Added Aug 3, 2006
Since 1994, Philip Morris Philippines Manufacturing Inc. has successfully organized and staged the Philippine Art Awards (PAA) producing a significant portfolio of past winners who are now considered the cream of the crop in the Philippine visual art scene. Every two years, a select panel of distinguished judges chooses ten winners from four regions (Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao) to further compete for one Grand Prize and seven Juror’s Choices.
In the Visayas region, the awarding ceremonies were held at the Museo Iloilo last September 8, 2011. According to the organizers, there were more than 100 entries submitted by artists from Panay, Negros, Samar, Leyte and Cebu but only 10 were to adjudged Jurors Choice for the region. The ten jurors choice for the Visayas Art Awards were: Rommel Anglacer Garde, Iloilo City; Cezar Arro, Oton, Iloilo; Arel Zambarrano, Banate, Iloilo; Lester Joey Amacio, Iloilo City; and Tyrone Dave Espinoza, Lapaz, Iloilo City., Gary Custodio, Kalibo Aklan; Peter James Fantinalgo, Bacolod City, Marvin Chito Natural, Toledo City, Cebu; Jana Jumalon-Alano, Dumaguete City; and Dennis “Sio” Montera, Cebu City.
National Artist Benedicto Cabrera, Gov. Arthur Defensor, Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog, and PMFTC President Chris Nelson honored them during the Awarding and Exhibition Opening Ceremony at Museo Iloilo, Iloilo City.
The winners received P40,000 each as cash prize, and a trophy made by National artist Napoleon Abueva. Furthermore, they get the chance to compete with winners from Luzon, Mindanao, and Metro Manila in the 2012 Philippine Arts Awards National Finals. The Philippine Arts Awards is the most prestigious visual art competition in the country. The grand winner will then receive P350,000 and seven Jurors Choice Excellence Award (P120,000), and Merit Award (P80,000).
In addition, the national winners will receive an all-expense paid trip to the Hongkong, a dynamic art market in Asia. In March 2012, the winners from Luzon, NCR, Visayas and Mindanao will vie for the national prize in an exhibition that will be mounted in the National Museum of the Philippines.