ON ITS TENTH year, The Peter Solis Nery Foundation for Hiligaynon Literature and the Arts, Inc. awards the Peter’s Prize medallions to three outstanding personalities: Ritchie D. Pagunsan, Paul Aries Valera, and Reyniel O. Tomas.
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Reyniel, a BSEd – Filipino freshman at the Central Luzon State University in San Jose, Nueva Ecija is the first Peter’s Prize winner from Central Luzon; in fact, the first from the whole Luzon island.
Reyniel’s “Daga sa Libingan ng Bulaklak at Panaginip” bested 25 other poetry collections entered earlier this year for the Peter’s Prize – Poetry by 21 and Under, to win the first prize.
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Terence Talagon from San Lorenzo, Guimaras was adjudged second prize winner for his collection “becoMEN”, while Icon Matthew C. Monit of Samal, Bataan (for his “Ang Babae sa Kaalatan ng Dagat”) and Karyl G. Tugay of Virac, Catanduanes (for her “Monokromatiko”) tied for third prize.
Terence is currently studying Mechanical Engineering at UP Diliman; Icon is taking up BA in Broadcasting at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines; and Karyl is studying BSEd – English at Catanduanes State University.
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The poetry competition was judged by previous Peter’s Prize winner and award-winning translator Felino S. Garcia, Jr.
Reyniel was awarded his medallion in his home city of San Jose, Nueva Ecija.
He becomes the first Literature Ambassador of The Peter Solis Nery Foundation to come from Luzon.
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Incidentally, Icon Matthew from Bataan is a “returning winner” of the Peter’s Prize, although his previous win was for the non-writing category.
Icon’s 3-minute silent film, “Habi sa Bala”, won 2nd prize in the 2021 Peter’s Prize for Film.
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Paul Aries Valera of Barotac Nuevo, Iloilo, a student of West Visayas State University taking up Bachelor of Secondary Education, major in English, won first prize for his personal essay, “How to Love like Nery”.
The essay speaks of the things the essayist has learned from the Ilonggo legend and literary icon Peter Solis Nery; among them, how to love life despite the odds, and how to love life with a commitment and passion for “the true, the good, and the beautiful”.
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Other winners in the essay category are: Irwin Flynniel John P. Parlan, Jr., 2nd prize, for his work “Narcissus Had a Point”; and Reymando T. Salem, 3rd prize, for his “Ang Kabuangan kag Inaswangan Ginpatuhoy sa kay #ThePSN”.
FJ Parlan teaches in several universities in Luzon including the National University, Philippine State College of Aeronautics, and Mabalacat City College (and previously, in Far Eastern University, University of Santo Tomas, Asia Harvesters College and Seminary, Our Lady of Fatima University, Manila Central University, and AMA Computer College).
Self-employed Rey Salem of Oton, Iloilo is also a former secretary of the Hiligaynon writers’ group, the Sumakwelan.
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The Peter’s Prize – Essay competition was judged by Manila-based journalist Prince E. Golez, and previous Peter’s Prize winners Melecio F. Turao, and Felino S. Garcia, Jr.
The contest was conducted in June, 2022.
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In recognition of his creative and charitable works that help define West Visayan literature in the 21st century, the 2022 Special Peter’s Prize for Excellence in Cultural Dissemination is awarded to New York-based Ritchie D. Pagunsan of San Jose, Antique.
Ritchie is a multi-awarded writer who has won the Palanca Awards and the NCCA Writer’s Prize for his short fiction and essays. He is also a driving force behind Dungug Kinaray-a, a group that supports and encourages the production of new literature in the Kinaray-a language.
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Reyniel, Paul, and Ritchie are only the 30th, 31st, and 32nd Peter’s Prize medalists, respectively, since the creation of the prize in 2013.
(The 33rd and succeeding medalists will be determined in 2023.)
In the Peter’s Prize ten-year history, the Poetry by 21 & Under, and the Essay categories, both multi-language in their approach and orientation, are the latest categories to be added as the contest opens its arms to embrace a wider audience, readership, and participation.
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The Special Prize for Cultural Dissemination has been awarded twice before.
In 2017, Chona Villaluna Gosiaoco (of the award-winning radio program “Tatak Negrense”) of Bacolod City first won the prize; followed by educator and urban development consultant Janeth Deza Demegillo of Koronadal, South Cotabato in 2018.
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For the complete list of the 33 medalists since its inception, visit Wikipedia, and search “Peter’s Prize”./PN
