Gawad CCP Para Sa Sining is the highest recognition given by the Sentro'ng Pangkultura ng Pilipinas to artists and cultural workers who have devoted their lives and work for the upliftment of culture and the arts in the Philippines. Today's awards ceremonies are given special impetus by the fact that I personally know three (four, including Tito Eddie) of the awardees and at some point have received valuable mentorship from them in my short, mildly successful and albeit, aborted dance career.

I spent the early afternoon with former CCP awardee Tito Eddie Elejar , Butch Esperanza and Ken San Jose . In between servings of soft tacos, lumpian'g Shanghai and spaghetti, we laughed at Tito Eddie's humorous anecdotes of his life in ballet.

We were later joined by no other than Lisa Macuja Elizalde and one of this year's awardees Nonoy Froilan and CCP president Margie Moran Floirendo. We chit chatted away much of the time, catching up on things related to dance and the state of the performing arts during and after the Pandemic. I talked to Lisa about the re-opening of the Aliw Theater and the upcoming season of Ballet Manila that will start in February of next year. That's something we can all look forward to as 2023 and the closing of CCP for renovations looms.

Leslie Noble and Edna Vida joined us for more catching up. Then out of the blue walks in Cecilia Manikan , former executive director of Ballet Philippines, whom I haven't seen in ages. It was an afternoon cocktail of ballet luminaries that managed to weather out COVID.

By five p.m., the all too familiar budyong was calling out to the guests to enter the main theater as the ceremonies were about to start. All the awardees were announced as they entered the theater on their way to the VIP seats.

The CCP Gawad awards is given every two years. But because of the pandemic, I guess they had to wait until there was less of a threat of this dreaded virus. This year's awardees are as follows: 1. Lualhati T. Bautista (Panitikan); 2. Kenneth Cobonpue ( Disenyo at mga Kaugnay na Dining); 3. Clodualdo A. Del Mundo (Pelikula at Singing Broadcast); 4. Antonio L. Fabella (Sayaw, posthumous na Gawad); 5. Rafael Catalina Froilan (Sayaw) ; 6. Alice Guillermo (Pananaliksik Pangkultura, posthumous na Gawad); 7. Nestor T. Horfilla (Gawaing Pangkultura at Pananaliksik); 8. Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) (Pagpapalaganap ng Kultura ng Rehiyon); 9. Liwayway Magazine (Pagpapaunlad ng Kultura sa Pilipinas); 10. Danilo L. Dolor (Tanging Parangal); 11. Felix Padilla (Teatro), 12. Raul M. Sunico (Musika); 13. Cristina V. Turalba (Arkitektura); 14. Luis E. Yee, Jr. (Sining Biswal).

The acceptance speeches were poignant, touching, nostalgic and at times funny. Also, a little known fact is that Liwayway magazine will be celebrating its one hundredth year of publication. They started printing in November of 1922 and November of this year will be their centenary.

Most memorable were Nonoy Froilan's and Nonon Padilla's speeches. There were dance and theater alumni present to give the awardees moral support and the appreciation of knowledge they learned from being part of their respective resident companies. I had brief encounters with Shamaine Centenera and Volpi Best Actor John Arcilla. We didn't have much time to interact in between restroom breaks and the proceedings going with no intermission. Musical numbers were provided by Stefanie Quintin, the Philippine Madrigal Singers and the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra. Hosts of the proceedings were Sheila Valderrama-Martinez and Arman Ferrer with Juliene Mendoza providing the voice -overs. It was a long evening but well worth attending despite the rains.

Kudos to the recipients and Bravo for your devotion to the arts!