MANILA -- The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) will honor two multi-awarded show business personalities for their contribution to Philippine literature.
On April 2, KWF will confer its Dangal ni Balagtas award on singer-songwriter Reynaldo Valera Guardiano, popularly known as Rey Valera, and playwright Rodolfo "Rody" Vera.
What they wrote not only mirrored facets of Filipino life and culture but helped enrich Philippine literature as well, noted KWF information officer Wilbert Lamarca.
"Their work also helped promote the Filipino language," he said.
Lamarca said Valera will personally receive the award during the Pambansang Kampong Balagtas annual creative writing camp of KWF in Orion, Bataan.
His work showed the breadth and depth of ordinary Filipinos' experiences and gave new meaning and importance to music and singing in the country, noted KWF.
During the camp, KWF will air Vera's video message regarding the award.
KWF said Vera's work for theater and television challenged social realities that Filipinos face.
Valera began his show business career in the late 1970s, recording his first single 'Ako si Superman' which he wrote for then-superstar Rico J. Puno and composing the iconic song 'Mr. DJ' for Sharon Cuneta, who was a pre-teen singer at the time.
The singer-songwriter from Bulacan province went on to write hit songs for both stars and other singers, as well as for movies and soap operas.
A number of his songs are already considered as original Pilipino music classics.
Among the awards he received were the Dangal ng Musikang Pilipino Award (2005) from Philippine Association of the Record Industry Inc.-led Awit Awards and the Magna Award (2015) from MYX Music Awards.
Last year, he received the Green and Gold Award for culture from his alma mater Far Eastern University.
Vera is a Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi awardee (2015) and Palanca Awards Hall of Famer.
His body of work includes original plays, translations or adaptations of local and international literary gems, screenplays and various written materials for television, books and anthologies.
He has directorial or dramaturgical credits for and acting roles in various local and international productions and wrote lyrics of various liturgical protest songs.
According to KWF, previous recipients of its Dangal ni Balagtas Award were Lamberto E. Antonio (2013), Teodoro T. Antonio (2014), Rogelio G. Mangahas (2015), Jose F. Lacaba (2016), Lualhati Bautista (2017), Ruth Elynia Mabanglo (2017) and Ricardo Lee (2018).
KWF's Pambansang Kampong Balagtas aims to promote creative writing in the academe.
The camp is among activities for the annual celebration of Balagtas Day (Araw ni Balagtas).
'Balagtas' was the pen name of the late literary maestro Francisco Baltazar, who was born on April 2, 1788 in Bulacan's Balagtas municipality, the area formerly known as Bigaa.
His "Florante at Laura" remains to be among Philippine literary masterpieces. (PNA)
