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[av_heading heading=’ MY LIFE AS ART ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=”]
BY PETER SOLIS NERY
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“ANG Milagro sa Ermita” is the latest addition to my Palanca-winning literature and body of work. It is my 19th career Palanca win including the Hall of Fame in 2012.
It is one of my boldest entries so far, and I will tell you why.
In recent years, because of my yearly win at the Palanca, among the literary community, there is a mounting sentiment to see me fail. And I can understand that.
I mean, I’m not the only veteran writer competing every year at the Palanca. Or even the only one winning. But the thing is, I am loud and visible.
Louder, and more visible, than anyone.
I go to the Palanca Awards with a statement. If not with a triple-win like in 2011 and 2014, I go red carpet with outrageous fashion like a pink suit, or an 8.5 lbs Swarovski-encrusted suit.
Plus, the media loves me. I get radio and TV interviews. And I have newspaper affiliations in Iloilo City.
And I got a column. So, if nobody else picks up news of my award, I just write about it in the opinion page.
In short, I cannot be denied. I will not be denied!
Now, while my fans enjoy hearing about me and my journeys and successes, my haters and critics obviously froth and turn green with envy. They want me dead.
They want me to stop winning, so my star will ultimately fade.
And maybe, just maybe, they think they will have a chance to shine themselves.
So, yes, maybe I’m just paranoid. But I still don’t see my haters and detractors celebrating my literary triumphs.
I mean, if they are happy with my success, what’s another column to read, right? I write pretty entertainingly anyway, don’t I?
I mean, if I win a Palanca, and it’s such a prestigious contest, don’t you think I deserve this space I’m writing on?
I mean, my fans are saying, “You make us proud to be Ilonggos! You bring honor to Iloilo! You deserve the best. God bless you more!”
Duh!
So again, to be honest, the Hiligaynon short story is my most careful entry to the Palanca every year.
Let’s start with its orthography.
Three years ago, I launched the Hiligaynon Revolution of 2014. In it, I recommended the expansion of the Hiligaynon alphabet to 28 letters to include c, f, j, ñ, q, v, x, z. I do not know if the adoption of my suggestion has been made official by DepEd, and all other important bodies.
In South Cotabato, I’ve seen a 28-letter Hiligaynon alphabet last year. But in Iloilo, I still saw a 20-letter alphabet book as late as 2015.
You see, my opponents don’t like the idea that I started this Hiligaynon language revolution because I’m not a UP professor, or something. Neither am I sitting on the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino.
I’m not even in the academe. I’m just Peter Solis Nery. A Hiligaynon writer, editor, anthologist, publisher, bookseller, filmmaker, poet-performer, newspaper columnist, and everything else involved in the production, dissemination, and propagation of Hiligaynon words.
I do not know how much Hiligaynon the judges of the Hiligaynon contest know. I only know that some of them are native Kinaray-a, or Akeanon, speakers.
I do not know how progressive they are as far as Hiligaynon language revolution and engineering is concerned. I do not know if they share my vision, or just hate me for my vision.
So, for example, I really want to spell vacation as “vacacion”, and chapel as “capilla” in Hiligaynon. But, so as not to draw attention to myself, for my contest piece, I used the dumbed down spelling “bakasyon” and “kapilya”.
Did I betray my revolution? No! I just tried to save, and preserve, myself. I wanted the story to win.
I have faith in my revolution. I have no faith in the judges of the contest. Especially if their names are not revealed until Sept. 1.
Last year, I wrote a brilliant story called “Ang mga Kapid ni Nery”, based on a teacher who wrote a thesis about my Palanca-winning works. It did not win.
I thought that the story was outstanding. So, pardon me for being paranoid. But I felt it was discriminated against because it had a strong Nery signature attached to it.
This year, I said, “Eff it! I’m going to write something that has an even stronger Nery signature. But it will be so good the judges cannot ignore it!”
I wrote “Ang Milagro sa Ermita”, and set it in my hometown of Dumangas.
Well, actually, the story moves to the St. Joseph Regional Seminary in Jaro, where the Catholic seminarians study Theology.
I wanted a story that cannot be denied. In fact, there was a built-in psychology there about people judging, about envy, about denying the word and the final judgment.
In the first draft, I just wanted a good seminarian-and-God story. A faith story.
In the revisions, I wrote more carefully bearing in mind the judges, who may be anti-Peter Solis Nery. They can still play their literary politics, if they want, but I was going to tug at their conscience. And if they deny my words, they will be denied in the presence of angels!
So, without much to lose on my part, I set the story in my hometown of Dumangas. I decided that the voice of God will be heard not at the Jaro Cathedral, but at Ermita Chapel Shrine on the hills of Araut.
I could have set my story anywhere else in Western Visayas. Or anywhere in the Philippines, for that matter.
I mean, didn’t I set “Si Padre Olan kag ang Dios” in Buenavista, Guimaras?
But this time, I will not compromise my story’s setting. The story will be set in Dumangas!
I mean, I did compromise sometime ago because I long suspected that some judges, not all, but some, are really out to prevent me from winning. And despite being paranoid, I can understand that.
Remember my first prize-winning story “Donato Bugtot” (2011)? When I wrote it, I really had Dumangas as the setting. In fact, I saw the steps of the St. Augustine Catholic Parish rectory in my mind when I wrote about the newborn Donato in a shoe box being left on the steps of the convent.
But I had to say Barotac Nuevo or San Dionisio or something when I submitted the story in the competition, because I didn’t want the judges to connect it to me.
In my book of collected stories, “Stories in a Mellifluous Language”, I reverted to Dumangas as the setting of the story.
So yes, sometimes, I do certain things just to win. (500tinaga@gmail.com/PN)
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