This year marks the 17th year the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has awarded Filipino artists, groups, and talents that represented our country and earned recognition in the global stage and competitions. Thirty-nine (39) Ani ng Dangal Awardees from Architecture and the Allied Arts, Cinema, Dance, Music and Visual Arts were honored at the historic Metropolitan Theater on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.
NCCA Chair Victorino Mapa Manalo, Executive Director Eric Zerrudo, and Subcommission on the Arts (SCA) Commissioner Arvin Villalon led the awarding and personally handed the sarimanok trophy to the awardees. In his welcome speech, Chair Manalo highlighted the significance of the artists’ contribution to both national and global culture.
“They (artists) open doors for future generations of artists, inspiring young talents to pursue their passions with confidence … When they see someone from their homeland winning awards, they believe that they, too, can achieve greatness,” he added.
Wearing their Barong Tagalog and Filipiniana, the awardees accepted their trophy full of honor, embodying the nation’s pride that continuously put the Philippines in the map of arts. The Ani ng Dangal, or Harvest of Honor, is a state acknowledgment granted by NCCA This year’s Ani is both a highlight activity and marks the conclusion of National Arts Month (NAM).
The Ani ng Dangal trophy is stylized sarimanok sculpted by National Artist for Visual Arts Abdulmari Imao, which represents the Filipino artist’s achievements in the global stage. The logo of Ani ng Dangal, stylized rice stalk, alludes to the rice harvest as metaphor for an art harvest: a product of the creative process that expresses the dreams, aspirations, and ideals of the Filipino artist. It bears seven grains, which is representative of the seven arts, while its bright colors evoke the festive mood of NAM, symbolizing the abundance and excellence of Filipino artistry.
Maria Ira S. Reyes, president of BAWZ—a group recipient for dance, delivered an acceptance speech on behalf of the awardees. “This recognition affirms our dedication, hardwork, passion we pour to our craft as artists … While winning internationally is an incredible achievement, nothing compares to the pride of being recognized at home by a national institution,” Reyes said.
ED Zerrudo shared that each artist are ambassadors of the country’s culture and our creativity wherein it has also become a contribution towards the betterment of the world with culture and the arts. “You have big responsibilities, you’re not just a champion, but the champion of the world,” he added during his closing speech.
This year’s Ani ng Dangal honorees from the Architecture and Allied Arts are:
- Frenjick Quesada of Design Hirayama +Quesada who won the Titan Property Awards, Residential High-Rise, 2024;
- Christina Periquet who won the Asia Pacific Property Award’s Residential Show Home category for the Filigree Showsuites;
- Chartra Paz “Chat” Fores who won the International Property Award 2024-2025, Winner for Leisure with 5 Stars;
- Royal Pineda who won the Travel Trades Excellence Award for Clark International Airport 2024;
- William Ti, the Overall Winner of the WAFX Awards, World Architecture Festival (WAF) 2021 Masterplan;
- The LPPA Design Group, Inc./ L.P Parinas & Associates-Architecture who brought home the 5-Star Best Mixed-Use Architecture award twice at the Asia Pacific Property Awards in Thailand and International Property Awards Global in United Kingdom;
- And lastly, Archiglobal which won the 2023 Best Architecture Design and 2023 Best Commercial Building Architecture Design.
For Cinema, eight (8) honorees are recognized:
- Rian Simon Cabatingan Magtaan who won the Golden Kinabalu Award for Best Documentary for his film “The Night is Drunk When We Suffer” at the 14th Kota Kinabalu Award International Film Festival 2023;
- Cris Bringas, writer and producer of “All These Wasted Space” which won the Golden Reel Award – Best Narrative Short;
- Sasa Cabalquinto who won the Best Performance Award in the film “Vox Humana” during the Singapore International Film Festival;
- Sonny Calvento, a writer who won the Asian Academy Creative Awards in Singapore and Best Short Form Content in the Philippines by Singapore’s Asian Academy Creative Awards for “Primetime Mother”;
- Carl Lara who directed Berlin Newgen Best Short Film “Rumbles of the Earth”;
- Director Sheron Dayoc for his film “Gospel of the Beast” which won the Best Feature Narrative at the 17th Bali International Film Festival/ BALINALE 2024;
- Actress Max Eigenmann as Best Actress for her performance in the Film “Kargo” at the ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA);
- And Carlo Obispo, Best Director for the film “A Baseball Player” at the ASEAN International Film Festival and Awards (AIFFA).
