#idecided

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Make no mistake about it: I love the Palanca Awards.

For as long as they would let me, I think I will continue to write for the annual competition.

Win, or lose.

But preferably, win-win.

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Because I was invited as someone’s personal guest in 2009, I can claim that until last year, I was a perennial face at the Palanca Awards ceremony since 2007.

(I just immigrated to the US, and couldn’t come home to pick up my award, in 2006.)

Except for 2009, I had a wonderful winning streak from 2006 until last year─winning a total of 17 prizes including the most coveted Hall of Fame in 2012.

Seventeen Palanca awards from 2006!

(My total career Palancas to date: 19)

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So yeah, somehow I also helped you with the illusion that I’ve been winning continuously for eleven years.

But I never said that.

My first two Palancas were won in 1998, and 2000.

Then, I also won in the three consecutive years from 2006 to 2008.

I did not win in 2009, but I was at the awards night.

And I did look like a big winner then. So there. Haha.

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From 2010 until last year, I never missed a single Palanca awards night.

And, of course, I always attended as a winner.

Now, that’s a magnificent seven sustained years of a winning streak from 2010.

And in those seven years, I won 14 Palanca awards.

Fourteen! Including the Hall of Fame in 2012.

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Fourteen Palancas in seven years, if you can solve simple Math, gives me a good average of two Palanca awards per year.

But in truth, I won three Palancas for each year of 2011, and 2014.

I also won two Palancas in 2012 for the regular categories; but a total of three Palanca wins if you include the Hall of Fame award.

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There is no shame about it: I am a Palanca Awards baby.

It would seem like I have made a career out of the yearly Palanca competition.

So what?

In your mind, you are probably thinking that Palanca is all of life for me.

That is probably more true than false.

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If you are like me, you probably worried what would happen to me if I never won another Palanca award.

Well, here’s the thing: I worried much like that after my induction to the Hall of Fame.

Like I wanted to prove that I am worthy of the honor, so I wrote furiously.

And then, I hit 45 in 2014; and changed my perspective.

I actually told myself, I’ll be okay if I don’t ever win another Palanca award.

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But I kept on writing because I had great ideas begging me to be written.

And I kept on winning.

And it was addicting.

And it was fun.

And it gave me more opportunities in life.

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Look, because I have this image of being a constant winner of the Palanca competition, I get commissions to write Creative Writing textbooks for Philippine senior high school.

I get invitations to give Creative Writing workshops and Literature talks all over the country.

I even got invited to be “the first Filipino author to guest at the Sharjah International Book Fair”.

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To be the first Filipino author invited to the fourth largest book fair in the world (the biggest in the Islamic world), and to be inducted to the elite Palanca Awards Hall of Fame are, so far, the biggest achievements of my literary career.

So yeah, you can say that the Palanca Awards is basically my life.

It made a winner of me.

And it made me decide to continue writing for Filipino readers.

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And although I give workshops on Writing to Win (the writing competitions) because that’s what people want to learn, for myself, I actually write to win (for life).

And Writing to Win for Life means not sacrificing my vision to suit the judges’ tastes.

Sometimes, it even means, to me, writing more boldly about bold themes.

Writing about the taboos of our conservative society.

Because my point is, If I don’t write it, who will?

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And in that sense, I can say that I, myself, decide to win, or not to win, writing competitions.

I am a smart writer.

I can tailor my work to suit the judges’ tastes, and win if I want to.

Or, I can just write what bold ideas I believe in.

And decide not to win.

And in that vein did I make the “I DECIDED…” videos.

Look for it on Facebook, and have a good laugh. (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)