Black cloths hang from the windows of the Balay ni Tana Dicang museum in Talisay City in protest against the choice of some of this year’s national artists.

“After all that is said and done about the National Artist of the Philippines awards being given away on the basis of patronage and not on the principles of which they are bestowed upon the artist,  as a vital member of the community we join our friends in the arts, the academe, and all those that believe this gross error is an affront to what we believe in,” museum director Adjie Lizares said yesterday.

That black cloths hanging from its windows are Balay’s silent comment, he said.

“May we all be reminded of the correct thing to do,” Lizares added.

Malacañang has been faced with a storm of protests over the choice of two national artists for this year – Cecile Guidote Alvarez for her achievements in Philippine theater, and Carlo J. Caparas for his achievements in visual arts and film.

“We (will) welcome (it) if they (will) bring the case to court so that once and for all this issue will be settled legally,” Press Secretary Cerge Remonde was quoted as saying Sunday.

While Alvarez’s accomplishments in theater — being the founder of the Philippine Educational Theater Association — are acknowledged, her nomination as a National Artist has been  slammed for being in conflict of interest since she  is currently serving as the presidential adviser on culture and arts and the head of the National Commission on Culture and Arts. The NCCA oversees the committees that make recommendations to the President.

The nomination of Caparas, creator of the popular komiks characters such as Panday, Totoy Bato, and Joaquin Bordado, was questioned because he was recommended for the category of visual arts and films. His critics have pointed out that he was not the illustrator of the characters that he created and his films — foremost of which were the massacre films of the 1990s panned for gratuitous violence and for their crude technical aspects.

Alvarez and Caparas were also not recommended as awardees by the panel assigned to make such recommendations, the critics claimed.*CPG

back to top