Negrense writer, teacher and researcher Ma. Cecilia Locsin-Nava was one of the awardees of the 37th Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas at the University of the Philippines-Dilliman in Quezon City, Metro Manila, recently.
Locsin-Nava is one of the nine awardees of this year’s Gawad Balagtas awards, which are given to Filipino writers for their exceptional work in the Filipino language and their contribution to Philippine literature.
The Gawad was awarded to Locsin-Nava under the Kasaysayang Panitikan at Salin sa Ingles or Historical Literature and English Language Translations category.
Locsin-Nava is acclaimed for her specialization in literature and culture in Negros and Western Visayas and is a former dean of the College of Arts and Sciences of the University of Saint La Salle-Bacolod.
Among her works were Margosatubig: The Story of Salagunting by Philippine national artist for literature Ramon Muzones, which was conferred the Juan C. Laya Prize for Best Novel in a foreign language in 2012, and she has translated various other Muzones novels.
She was also the first recipient of the Researcher’s Prize awarded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in 2016.
The other Gawad Balagtas awardees are Antonio Aguilar Jr. for Tula at Katha sa Hiligaynon, Gene Alcantara for Sanaysay at Salin sa Filipino at Ingles, Maria Felisa Batacan for Katha sa Ingles, Jim Chiu Hung for Tula at Sanaysay sa Chino, Apolonio Chua for Kritisismo sa Filipino, Jimuel Naval for Katha sa Filipino, Fatima Lim-Wilson for Tula sa Ingles, and Felice Prudente Sta. Maria for Sanayay sa Ingles.
The awarding ceremony was held during the 50th UMPIL National Writers’ Congress on April 27.*