernandez, Rolando Tinio, Resil B. Mojares, and Gemino Abad.
Photo / Palanca Awards
Glorious Zavannah won the third prize for her work Sa Panahon ng Bagabag at Balisa: Paghagilap sa Pira-pirasong Retaso ng Hinahon at Pa(g)hinga in the Kabataan Sanaysay category. Glorious Zahara, meanwhile, was awarded the second prize for The Bully Is You in the Kabataan Essay class. Both are in the Kabataan division.
This is not the first time the Alesnas won. Both were also recognized at last year’s Palanca Awards in the essay categories in Filipino and English.
The twins are among the 54 writers who received awards in 20 writing categories in four divisions: Kabataan, English, Filipino, and Regional Languages. Literary luminaries handpicked from their fields evaluated the 1,405 contest entries submitted. Of these winners, 30 are first-time awardees.
Photo / Palanca Awards
This year’s guest of honor and speaker is award-winning children’s author, columnist, and radio host Luis P. Gatmaitan, M.D., who was inducted into the Palanca Awards Hall of Fame in 2005. A writer joins the Hall of Fame after winning five first prizes.
He was given the night’s Gawad Dangal ng Lahi, a special citation granted by the Palanca Awards to those who have contributed immensely to the development of Philippine literature and have aptly become role models for Filipinos.
Here are the complete winners of this year’s Palanca Awards:
Kabataan Division
| KABATAAN SANAYSAY | ||
| 1st Prize | WALANG NAGWAGI | |
| 2nd Prize | Amancio A. Caponpon V | Aranya sa Kisame |
| 3rd Prize | Glorious Zavannah Exylin C. Alesna | Sa Panahon ng Bagabag at Balisa: Paghagilap sa Pira-pirasong Retaso ng Hinahon at Pa(g)hinga |
| KABATAAN ESSAY | ||
| 1st Prize | Francis Roberto San Antonio Sevillena | Living on play in a world on pause |
| 2nd Prize | Glorious Zahara Exylin C. Alesna | The Bully is you |
| 3rd Prize | Rheyn Khrieztine S. Dela Pena | Five More Minutes, Please! |
Filipino Division
| MAIKLING KUWENTO | ||
| 1st Prize | Peter Solis Nery | Ang Tariktik |
| 2nd Prize | Jay Jomar F. Quintos | Buwaya |
| 3rd Prize | Ella Jane G. Hermonio | Boses Pusa |
| MAIKLING KUWENTONG PAMBATA | ||
| 1st Prize | Jaylord S. Losabia | Si Toyo at si Suka |
| 2nd Prize | Mikka Ann V. Cabangon | Si Liya at ang Dapithapon sa Ilaya |
| 3rd Prize | Iza Maria G. Reyes | Babasagin, babasagin! |
| SANAYSAY | ||
| 1st Prize | Kimberly Rose L. Pillo | Kung Paanong Nagmukha akong Sponge sa harap ng mga Pinggan |
| 2nd Prize | Al Joseph A. Lumen | Auslander: Mga Danas sa Alemanya |
| 3rd Prize | Edward Joseph Fernandez | Ako ay si Ako nga |
| TULA | ||
| 1st Prize | Mikael de Lara Co | Epistolaryo ng Bagamundo at ang tugon ng Multo |
| 2nd Prize | Rogelio dela Rosa Jr. | Ang Hindi Maiwasang Patlang |
| 3rd Prize | Ralph Lorenz G. Fonte, M.D. | Ex Novo Mvndo |
| TULA PARA SA MGA BATA | ||
| 1st Prize | Dexter B. Gragasin | Tutula, Tutuli, Tutulo |
| 2nd Prize | Genaro R. Gojo Cruz | Ako, mga tulang pambata |
| 3rd Prize | Keisiah Dawn T. Tiaoson | Tugma ng Buhay kong Payak |
| DULANG MAY ISANG YUGTO | ||
| 1st Prize | Eljay Castro Deldoc | Ang Lipnayan ng ating mga Katawan |
