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SU alumni Lyde Villanueva and Michael Aaron Gomez win top Palanca prizes.

Two �Ǹ���� (SU) alumni and writers won top prizes at the 72nd Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City last 22 November 2024.

Michael Aaron Gomez clinched first prize for the short story in Cebuano for his entry, “Pamalandong ni Antigo Mokayat,” as well as a special prize for the novel in English, for The People’s Republic of Negros. Lyde Sison Villanueva, meanwhile, won second prize for poetry in English for his entry, “La Muerte De La Luz.”

Gomez has previously won in 2016 for the one-act play in English, while this is Villanueva’s first win.

Gomez earned a Bachelor of Arts in English (Creative Writing) from �Ǹ���� in 2017, while Villanueva completed a Bachelor of Mass Communication in 2008. Both were fellows of the SU National Writers Workshop (SUNWW), with Gomez participating in the writers workshop as a Fellow for Fiction in 2012 and Villanueva as a Fellow for Poetry in 2013.

Many of this year’s awardees are also alumni of the SUNWW, including Jan Kevin Rivera [first prize, short story in English], Antonio Hernandez [second prize, short story in English], Joel Toledo [first prize, poetry in English], Mookie Katigbak-Lacuesta [third prize, poetry in English], Dustin Edward Celestino [second prize, full-length play in English], Hannah A. Leceña [second prize, short story in Filipino], John Dave Pacheco [second prize, poetry in Filipino], and Bryan Mari Argos [second prize, short story in Hiligaynon].

Two other alumni of SUNWW were among the four writers elevated to the Hall of Fame: Mikael de Lara Co, for his poetry collection “Panayam sa Abo” and Joshua Lim So, for his one-act play “Pagkapit sa Hangin.” The said award is given to writers who have won five first places in any category.

Established in 1951, the Palanca Awards are named after businessman and philanthropist Carlos Palanca Sr. and sponsored by the Carlos Palanca Foundation, Inc. The awards have honored 2,580 Filipino authors with medals and certificates. For 2024, a total of 54 writers, 31 of whom are first-time awardees, were chosen as this year’s recipients. The total number of writing categories awarded was 22. Film director and writer Jun Robles Lana, recipient of the Palanca Awards Hall of Fame in 2006, was guest of honor and speaker at this year’s awarding ceremony.

(with report from Ian Fermin R. Casocot)