DAVAO CITY, Philippines – On the 86th birthday of playwright and author Agustin ‘Don’ Pagusara last July 10, friends, artists and fellow rights advocates gathered for a tribute and a celebration for his nomination as National Artist for Literature.
The gathering at Assumption College of Davao saw artists and peers such as Jojie Benitez, Kaliwat Performing Arts Collective and Drum Up perform his songs and poems.
Pagusara’s writings have spanned nearly fifty years with plays, musicals, short stories and poetry written mostly in Cebuano and Filipino. He has won three Palanca Awards for short story and was recently conferred the Gawad Dangal ng Panitikan from the Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino.
Fellow artist Dr. Joseph Elmer Noval underscored the event’s significance, stating, “The event is very important because it’s a segue towards recognition. It’s our contribution to his achievements and all the works that he has contributed to culture, arts, and literature”.
Mae Fe Templa, executive director of Kyabaan, announced the recent nomination of Pagusara for National Artist, which is the highest national award conferred to artists for their significant contribution to arts and culture in various categories, including literature where he is nominated.
After this announcement, Templa said Pagusara is also recognized as a “People’s Artist” for his works that contributed to the movement for social change.
“We have declared him as a people’s artist primarily because he has been involved with the people’s movement for social transformation and his artworks reflect the struggles, the insights, the aspirations of the Filipino people,” said Templa.
Pagusara’s literary journey included his journey as an anti-Marcos activist that led to his detention in Bicutan during Martial Law. Life as an artist and activist intertwined as he spent his years in detention in crafting poems, songs and plays depicting the life of the Filipino people, shedding light on the realities during the Marcos administration.
After EDSA, Pagusara wrote several musicals and plays staged by Kaliwat and Kulturang Atin depicting the life of Mindanao tri-people, which was performed all over Mindanao and in Manila. Two of his musicals were performed in Europe and Japan.
Pagusara was one of the conveners of the Davao Writers Guild, taught literature in Ateneo de Davao University, has been involved in community theatre and currently acts as adviser to the cultural group Alampat Philippines.
His writings have inspired Kat Dalon, a Ubo Manobo youth from Sabokahan Women Group, who spoke at the forum expressing gratitude for his writings that brought attention to the injustices faced by Lumad communities in Mindanao.
“Now that there is severe hamletting and militarization in Lumad communities, and there’s no news about us and the grabbing of our land. Sir Don’s work helped us tell our stories,” said Dalon.
Recognizing his contributions and consistent materials capturing the stories of Mindanao, Templa said Pagusara’s work should be recognized.
“Definitely, we are telling the people that we have a people’s artist from Mindanao and we believe that he is competent as a literary artist, instructor, professor, and a maestro of the grassroots community organizations who are aspiring to be an artist in the field of literature”.
Professor Jhoanna Lynn Cruz, Dean of the University of the Philippines Mindanao College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) and a colleague of Pagusara in the Davao Writers Guild, shared her mission to compile Pagusara’s works into a book.
“So we don’t only have copies of his work from messages sent on Messenger,” Cruz bemused, as Pagusara has often sent his essays and poems through social media messages.
Oscar “Oca” Casaysay, head of the Davao City Office for the Culture and the Arts (OCA), expressed hope that Pagusara’s work will be given due exposure to the public and a translation of his works be included.
“Don’s works should be understood by many. That is how they could also learn to appreciate it,” Casaysay said.
“Promoting his body of work requires a lot of energy and time,” Templa said. We need more volunteers to spearhead initiatives, especially those with expertise.” (davaotoday.com)
