Is the Palanca Still Relevant?

By Noel Galon de Leon

On May 20, 2025, the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature officially opened its annual competition, once again inviting Filipino writers to participate in one of the most prestigious literary events in the country. Though the announcement came later than expected, it sparked renewed debate among writers and literary scholars: Does the Palanca Awards still hold relevance in today’s literary and cultural environment?

For many, the answer remains yes. The Palanca Awards continue to be viewed as the highest form of recognition for Filipino writers. Winning a Palanca not only elevates one’s stature in the literary community but also earns acknowledgment from academic institutions and cultural organizations. The award has opened doors for many recipients, leading to publication deals, invitations to speak at conferences, creative fellowships, and various literary projects.

In a country where writing is often not seen as a viable profession, the Palanca provides a sense of legitimacy. It affirms that writing is a meaningful and respectable career path. Moreover, the competition serves as a national archive, chronicling literary trends, aesthetic movements, and sociopolitical concerns across different generations. Each submitted work becomes part of the broader discourse that shapes Philippine literature.

For emerging writers, participation in the Palanca, even without winning, is often a source of validation and motivation. It provides a platform for them to be heard and recognized. The inclusion of categories in Filipino and several regional languages is also significant, as it supports the development, dissemination, and preservation of linguistic diversity. In doing so, the Palanca fosters inclusivity and widens the space for literary representation.

The awards have been instrumental in shaping the careers of some of the country’s most revered writers. Since its establishment in 1950, the Palanca has helped build the literary reputations of figures such as Nick Joaquin, F. Sionil Jose, Leoncio P. Deriada, Jose Dalisay Jr., Ricky Lee, Alice Tan Gonzales, and Edith Tiempo. Originally founded to promote Philippine literature and named in honor of Don Carlos Palanca Sr., a noted businessman and patron of the arts, the award has grown into what many refer to as the Pulitzer Prize of the Philippines.

Beyond honoring literary excellence, the Palanca Awards have served as a mirror of the nation’s historical and social conditions. The winning works often engage with the most urgent issues of their time, contributing to the cultural and intellectual life of the country.

Despite its achievements, the Palanca is not without criticism. Some argue that, although it includes regional language categories, English and Filipino remain disproportionately favored. Regional languages are often restricted to the short story category, limiting the broader representation of regional literary forms in poetry, essay, and drama. This narrow framework fails to fully reflect the linguistic and cultural richness of the country.

There is also concern that the prestige associated with the Palanca can lead to the formation of an exclusive literary canon. Such canonization risks marginalizing alternative voices and countercultural texts. Some view the award as a tool for academic or professional advancement rather than a sincere engagement with national literature. This perception creates the impression that winning a Palanca is more about building one’s résumé than making a meaningful contribution to the cultural landscape.

Whether or not one views the Palanca Awards as essential, younger writers should understand that literary merit extends beyond awards. A writer’s value to literature is not defined by institutional recognition alone. To think otherwise is both narrow and reductive.

The greater challenge is to keep writing, to keep publishing, and to remain engaged with the concerns of the nation. Writers must amplify marginalized perspectives, preserve and celebrate native languages, and produce work that reflects the struggles and dreams of the Filipino people. A country that does not silence its writers, and writers who do not rely solely on awards for validation, create the foundation for a stronger future.

The Palanca Awards can still be a valuable institution. However, they must continue evolving to reflect the complexity, diversity, and aspirations of Philippine literature. Writers, in turn, must create not for recognition alone, but for the country, for the community, and for generations yet to come.

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Noel Galon de Leon is a writer and educator at University of the Philippines Visayas, where he teaches in both the Division of Professional Education and U.P. High School in Iloilo. He serves as an Executive Council Member of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts-National Committee on Literary Arts.