Photo courtesy of the Facebook page of The DLSU Annual Literary and Visual Arts Awards.
Alessandro Kennz Nioda, a faculty member of the Department of English Language and Literature, won third place under the Dulang May Isang Yugto category in the 40th DLSU Annual Awards for Literature and 15th DLSU Annual Awards for Visual Arts.
The awards, also known as LITAW-VISAW, “is an annual competition open to Lasallian student-artists from all around the Philippines to join and showcase their work—presenting their ideas, passion, and message to a wider audience.”
Mr Nioda was able to participate in the literary contest, specifically, amid his pursuit of a master’s degree in creative writing at De La Salle University.
The awarding ceremony took place at DLSU Manila on 12 April 2025. Although he was unable to attend, he expressed his joy upon receiving the news.
He also shared his hope that his entry, “The Alternate,” will soon be staged at Xavier Ateneo.
Mr Nioda, an XU alumnus, had an earlier play, “How Reunions Work,” staged at the university’s Little Theater last year; a member of the local writers’ collective Nagkahiusang Magsusulat sa Cagayan de Oro, he was also previously a fellow of the Iyas and Ateneo national writers’ workshops.