PHNO-HL: WORTH WAITING FOR: SUSAN ROCES ACCEPTS NAT'L ARTIST AWARD FOR FPJ

WORTH WAITING FOR: SUSAN ROCES ACCEPTS NAT'L
ARTIST AWARD FOR FPJ
[PHOTO -FPJ NATIONAL ARTIST: Susan Roces gestures toward a large
photo of her late husband Fernando Poe Jr. at the conferment of the national
artist award, posthumous, on the movie actor and presidential candidate on
Thursday by, says his widow "a duly elected President," President Aquino. LYN RILLON]
MANILA, AUGUST 18, 2012 (INQUIRER) By: TJ Burgonio - In rites
witnessed by four national artists, Fernando Poe Jr.'s widow Susan Roces and
daughter Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares finally received the posthumous National
Artist medallion and citation on behalf of the "Action King" of Filipino movies
from President Benigno Aquino in Malacañang after a six-year-long wait.

"It's worth waiting for… to be conferred by a duly elected President,'' said
Roces, who had accused then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo of stealing the
vote from her husband in the May 2004 presidential elections. "This is not
tainted by politics.''

Roces said the award is a rare honor that everyone in the industry prays for
and dreams about getting some day.

Arroyo set the conferment of the award on Poe in May 2006, but his family
skipped the event in protest of Poe's loss to Arroyo in 2004. Poe, then
opposition standard-bearer, lost to Arroyo by about a million votes following
alleged rigging of the results.

Poe died of a massive stroke months later—in December 2004.

Posthumous conferment


[PHOTO FROM MANILA STANDARD - Award for Da King. President
Aquino presents to Susan Roces, wife of the late actor Fernando Poe Jr (center),
and daughter Mary Grace Poe-Llamanzares the Order of National Artists for Cinema
award in Malacanang. Poe, who died in December 2004, ran and lost in the May
2004 presidential elections. His family declined a similar award offered by then
President Gloria Arroyo, whom they accuse of stealing the elections from the
actor.]
On July 20 this year, Mr. Aquino issued Proclamation No. 435 confirming the
May 23, 2006, Proclamation No. 1069 that declared Poe as National Artist,
opening the door for the posthumous conferment.

Llamanzares, chairperson of the Movie and Television Review and
Classification Board, said they had patiently waited for this day.

"This victory is sweeter because we've waited for the right time,'' she said,
"What better way to honor a man than to have the award conferred by a person
that the Filipino people hold in such high esteem."


Llamanzares said if there was any lesson that could be learned from her
father, it's that "we have the power to write the screenplays of our lives. We
can be good parents, great Filipinos, and above all, citizens that are true to
ourselves and responsible to our futures.''

In formal rites witnessed by National Artists Eddie Romero, Virgilio Almario,
Napoleon Abueva and Abdul Mari Imao, officials of the Cultural Center of the
Philippines and the National Commission on Culture and the Arts paid tribute to
the actor, born Ronald Allan Kelly Poe.

'Da King's' favorite

CCP president Raul Sunico played a piano rendition of Poe's favorite songs
"Doon Lang'' (from the film "Batang Quiapo'') and "Iduyan Mo'' (from the film
"Agila''), both composed by Romero.

Poe's closest pal, former President Joseph Estrada, was conspicuously absent.


Poe is the sixth filmmaker to be conferred the National Artist award. Like
Avellana, De Leon, Brocka, Bernal and Romero, he was also a director, CCP
chairperson Emily Abrera noted in her speech.

"But he's better known as an actor. And we can say he's probably the most
famous Filipino action star. Until now, his films are still shown. Who hasn't
seen his movies 'Panday,' 'Alupihang Dagat,' 'Ang Agila at ang Araw' and
numerous other films that now form part of the Filipino culture?'' she said.


"Each one of us is looking for a hero who will remind us that there is hope,
and no matter how difficult our life is, a new tomorrow comes. That is what FPJ
has shown,'' she said.

The President said Poe lived by national hero Jose Rizal's principle that
there's no meaning in one's life unless it's lived for a noble purpose.

"He was loved and adored by many because of his good acting skills, his
respect for fellow artists and his films that mirrored the life of ordinary
people. While he has reaped many accolades, he remained grounded,'' he said.


Hero of the masses

Mr. Aquino said the award was set to be conferred in 2006, but said Roces
should not be faulted for deciding to defer the family's acceptance of the
award.

"Like all the characters he portrayed, from being 'Ang Probinsyano' to his
becoming 'Eseng ng Tondo'; from his struggles in 'Alamat ng Lawin' to being a
defender in 'Ang Panday,' he is a hero to the Filipino masses," he said.

"With this award,'' Mr. Aquino said, "we hope that thousands more like him
will rise and use their talents to lift up the lives of their fellow
Filipinos.''

"Whoever in the coming generations will ask who is FPJ, we will answer them
with one voice: He's the king of Philippine cinema, a national artist who will
continue to be part of the lights, camera, action in the life of the whole
country,'' he said.

Senator Loren Legarda, Poe's running mate in 2004, congratulated Roces and
Poe-Llamanzares on the conferment of the award.


Chief News Editor: Sol Jose Vanzi
© Copyright, 2012 by PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE
All
rights reserved




PHILIPPINE
HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE [PHNO] WEBSITE


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]



------------------------------------

-------------------------------------------------------------
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/phnotweet

This is the PHILIPPINE HEADLINE NEWS ONLINE (PHNO) Mailing List.

To stop receiving our news items, please send a blank e-mail addressed to: phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

Please visit our homepage at: http://www.newsflash.org/

(c) Copyright 2009. All rights reserved.
-------------------------------------------------------------Yahoo! Groups Links

<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/

<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional

<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/phno/join
(Yahoo! ID required)

<*> To change settings via email:
phno-digest@yahoogroups.com
phno-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com

<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
phno-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/