Premio Zobel

The primary objective of Premio Zóbel is to give recognition Filipino writers in and advocates for Spanish language.[1] The candidate must possess Spanish fluency. Awardees are judged members of the Academia Filipina, an association promoting the advocacy of Spanish in the Philippines. In recent years, the criteria in selecting the winners had broadened. They may or may not need to have written a body of work, as the recognition can be given to anyone who champion the Spanish language.[2]

Premio Zóbel was founded by businessman and philanthropist Enrique Zóbel de Ayala[1] in 1920, considered to be the oldest literary award in the Philippines and the only literary prize in Asia dedicated to promoting the Spanish language.[3][4] Zóbel advocated for the preservation of linkage between the Philippines and Spain through culture and the cultivation of Philippine literature in Spanish. He established the award amidst the American colonization in the first few decades of the 20th century, the rise of the English language as medium of instruction in schools, and the waning of the use of the Spanish language as lingua franca in government and the elite. He was quoted to have said, "No quiero que el español muera en Filipinas. ("I don’t want Spanish to die in the Philippines.")"[2] The award was continued by his daughter, Gloria Zóbel de Padilla, after his demise.[5]

The awarding ceremony had been previously held at the Casino Español de Manila. It was later moved to the InterContinental Manila hotel.[2] At its height, it was a literary and social event covered extensively in the media.[6]

Currently, the award is organized under the leadership of the children of Gloria Zóbel de Padilla - Georgina Z. Padilla de Mac-Crohon[7][8] and Alejandro Z. Padilla.[2]

The history of Spanish language in the Philippines, history of the Zóbel de Ayala family, history of the Premio Zóbel,[2] and short biographies of past winners as well as excerpts of their work[1] are contained in the book, "81 Years of Premio Zóbel: A Legacy of Philippine Literature in Spanish". Written by the 1998 awardee professor Lourdes Brillantes, it was supported by Spanish Embassy Ambassador Delfin Colome and the Fundacion Santiago for the Philippine Centennial.[2]

Below is the list of awardees through the years.[9]

• Brillantes, Lourdes Castrillo. 81 Years of Premio Zóbel: A Legacy of Philippine Literature in Spanish, Filipinas Heritage Library (2006)