By ANTHONY IAN CRUZ
Malaya
Oct. 19, 2007

A PROFESSOR at the Ateneo de Manila University is among this year’s recipients of the South East Asia WRITE Award, given to poets and writers.

When Michael M. Coroza accepted the award from Princess Sirivannavari Nariratana last week in Bangkok, he delivered a poem instead of a speech. And it was in Pilipino.

The SEA WRITE award initiated in 1979 by the royal family of Thailand is the only regional award for literature. It is given for a specific work or for lifetime achievement.

Twenty-nine Filipinos have been given the award, including Nick Joaquin, Carmen Nakpil, Edilberto Tiempo, Bienvenido Santos, Isagani Cruz, Ofelia Dimalanta, and Domingo Landicho.

Coroza – a poet, essayist, translator and editor – said the award is “a positive signal that Filipino language is gaining acceptance in the regional literary scene and that Filipino writers are respected.”

“Filipino winners of SEA WRITE were mostly writers in English. Now, there’s growing space for writers in Filipino,” he said.

Previous winners who also write in Filipino included Virgilio Almario, Teo Antonio, and Vim Nadera.

Coroza said he would continue to oppose moves to overturn the bilingual system in schools, colleges and universities.

“I do so not for romanticist reasons but for practical purposes. Our children and our students learn faster when the lingua franca is used in instruction,” he said.

Coroza has also won major national awards, including the Palanca for poetry and essay, the Gantimpalang Collantes for poetry, and the Home Life Magazine National Poetry Contest.

The Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino gave him a national award of recognition in 2005 for his contributions to the development and promotion of the Filipino language and literature.

He has published two books, “Dilit Dilim” and “Mga Lagot na Liwanag,” which were finalists in the National Book Award for Poetry of the Manila Critics Circle.