Vanitas/Photo by JR Dalisay

Vanitas/Photo by JR Dalisay
Vanitas/Photo by JR Dalisay, April 21, 2017

Wednesday, June 13, 2018

Whenever it's the rainy season I feel ten times blessed to have retired. I recall that the sky tricksters would always  make it rain at the wrong times: when I was leaving the house for work and when I was leaving the office to get home. I'd gotten stranded, gotten jostled in crowded vehicles, been unable to get rides, walked in waist-high floods, and known the misery of being caught in the rain when all I wanted was to be safe and warm and dry. There was, moreover, a lot of ill will out there; the devils were not only in the traffic, they were also generally everywhere else.

Today I stay home during downpours, light the incandescent lamps, relax, and enjoy a cup or two of coffee. Sometimes I just hang out in the studio lounge with a special friend. I watch the rain from the windows and I no longer see it as an enemy. And, of course, there is the option of walking to the center in a trench coat and under an umbrella, having an espresso in one of the coffee shops, wallowing in the scent of brewed, ground coffee beans, cinnamon, and lemon, and afterward bringing home boxes of pastries that my granddaughters like.
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About Tony Perez

TONY PEREZ is a creative writer, playwright, poet, lyricist, painter, portraitist, fiber artist, sculptor, game designer, fashion photographer, and psychic journalist and trainer. He is one of the 100 Filipino recipients of the 1898-1998 Centennial Artists Awards of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. His other awards include the 13 Artists of the Philippines, the Gawad Pambansang Alagad ni Balagtas from the Writers Union of the Philippines, four National Book Awards from the Manila Critics Circle, a FAMAS Award for Best Story, five prizes from the Cultural Center of the Philippines Playwriting Contest, three prizes from the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, the National Fellowship for Drama from the Creative Writing Center of the University of the Philippines, the Irwin Chair in Creative Writing from Ateneo de Manila University, and a prize in photography from the Children’s Museum and Library, Inc.

Among Tony Perez’s plays are "Hoy, Boyet, Tinatawag Ka Na, Hatinggabi Na’y Gising Ka Pa Pala"; Anak ng Araw; "Gabún"; "Alex Antiporda"; "Sierra Lakes"; "Biyernes, 4:00 N.H."; "Sacraments of the Dead"; "The Wayside Café"; Ang Panginoon sa Driod; Isang Pangyayari sa Planas Site; and "Ang Prinsipe Ng Buwan". He wrote the librettos for the musicals Florante at Laura and Sa Pugad ng Adarna for Tanghalang Pilipino and the opera La naval for University of Santo Tomas. His two major drama trilogies are Tatlong Paglalakbay: Tatlong Mahabang Dula ni Tony Perez (Bombita, Biyaheng Timog, Sa North Diversion Road) (University of Santo Tomas Publishing House) and Indakan Ng Mga Puso(Oktubre, Noong Tayo’y Nagmamahalan Pa; Nobyembre, Noong Akala Ko’y Mahal Kita; and Saan Ba Tayo Ihahatid ng Disyembre?).Biyaheng Timog was produced as A Small Matter of Sacrifice in New York City and as Trip to the South in Singapore, and Sa North Diversion Road, as On The North Diversion Road, in Melbourne, Australia. His mentors in literature and drama were Onofre Pagsanghan, Rolando Tinio, Bienvenido Lumbera, Nicanor Tiongson, Virgilio Almario, Cecile Guidote, Nestor Torre, and Randy Ford. His plays for radio, television, and film were directed by Sonia Roco, Lino Brocka, Lupita Concio, Mitos Villareal, Nick Lizaso, Joey Gosiengfiao, Gil Portes, Maryo de los Reyes, Frank Rivera, and Anton Juan. He was featured in National Geographic/Discovery Channel’s “Psychic Detectives” in their Asian Enigma episode.

