On Aug. 27, 2024, the City of Cebu honored five Cebuano artists at the Sugbuanong Bahandi Awards Night, held at the Waterfront Cebu City Hotel and Casino. The Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (Chac) vetted this year’s awardees in visual arts, fashion, music, film and performing arts.
The evening’s program featured a song composed by the late Msgr. Rudy Villanueva, last year’s music awardee, a ballet choreographed by last year’s dance awardee Nicolas Pacaña and a performance from “Beauty & The Beast” by Lexie Garcia and Adrian Go. A mini fashion show showcased designs by Protacio, Edwin Ao, Mike Yapching, Jun Escario, Oj Hofer, Marichu Tan, and Cary Santiago, inspired by Philip Rodriguez’s work.
Below is a brief background on the five distinguished Cebuanos recognized for their contributions:
Celso Pepito (Visual Arts)
Since his days as a Fine Arts student in the University of the Philippines, Pepito’s style has evolved into his own brand, a style he fondly calls “Cebuano Cubism.” He is known for dividing his compositions into three planar divisions and always places an octagon in his images. He is untiring in sharing his belief that if a man loves his God, then surely he loves his family and his country with the same passion. Celso unselfishly offers his time and resources to mentor young artists and is committed to devoting his whole life to developing the local art scene.
Philip Rodriguez (Fashion)
Rodriguez has always been associated with understated elegance. His ability to blend traditional Filipino craftsmanship with contemporary design is one of the reasons he remains a renowned designer. Rodriguez is a founding member of the Philippine Fashion Coalition. He also serves as head of Fashion Council Cebu and is the chairman of the annual Miss Cebu. His dedicated service as a commissioner of the Cebu City Tourism Commission and as a member of the Board of Trustees for the National Museum of the Philippines makes him a truly worthy son of Cebu.
Dulce (Music)
Even as a child in Bulacao Pardo, Dulce (Maria Teresa Magdalena Abellare Llamedo Cruzata) was already honing her vocal skills in preparation for a career in entertainment. Once called “Asia’s Timeless Diva,” she gained international acclaim after winning the grand prize in the 4th Asia-Pacific Singing Contest in 1979 with her most famous song, “Ako ang Nasawi, Ako ang Nagwagi.” This success led to recording 30 albums and being the voice behind over 30 movie theme songs. Dulce remains dedicated to mentoring young artists and promoting the arts with unwavering commitment.
Pilar Pilapil (Film)
Pilar Delilah Veloso Pilapil was crowned Miss Liloan in 1966 before competing as the Cebu representative to the Binibining Pilipinas beauty pageant — which she won in 1967. Pilapil represented the country in the Miss Universe pageant that same year. From the ‘70s to the ‘90s, she starred in highly acclaimed films, getting nominations for her roles. In more recent years, she has starred in telenovelas and also wrote an autobiography (“The Woman Without a Face”). She devotes much of her free time to the Pilar Pilapil Foundation, which helps battered and abused women.
Orlando Magno (Performing Arts)
Recognized for his undeniable contributions as actor, director and playwright, Magno’s work in theater is incomparable. His work mostly reflects the realities of Filipino life — giving his audience room to ponder on the complexities of Filipino identities and social issues. His life’s work has resulted in the success of many of his students in theater arts — as their first mentor, he is instrumental in shaping careers by instilling discipline with gentle guidance through various stages of development in their craft.
Cebuano industrial designer Kenneth Cobonpue designed the Sugbuhanon Bahandi Award trophy, symbolizing the pinnacle of creativity and innovation. The trophy represents the journey from concept to creation, paying homage to Cebuano culture and artistic expression.