F. Sionil Jose wins National Artist Award

Fictionist F. Sionil Jose, DLSU-Manila’s current writer-in-residence, has been named one of the four newest National Ar-tists in the country.

A joint meeting by the boards of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCAA) last March approved the proclamation of Jose. The appointments will go to Malacañang for approval, but NCCA officials say the matter is merely a formality.

Jose is probably the country’s most translated author and most prolific novelist in English. He was a highly successful journalist and editor before turning to writing fiction full time. In 1962, he published the best known of his many novels, The Pretenders, a searing social parable of a poor but highly intelligent man who marries beyond his class. It became the first installment of his Rosales Saga, an epic recreation of the Ilocano and Filipino search for identity and a just and moral social order. The next novels in the saga My Brother, My Executioner (1979), Tree (1980), Mass (1982), Poon (1984)consolidated Jose’s reputation as the most important Filipino novelist in English.

He runs the Solidaridad Bookshop, which continues to be a cultural beehive where artists and writers gather to discuss literary, artistic, social, and political currents. At present, Jose is finishing an important novel on Macario Adriatico, the nationalist general who collaborated with the Japanese during the Second World War. (source: Philippine Daily Inquirer)

Del Mundo gets award for screenplay

Another feather on Dr. Clodualdo del Mundo, Jr’s cap was added when he won the Star Awards for original screenplay for Bayaning 3rd World of Cinema Artists Philippines. He shared this award with co-writer and film director Mike de Leon.

The 17th Star Awards for Movies on March 10 was a tribute to the less-commercially viable but critically acclaimed films, such as Laro sa Baga and Bayaning 3rd World. The star-studded affair was held at the University of the Philippines in Diliman.
One of the University Fellows, del Mundo is a professor of the Department of Communication Arts. As a multi-awarded screenwriter, his film credits include Maynila sa mga Kuko ng Liwanag, Kisapmata, Batch 81, Merika, Mulanay, and Markova. He is also the author of Native Resistance: Philippine Cinema and Colonialism 1898-1941 that won the 1998 National Book Award given by the Manila Critics Circle.

La Salle alumnus, student team up for Alamat comic book

La Salle alumnus and former faculty Carlo Vergara (BSC-MMG 90) recently released One Night in Purgatory, a 56-page comic book presented by Alamat Comics, the same group of Filipino comic book creators that presented Arnold Arre’s award-winning “The Mythology Class.”

Joining Vergara is Angela San Juan (AB-Lit 01), who shares editing chores with David Hontiveros, finalist in the 1998 Manila Critics Circle National Book Awards. San Juan is currently the VP Internal Affairs of The DLSU Literature Circle.

One Night in Purgatory is part of Alamat’s crusade to elevate the Filipino comic book into a venue for thought-provoking entertainment. It is currently available at the DLSU Bookstores (SPS, St. Benilde, and Brother Athanasius Sports Complex). More information about the book can be found at http:www.alamat.com/purgatory.

DLSU-Manila’s e-mail to use Outlook 2000

Starting school year 2001-2001, the Information Technology Center will transfer the University’s electronic mail from Pegasus Mail to Outlook 2000/Outlook Web Access. ITC will conduct a series of training for faculty and students. Visit the http://helpdesk.dlsu.edu.ph/guides for some basic guides.

Summer sale at La Salle Bookstores

School and office supplies, textbooks and magazines, greeting cards, phone cards, and souvenir items are on sale at the bookstores in the Brother Athansius Sports Complex, SPS building, CSB building, and at the Angelo King Center.

Erratum

In last week’s banner story, we should have written that the ISO 14000 conference sponsored by DLSU-Manila and California State University-Hayward was held at the Angelo King International Center, not at the Acceed Center in Makati. Our apologies.