2000 Gawad Alab ng Haraya Awardee

(Alab ng Haraya Awards)

While his numerous contributions span an entire spectrum — from literary masterpieces (Ang Tundo Man ay Langit, Ulilang Pangarap) to translations of great classics into Tagalog to the well-crafted speeches of celebrated government leaders — it is for his various columns and articles on culture and history that Cruz merits further distinction. A tool for instruction, albeit unconventional, his work takes a more popular approach to Philippine historical events as well as contemporary questions on culture and arts, making these more accessible to the man on the street.

In "Culturescope" (Philippine Post), Cruz regularly delved into issues surrounding the culture and arts scene. Later renamed "Inside/Out," the column pursued its objective to disseminate information and opinion, that of Cruz and of others, providing readers a base upon which to formulate judgment. Bearing in mind the basic freedom, he provided means through which others might verify or disclaim opinions earlier cited. Indeed, that truly informed opinion can be found — and challenged! — is good news, especially at a time when many choose to idle as fence sitters.

Continuing his bid to popularize history, Cruz began another column, "Kultura at Kasaysayan" (Metronews), repackaging culture and history into bite-sized tidbits for the fast-paced and brisk lifestyle of Filipino commuters. Information comes by way of brief, entertaining items on Philippine culture and the arts, both traditional and contemporary.

What began as an attempt to chronicle the centenary of the Philippine Revolution evolved into "A Hundred Years Ago" (Malaya), a collection of vignettes concerning the events, personalities, and issues of a hundred years past. Even as Cruz merges the artistry of imaginative literature with the discipline of journalism, he remains faithful to the tenets of sound research, providing reference to materials and documents relevant to the issues discussed. Moreover, he leads the readers to note observations about the relevance of these past events and issues to contemporary disputes and concerns.

For these efforts to unceasingly yield results, Alcazaren highlights the need for a sustainable, larger urban context, saying that, "Single heritage structures cannot exist in a vacuum." Government must draft laws and guidelines for the repair, conservation, and adaptive reuse of these heritage structures because, as Alcazaren intrepidly asserts, "… even more basic than all of these is keeping the infrastructure of heritage and our culture intact. Our built heritage is part of this vast Filipino resource we, all too often, fail to appreciate."

Gawad Alab ng Haraya at Dangal ng Haraya Guidelines