Tony Perez’s published books include Albert N.: A Case Study and the five volumes in the Cubao Series titled Cubao 1980 At Iba Pang Mga Katha; Cubao Pagkagat Ng Dilim; Cubao Midnight Express; Eros, Thanatos, Cubao; and Cubao-Kalaw Kalaw-Cubao by Cacho Publishing House. His Anvil Transpersonal Psychology Series includes The Calling: A Transpersonal Adventure; Beings: Encounters of the Spirit Questors with Non-human Entities; The Departed: Encounters of the Spirit Questors with Spirits of the Deceased; A Young Man Cries for Justice beyond His Grave Volume I; Stories of the Moon: Further Adventures of the Spirit Questors; Songs of Sunset: Incantations and Spells by the Spirit Questors; Mga Panibagong Kulam; Mga Panibagong Tawas; Mga Panibagong Orasyon; Mga Panibagong Orasyon sa Magica Cantada; Mga Panibagong Ritwal ng Wicca; Mga Panibagong Kulam sa Pag-ibig, and the new series Maligayang Pagdating sa Sitio Catacutan and Malagim ang Gabi sa Sitio Catacutan. He co-authored a children’s book, Inang Bayan’s New Clothes (Anvil Publishing Inc.) His plays, fiction, poems, original knitting patterns, acrostic puzzles, and illustrations were published in various anthologies, textbooks, and magazines including This Same Sky: A Collection of Poems from around The World (edited by Naomi Shihab Nye, Macmillan Publishing Company), Tenggara 23: Journal of Southeast Asian Literature (Jabatan Persuratan Melayu, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia), New Writing from the Philippines, Volume 33 (Philippine Studies Series), Modern ASEAN Plays: Philippines (edited by Nicanor G. Tiongson, ASEAN Committee on Culture and Information), A Habit of Shores: An Anthology of Poems, 1965-1974 (edited by Gemino H. Abad, Bureau of National and Foreign Information), Building Communication Skills 6 and Gems of Philippine Literature (Department of Education, Culture, and Sports), Rogue Magazine, The Philippine Star, The Philippines Free Press Magazine, The Sunday Times Magazine, Mr. & Ms. Magazine, andWoman’s Home Companion Magazine. Some of his works in Filipino were translated into English and French. He conducts "Writing from The Heart," a creativity workshop in writing, drawing, and drama to beginners and professionals, and especially to underserved audiences such as faculty and students of public schools, community theater groups, the disadvantaged, the disabled, children in conflict with the law, abused women and children, victims of human trafficking, prisoners, gang leaders, drug rehabilitation residents, and people in need of trauma therapy.

In 2013 Mr. Perez decided to post all of his old and new works in cyberspace to make them available to a wider range of people.

Tony Perez’s artworks have been showcased in 21 individual and group art exhibits curated by Marian Pastor Roces, Nonon Padilla, Bobi Villanueva, Judy Sibayan, Lalyn Buncab, Nilo Ilarde, Ernie Patricio and Jun Veloso, Chari Elinzano, Reverend Father Loy Divino (CICM), and Raven Villanueva. Among his art teachers were Araceli Limcaco-Dans, Brenda Fajardo, Virginia Flor Agbayani and Ben-Hur Villanueva of the U.P. College of Fine Arts, Florencio Concepcion and Fernando Sena of The Saturday Group, and Rafael del Casal.

Mr. Perez holds an A.B. in Communications and a Cand. M.A. in Clinical Psychology from Ateneo de Manila University, an M.A. in Religious Studies, magna cum laude, from Maryhill School of Theology in New Manila, and certificates in Publication Design and Production from the Department of Journalism at the University of Wisconsin and Fundamentals of Graphic Design from the University of California at San Francisco. He taught as adjunct lecturer at Ateneo de Manila University, De La Salle University, Saint Scholastica’s College, Maryknoll College, and the Philippine High School for the Arts. His master’s thesis, titled Pagsubok sa Ilang: Ikaapat na Mukha ni Satanas was published by Anvil Publishing Inc. in 2005 and was awarded the National Book Award for Theology and Religion by the Manila Critics Circle in 2006.

Mr. Perez has two sons, Nelson I. Miranda and Chito I. Miranda, four granddaughters, Angelique Pearl Miranda, Nielsen Tegelan, Aubrey Rose Miranda, and Chevy Keith Miranda, and one grandson, Chrysler Vince Miranda. His daughters-in-law are Agnes Tegelan and Ivy Vercasion. They live in Cubao, Quezon City, where Mr. Perez has resided since 1955.