MANILA, Philippines?For many years now, the National Artist awards have set the benchmark for Filipinos? best lifetime achievements in the arts. Thus, it serves the valuable service of inspiring younger artists to do similarly exceptional work in their own artistic lifetimes.

Of late, however, the prestigious awards have lost some of their sheen, because politics and pressure groups have come into the picture.

Distinction

As a result, by our estimation, fully one third of all National Artist awardees may not be all that deserving of the country?s top artistic honor. ?So much for setting the highest possible artistic standards and inspiring younger artists to measure up to them.

If they sense that the awards can be ?won? by means other than career-long excellence, they won?t work as hard to develop their own talents. Worse, all National Artist awardees could lose a measure of their august distinction, since their ranks may have been infiltrated by some undeserving interlopers.

These nervous thoughts come to mind, because the latest insider reports in arts circles suggest that more undeserving ?winners? may be added to the growing list. If these dire prospects materialize, woe to us all, because the time-honored awards may end up being sundered?and what a waste and pity that would be.

Of course, the latest batch of aspirants who want to leap-frog the standard vetting process by resorting to political and other padrinos believe that they do deserve the honor.

Objectivity

Unfortunately, other artists contradict the objectivity of their self-admiration, and wish that their over-arching personal ambition doesn?t result in the awards? baby being thrown out with the bathetic bathwater.

In truth, these fears are not without basis, because artists and art lovers can take just so much. If a ?winner? is clearly undeserving, they could lose respect not just for the individual ?winner,? but for the awards themselves.

In addition, how would legitimate winners of the awards feel about the dilution and diminution of the country?s top artistic honor? You can bet that these legitimate icons would know who among their new colleagues deserve to join their august company?or not. And, how would the deserving awardees express their disapproval of or disgust over this and other assaults on the awards that have legitimately capped their exceptional careers?

We raise these doubts and fears hopefully early enough to persuade wiser, saner minds to intervene before it?s too late. Individual ambition is understandable, but the distinction?and survival?of the National Artist awards are much more important, and should be held paramount above all else.