National Artist Award Controversy
National Artist Award Controversy
The National Artist Award is one of the prestigious awards given to people who are considered as national artists for their contribution in the different field of arts. It is the highest state of recognition given to Filipino artists.
Just recently, this year’s awarding was full of controversies and issues that left the people questioning if the awardees deserved the recognition given. Among the seven awardees of this year’s National Artist are; Manuel Urbano a.k.a Manuel Conde for Film and Broadcast, Lazaro Francisco for Literature, Federico Aguilar Alcuz for Visual Arts, Painting, Sculpture and Mixed Media, Cecilla Guidote-Alvarez for Theater, Magno Jose “Carlo” Caparas for Visual Arts and Film, Francisco Manosa for Architecture , and Jose “Pitoy” Moreno for Fashion Design.
Two of the seven awardees were questioned by the critics and the public namely Cecilla Guidote-Alvarez and Magno Jose “Carlo” Caparas. The selection of the two awardees was tainted by politics that the critics protested and demanded for further investigation on President Arroyo’s choice. To consider that Cecillia Guidote- Alvares is the executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and administers the award together with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). She also heads the NCCA secretariat that receives nominations for the national artists. The recognition given to her was debated and questioned by the critics and her eligibility as well. The guidelines for the nomination process states that NCCA and CCP board members, consultants, officers, and staffs are automatically disqualified from the nomination. On the other hand, the recognition of Magno Jose “Carlo” Caparas as national artist was also questioned. His nomination was rejected twice by the NCCA panels. He was first proposed as a nominee for literature and was rejected. And again as a nominee for visual arts and was again rejected.
The National Artist Award is one of the prestigious awards given to people who are considered as national artists for their contribution in the different field of arts. It is the highest state of recognition given to Filipino artists.
Just recently, this year’s awarding was full of controversies and issues that left the people questioning if the awardees deserved the recognition given. Among the seven awardees of this year’s National Artist are; Manuel Urbano a.k.a Manuel Conde for Film and Broadcast, Lazaro Francisco for Literature, Federico Aguilar Alcuz for Visual Arts, Painting, Sculpture and Mixed Media, Cecilla Guidote-Alvarez for Theater, Magno Jose “Carlo” Caparas for Visual Arts and Film, Francisco Manosa for Architecture , and Jose “Pitoy” Moreno for Fashion Design.
Two of the seven awardees were questioned by the critics and the public namely Cecilla Guidote-Alvarez and Magno Jose “Carlo” Caparas. The selection of the two awardees was tainted by politics that the critics protested and demanded for further investigation on President Arroyo’s choice. To consider that Cecillia Guidote- Alvares is the executive director of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and administers the award together with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). She also heads the NCCA secretariat that receives nominations for the national artists. The recognition given to her was debated and questioned by the critics and her eligibility as well. The guidelines for the nomination process states that NCCA and CCP board members, consultants, officers, and staffs are automatically disqualified from the nomination. On the other hand, the recognition of Magno Jose “Carlo” Caparas as national artist was also questioned. His nomination was rejected twice by the NCCA panels. He was first proposed as a nominee for literature and was rejected. And again as a nominee for visual arts and was again rejected.