Mojares recognized for contributions to literature, receives Sugbuhanong Bahandi Award

CEBU CITY, Philippines — An educator, scholar, essayist and fictionist, and a cultural and literary historian is one of the awardees of the “Sugbohanong Bahandi Award” of the Cebu City government.

Dr. Resil Mojares, who is the general editor of the Book of Records Project of the Ramon Magsaysay Awards Foundation since 2007, attended the gala dinner on August 31, 2023, at the Waterfront Hotel and Casino Cebu City Hotel where he and other awardees received their awards.

READ: Mojares: National artist makes Cebuanos proud

Mojares, awardee for literature

He was recognized for his contribution to literature.

Cebu City Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia during the event praised the Cebuano talent for their dedication and passion to the perfection of their craft.

“Those who have brought so much pride and honor to Cebu and who have literally put Cebu in the world map,” said Garcia.

Cebuano treasure

“But more importantly, these individuals are not just talented, they also have the heart and generosity to give back to the community where they came from and that is why they truly are deserving to be called Sugbuhanong Bahandi, Cebuano Treasure, that all artists present today can only hope to attain in the future,” he said.

Mojares, who is from Polanco town in Zamboanga del Norte, has authored over 20 books on Philippine history, has published numerous essays and articles, has received six Philippine National Book Awards, and a Carlos Palanca Memorial Award which he has achieved in the last 60 years.

“I enjoy writing, I write everyday or whenever I’m free” said Mojares.

“One must note however that writing does not simply mean putting down words on paper, it is the whole process of thinking, researching, revising, and then doing this all over again,” he added.

Mojares, who was the founder of the Cebuano Studies Center, also pioneered Cebuano and national identity formation which helped place Cebu in the research and documentation map.

The Sugbohanong Bahandi awardees were recognized for their talent.

Celebrate talent of individuals

The “Sugbohanong Bahandi Award” is a way to recognize and celebrate the talent of individuals in their respective fields in the seven domains of art.

According to the ordinance authored by Vice Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia, the award will also be granted to individuals with significant contributions to the City in terms of arts which includes visual arts, performing arts, literary arts, media arts, music, dance, and theater, as well as allied arts.

The other artist, who received of the Sugbuhanong Bahandi Award, were Romulo Galicano and Kimsoy Yap for Visual Art, Kenneth Cobonpue, Nicolas Pacana for dance,  Msgr. Rudy Vllanueva for music and literature. | Mariele Ocubillo, CTU INTERN

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