Dagdag-Bawas in the National Artist Awards: Filipinos mourn the death of delicadeza

August 7th, 2009 @ Ricky Rivera

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deathofthearts

Cultural heavyweights in the Philippine art scene gathered today to mourn over the death of delicadeza in the Philippines.

Artists led by Armida Siguion-Reyna, Dr. Butch Dalisay and a hundred other performers, painters, sculptors and writers staged a necrological service at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP). After a statement of denouement, they carried a coffin symbolizing the National Artist Award and “buried” it before the office of the National Commission on the Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Artists were up in arms over the alleged meddling of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in the selection of the National Artists awardees. Arroyo reportedly did a dagdag bawas when she dropped one name among the four original names in the NCCA list and inserted four more names, including Carlo J. Caparas, Cecille Guidote-Alvarez, Pitoy Moreno and architect Bobby Manosa.