Six (6) dance groups in various genres are recognized as Ani ng Dangal honorees:
- Bailes De Luces, the winner of multiple awards at the 27th World Championship of Performing Arts in Long Beach, California, USA;
- Halili Cruz School of Ballet, multiple awardee at the Asia Pacific Dance Competition in Bangkok, Thailand;
- UPEEPZ, World Champion at the Mega Crew Division during the 2024 Hip Hop Dance Championship in Phoenix, Arizona;
- A-KIDZ, who also competed in the same competition, won the World Champion, Varsity Division title;
- TPM, Champion during Singapore’s Ultimate Dance Competition Super24 (Open Category) 2024;
- And BAWZ, Champion in Summer Jam Showcase in Vietnam.
Moreover, the visual arts have three (3) awardees:
- Justin Joseph Mendoza the Grand Prize Winner during the Huawei XMAGE Awards 2024 Ceremony & Annual Exhibition in China
- Jed Bacason a photographer who won at the MAGNUM x Polaroid Worldwide Photography Competition 2024
- Benjamin Torrado Cabrera the Grand Prize winner for the 2024 ASEAN Graphics and Arts Competition and Exhibition in Vietman
And lastly for the category of music, there are 15 awardees; nine (9) groups bagged the top prize in various competitions—
- Imusicapella (Trista Ignacio, Conductor) at the 29th Bela Bartok International Choral Competition and 7th International Baltic Sea Choir Competition;
- Darwin Vargas, Conductor of Los Cantates De Manila at the ), 18th Internationaler Kammerchor- Wettbewerb Marktoberdorf 2023, and the whole group Los Cantates de Manila at the 72nd Guido d’Arezzo International Polyphonic Competition;
- Sola Gratia Chorale (Cyril Punay, Sola Conductor) at the 8th Singapore International Choral Festival 2024;
- University of Mindanao Chorale (Tim Atencio, Conductor), Grand Prix Champion at the Taipei International Choral Competition (2024);
- Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (Jeffrey Solares, Conductor) –String Orchestra Category winner at the 16th Summa Cum Laude International Youth Music Festival 2024 and Grand Prix at 13th Brastilava International Music Festival;
- University of the Philippines Manila Chorale (John Stevem Verrosa, Conductor), Grand Prix at the 59th Prof. Jan Szyrocki International Choral Festival, in Poland;
- University of Santo Tomas Singers (Fidel Calalang Jr., Conductor), Grand Prix, 10th Grieg International Choir Festival;
- Baoo Children and Youth Choir, Winner of Primer Premio at the 29th Certamen International Juvenil de Habaneras 2024.
Meanwhile, four individual performers also won the top prizes in different music competition and categories:
- Ily Matthew Maniano (composer) at the 2022 Cambridge Chamber Singers Composition Competition;
- Ian Gabriel Corpuz (composer) at the Palouse Choral Society 3rd Annual Composition Contest 2024, Winner, Ensemble Altera’s 4th Annual Composition Competition 2024;
- Saunder Choi (composer) and Joey Vargas (poet) at the 2024 Raymond W. Brock Prize, professional composers for Lakbay ng Agila (Eagle’s Fight), where Mr. Vargas provided the literary accompaniment of the said work;
- Jose Lorenzo Reyna Jr. (conductor) as The American Prize Winner, American Prize in Conducting—College/University Orchestra Division, 2024.