Earning the distinction of Best Book of Poetry for 2026 in Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a, Humadapnon (Ginlawan): Sugidanon (Epics) of Panay, Book 8, Volume 4 was formally given its national recognition during the 43rd National Book Awards Awarding Ceremony held at SM Mega Mall on March 14, 2026. The event was organized by the National Book Development Board and the Filipino Critics Circle.
Published by the University of the Philippines Press, Ginlawan was cited for its contribution to preserving and presenting the oral epic traditions of Panay Island. The volume was researched by Alicia Magos and Anna Razel Limoso‑Ramirez, translated by a team from UP Visayas and the Panay Bukidnon Indigenous Cultural Community led by Magos, and chanted by Federico Caballero, Gawad Manlilikha ng Bayan for Epic Chanting. Ramirez received the award on behalf of the team.
The winning book forms part of the Sugidanon (Epics) of Panay series (14 volumes), an extensive documentation project that records, translates, and analyzes the oral literature of the Panay Bukidnon community. The work presents the epic in four languages – the original chanting language, contemporary Kinaray-a, Filipino, and English – making the narrative accessible to a wider readership while preserving its cultural authenticity.
According to the citation, the winning title Ginlawan stands as a “landmark of literary excellence and cultural authorship. Presented in four languages – the original language of the chanter, contemporary Kinaray-a, Filipino and English – and crafted through years of dedicated collaboration among a living chanter. Cultural elders, a lead researcher, an editor and translators, the volume embodies ethical, community-grounded creation. Its linguistic precision, assured versification, mythic arc and sustained cadence showcase an epic with narrative force that resonates across audience and generations.”
“With its clarity of storytelling and emotional reach, Humadapnon (Ginlawan) enriches the cultural, social and intellectual life of the region and the nation. As a literary heritage, it aspires for both preservation and creative use: an epic rooted in ancestral memory yet firmly of this moment, securing its place in the future of Philippine and world literatures.”
The Humadapnon epic, one of the central narratives in the Sugidanon tradition, recounts the heroic journeys and mythic exploits of the culture hero Humadapnon. Through this scholarly edition, the epic is preserved not only as a literary text but also as a living cultural heritage rooted in the ancestral memory of one of Panay’s indigenous communities. The recognition from the National Book Development Board and the Filipino Critic Circle underscores the importance of scholarship and publishing initiatives that document indigenous knowledge systems and regional literatures. By bringing the Sugidanon epics to contemporary audiences, the award-winning volume contributes to the continuing preservation and appreciation of Philippine oral traditions.
Other poetry titles cited in the same category include works such as 17 Halin sa Iraya edited and translated by Jose Edison C. Tondares, and Kembang Kertas: Mga Binalaybay / Mga Tula by John Iremil Teodoro, and Hungaw, from the same Suguidanon series reflecting the richness and diversity of contemporary writing in Philippine regional languages. The recognition affirms the growing national and international interest in regional literatures and oral epics, highlighting the crucial role of scholars, cultural bearers, and publishers in sustaining the country’s literary heritage.
(Source: CMPG-UP Visayas)
📷 NBDB and AL Ramirez
