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Anna Cerezo

ABS-CBN News

<p>MANILA — Award-winning artist Lea Salonga expressed her gratitude for the supporters campaigning for her to be named as a National Artist but emphasized that she would rather advocate for the late Filipino comedian and actor Dolphy to receive the honor.</p><p>&quot;There are folks far more deserving [than me] and whose National Artist Awards are long overdue. I would love to see somebody like Dolphy, for example,&quot; Lea Salonga said in an interview during the 2024 CCP Gawad para sa Sining in Makati City, Friday.</p><p>“I think he should be heralded first. Hopefully, I will be given an opportunity to champion him.&quot;</p><p>According to Salonga, she believes Dolphy left lasting contributions that shaped the Filipino community.</p><p>“We have to judge him as an artist for his body of work. He has contributed so much— even those where he is cross dressing. It lends so much tolerance and acceptance towards the LGBTQIA+ community. Even if that was not his intention at the time. That was an effect,” she explained</p><p>Salonga was among the talented artists recognized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines Board of Trustees for the 2024 Gawad CCP para sa Sining.</p><p>“CCP was my home for &#x27;The King and I,&#x27; the first show I ever did. It was my home for &#x27;Annie,&#x27; &#x27;Miss Saigon&#x27; — where I auditioned in the first place when I was 17. I spent a lot of time on those stages so it is an absolute honor to be receiving this,” Salonga said.</p><div><br/></div><div class="twitter-tweet twitter-tweet-rendered" style="display:flex;max-width:550px;width:100%;margin-top:10px;margin-bottom:10px"><iframe id="twitter-widget-0" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowtransparency="true" allowfullscreen="" title="X Post" src="https://platform.twitter.com/embed/Tweet.html?dnt=false&amp;embedId=twitter-widget-0&amp;features=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%3D%3D&amp;frame=false&amp;hideCard=false&amp;hideThread=false&amp;id=1837141748986081370&amp;lang=en&amp;origin=https%3A%2F%2Fnews-workbench-web.abs-cbn.com%2F%23%2Fworkspace%2Fmonitoring&amp;sessionId=6976e680ea82586629569e7ac354809a918e01ee&amp;theme=light&amp;widgetsVersion=2615f7e52b7e0%3A1702314776716&amp;width=550px" style="position:static;visibility:visible;width:550px;height:697px;display:block;flex-grow:1" data-tweet-id="1837141748986081370"></iframe></div><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charSet="utf-8"></script><p>Other Filipinos awarded were Oscar C Yatco, Senator Edgardo Angara, Joey Ayala, Gener A. Caringal, Marilyn Gamboa,Gino Gonzales, Loboc Children`s Choir, Mike de Leon, Jose Lacaba Jr., Juli Lluch, Mario O&#x27;Hara, Nedy Tantoco.</p><p>The 2024 Gawad CCP para sa Sining was hosted by actress Dolly de Leon and National Artist of the Philippines for Music Ryan Cayabyab.</p>

<p>Award-winning artist Lea Salonga expressed her gratitude for the supporters campaigning for her to be named as a National Artist but emphasized that she would rather advocate for the late Filipino comedian and actor Dolphy to receive the honor.</p>

Award-winning artist Lea Salonga expressed her gratitude for the supporters campaigning for her to be named as a National Artist but emphasized that she would rather advocate for the late Filipino comedian and actor Dolphy to receive the honor.

Lea Salonga hopes to champion Dolphy as National Artist

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Lea Salonga hopes to champion Dolphy as National Artist

Anna Cerezo,

ABS-CBN News

Published September 20, 2024 11:59 PM PHT

|

Updated September 21, 2024 08:22 AM PHT

Read More:

CP

Lea Salonga

Dolphy

Dolly de Leon

Ryan Cayabyab

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