| 2nd Prize | Dan Ian Paulo B. Mariposque | The Divine Family |
| 3rd Prize | Dustin Edward D. Celestino | Fermata |
| DULANG GANAP ANG HABA | ||
| 1st Prize | Miguel Antonio Alfredo V. Luarca | Nekropolis |
| 2nd Prize | Christian R. Vallez | Pingkian |
| 3rd Prize | Joshua Lim So | Atin ang Panahon |
| DULANG PAMPELIKULA | ||
| 1st Prize | Jonathan P. Jurilla | Love Child |
| 2nd Prize | Jimmy F. Flores (co-author) and
Emmanuel Q. Palo (co-author) |
Elehiya |
| 3rd Prize | Raymund T. Barcelon | Beki Naman |
Regional Division
| SHORT STORY-CEBUANO | ||
| 1st Prize | Neile Genica M. Sy | Lenteng Pilokilay |
| 2nd Prize | John Dante | Ang Magsusulat Nga Haduol na sa Kamatayon |
| 3rd Prize | CD Borden | Alindasay |
| SHORT STORY-HILIGAYNON | ||
| 1st Prize | Ritchie D. Pagunsan | Kauhaw sa Tingadlaw |
| 2nd Prize | Alvin Q. Larida | Lola Violeta |
| 3rd Prize | Serafin I. Plotria, Jr. | Puno sang Aligotgot |
| SHORT STORY-ILOKANO | ||
| 1st Prize | Rodolfo D. Agatep Jr. | Diro Ti Disierto |
| 2nd Prize | Jorge Richard P. Guerrero | Idiay Langit, Awan Lanit |
| 3rd Prize | Clarito De Francia | Piglatan |
English Division
| SHORT STORY | ||
| 1st Prize | Exie Abola | Vile Creatures |
| 2nd Prize | Ian Rosales Casocot | Don’t Follow Me, I Don’t Even Know Where I’m Going |
| 3rd Prize | Katrina D. Torralba | Amadito and Amanda |
| SHORT STORY FOR CHILDREN | ||
| 1st Prize | NO WINNER | |
| 2nd Prize | Jonny Bernas Pornel | The Legend of Ipot-ipot |
| 3rd Prize | Elvie Victonette B. Razon-Gonzalez | The Race to Uswag |
| ESSAY | ||
| 1st Prize | Rio Renato Pulido Constantino | The Year of the Periwinkle |
| 2nd Prize | Russell Stanley Geronimo | Profile of a Stateless Person: Notes on a Deportation Proceeding |
| 3rd Prize | Francine M. Marquez | Normalizing Survival |
| POETRY | ||
| 1st Prize | Patricia Mariya Shishikura | Translating Wildfires |
| 2nd Prize | Vince Raphael V. Agcaoili | Carrying |
| 3rd Prize | Michael Maniquiz | Lou Reed Meets Delmore Schwartz at a Bar |
| POETRY WRITTEN FOR CHILDREN | ||
| 1st Prize | John Patrick F. Solano | Odd Numbers |
| 2nd Prize | Ian Rosales Casocot | Bisaya for all that we gugma |
| 3rd Prize | Simone Marie Sales | Paper Planes |
| ONE-ACT PLAY | ||
| 1st Prize | Randy Q. Villanueva | Neneng |
| 2nd Prize | Ian Rosales Casocot | The Midsummer of Manuel Arguilla |
| 3rd Prize | Rossielle Sarabia Manicad | My Lover’s Presscon |
| FULL-LENGTH PLAY | ||
| 1st Prize | Miguel Antonio Alfredo V. Luarca | Dogsblood |
| 2nd Prize | NO WINNER | |
| 3rd Prize | NO WINNER | |
The award is named after businessman and philanthropist Don Carlos Palanca Sr. and is sponsored by the Carlos Palanca Foundation Inc. A Palanca medal or recognition is highly coveted in the Filipino writing community here and abroad.
Since 1951, the Palanca Awards has conferred medals and certificates to a total of 2,526 Filipino authors, 26 of which became Hall of Fame awardees. In championing literature, the Palanca Awards also serves as a treasury of our literary gems, currently holding a total of 2,617 winning works in its archives, spanning the years 1951 to 2023.
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