"Bayot" and "Meranao" Actors on 2008 Aliw Awards Best Actor Category

OKAY I HAVE to admit it - I was elated when playwright Glen (Sevilla Mas) called me last night just to tell me that actors from my play Ang Bayot, Ang Meranao at ang Habal-Habal sa Isang Nakababagot na Paghihintay sa Kanto ng Lanao del Norte were nominated on the Best Actor Category for the twenty-something year old award giving body 2008 Aliw Awards.

Joey Paras and Arnold Reyes were nominated for this year's Aliw Awards for Best Actor Category (non-musical).

In jest I bought an ice cream at 3:00 am for my colleagues at the department to celebrate the good news. Yipeee! You know why? Because it has been years (I think almost 8 years) since a body of people recognized my work (or things that have something to do with my work.) The last 'award' that was given to me was in 2000 by my University (of Santo Tomas) through Dr. Ophelia Alcantara-Dimalanta.

The nominations are really for the two brilliant actors who made Hamid and Bambi alive on stage. Usually it's the actors themselves who send thanks to people on their podium but at this point I would like to send that thank bunch to pagaris from the Mindanao State University - Marawi City visiting Manila for their help (as in super help) to Arnold Reyes - on the accent, nuances so as the mannerisms that even I myself overlooked whenever I meet Meranao Moros here and in Mindanao. Madakel a salamat to Khal Mambuay, Adbe Campong, Abdul Yasser Lomangcolob, Maru Macarambon, Aliah Macapanton and to Alimoding Muslim. And thank you for reading the play and to those comments to improve the piece.

Cheers to the UP Repertory Company, Nick Olanka, to my readers PETA Writers Pool peeps, Writers Bloc, Inc. pen pushers, to my Moro literary comrade Jelanie Mangondato, Amera Bongcarawan and to Abdul Hamid Haji-Omar,.

Again, congrats for the nominations Joey Paras and Arnold Reyes! Alhamdulillah!