Senate commends author F. Sionil Jose and Miss Earth Jamie Herrell

The Senate  on Tuesday adopted resolutions recognizing National Artist for Literature F. Sionil Jose and newly crowned Miss Earth Jamie Herrell for their outstanding work for the country.

In Senate Resolution No. 1045, the Senate commended Jose for his distinguished contributions to literature and journalism.

The resolution, introduced by Sen. Loren Legarda, noted his “artistic and literary genius, and his perseverance to instill national pride through the arts.”

Born in Rosales, Pangasinan, on December 3, 1924, Jose is considered one of the country’s most prominent writers in the English language. His works have been translated into 22 languages, including Czech, Indonesian, French, Korean, Russian, Latvian and Dutch.

He has received numerous accolades, including the Ramon Magsaysay Award, the Pablo Neruda Award, and the Carlos Palanca Memorial Award.

Last week, he was promoted to the rank of Officer in France's Order of Arts and Letters. He was previously awarded the rank of Chevalier (Knight) in 2001.

Jose was bestowed the title of National Artist of the Philippines for Literature in 2001.

“He has been an inspiration to several generations of writers and journalists through his essays, his role as a publisher, his lectures, his iconic bookshop, Solidaridad, and his founding of the Philippine chapter of the PEN, an international organization of poets, writers and novelists,” the resolution stated.

Senate Resolution No. 1039, on the other hand, congratulated Jamie Herrell for winning the Miss Earth 2014 competition on November 29 at the University of the Philippines Theater in Diliman, Quezon City.

The resolution, authored by Sen. Lito Lapid, recognized Herrell's achievement of besting 83 other candidates from all over the world to win the prestigious title.

The Cebuana beauty is the second Filipina to bag the Miss Earth title. Karla Henry, also a Cebuana, won in 2008.

Herrell also took home three special awards including Miss Earth Hannah’s Beach Resort, Best in Swimsuit, and Sun for Miss Earth.

The Miss Earth competition was organized in 2001 to promote environmental awareness.

“By being crowned this year’s most beautiful woman on the planet, Jamie Herrell gave Filipinos unparalleled pride and showed the world the grace and excellence of Filipino beauty,” the resolution said. — Amita Legaspi/BM, GMA News