UP Mindanao Professor John B. Bengan (Dept. of Humanities) was awarded 1st Prize in the English Short Story Category of the 63rd Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. Prof. Bengan won for his short story, “Armor”, which was first published in Likhaan 6: The Journal of Contemporary Philippine Literature, edited by Gemino H. Abad. “Armor” is set in Mintal, Davao City, and tells the story of Ronnie, a small time drug pusher and beautician/choreographer who joins a gay beauty pageant, and a stranger who arrives at the pageant night to alter the course of Ronnie’s fate. Prof. Bengan teaches literature and creative writing and is the third Palanca-winner in the present faculty roster of the Dept. of Humanities, after Prof. Ricardo M. de Ungria and Prof. Jhoanna Lynn B. Cruz-Daliling. He earned his BA English degree in UP Mindanao and his Master of Fine Arts degree in The New School (New York).
Also, former UP Mindanao Chancellor Professor Ricardo M. de Ungria (Department of Humanities) was appointed UP Artist for the second time. Prof. de Ungria was awarded his second appointment as UP Artist I at the UP Arts Productivity System Awarding Ceremony in August 7 at Ang Bahay ng Alumni, UP Diliman. He is one of eight appointees in the field of Literary Works and one of only two of the 28 appointed UP Artists who come from the regional universities of UP. Prof. de Ungria was a recipient of a National Book Award in 2012 as editor of “Tala Mundi: The Collected Poems of Tita Agcaoili Lacambra Ayala”. He is an advocate of creative writing in the regions, an organizer of literary events and associations, and a prolific writer of poetry.