NCCA | 1

January-February 2013 • For Artists and Cultural Workers • ISSN 0119-5948

Official Newsletter of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts

The Wings of Creative

Imagination Soaring Towards

Greater Visions

2 | Agung

Vol. XVI, No. 1, Jan.-Feb. 2013ISSN 0119-5948

The agung is a knobbed metal gong of the Philippines used in various communal rituals. Suspended in the air by rope or metal chains, the musical instrument is also employed by some indigenous groups as a means to announce community events, and as an indicator of the passage of time.

Agung is published quarterly by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

FELIPE DE LEON, JR.chairman

EMELITA V. ALMOSARA, CESO IVexecutive director

MARLENE RUTH S. SANCHEZ, MNSAdeputy executive director

Rene Sanchez Napeñaseditor-in-chief

Roel Hoang Maniponmanaging editor

Mervin Concepcion Vergara art director

Marvin Alcarazphotographer

Eric Babar ZerrudoLester G. Babieracontributing writers

Leihdee Anne CabreraSharon AraweMa. Eileen Argosinopaio staff

May Corre Tuazoncirculation

About the cover

Cover shows the Sarimanok, the mythical bird in Maranao art, rendered by Zohayma Montañer, who won as Islamic Artist of the Year at Pearl International In Malaysia

ARCHITECTURE AND ALLIED ARTS • Aidea Philippines, Inc. (International Design Title for UK

Museum, Build London Live, May 2, 2012)• Kenneth Cobonpue (“Cabaret Sofa,” Top Pick Award, American

Society of Interior Designers (ASID), Architectural Digest Home Design Show, March 22-25, 2012)

CINEMA • Adrian Sibal (“The Rivals,” Grand Prize, Asian Development Bank’s

2012 MyView Asia-Pacific Video Contest, June 6, 2012)• Auraeus Solito (Busong, Grand Prize, Best Stories Award, All

Roads Film Festival [National Geographic], Washington, DC, September 28, 2012)

• Brillante Mendoza (Thy Womb, Best Director, 6th Annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane, Australia, November 23, 2012)

• Brandon Relucio & Ivan Zaldarriaga (Di Ingon ‘Nato, Best Picture, Macabre Festival Internacional de Cine de Horror de la Ciudad de México, Mexico, August 16-26 2012)

• Charles Andrew Flamiano (“Letting Go, Letting God,” First Prize, 14-17 Age Category, Faith Shorts 2012, Tony Blair Faith Foundation, London, England, November 26, 2012)

• Christopher Gozum (Anacbanua, Le Prix des Signes, Cinéma in Transgression: Cinema of Difference, 10th International Festival Signes de Nuit, Paris, France, October 5th- 16th 2012)

• Eduardo Roy Jr. (Bahay Bata, Lotus du Jury, 14th Deauville Asian Film Festival, Deauville, France, March 7 to 11, 2012)

• John Paul Su (Pagpag, Best Asian American Filmmaker, East Region Winner, Directors Guild of America Student Film Awards, Los Angeles, California, USA, November 2012)

• Lav Diaz (Florentinahubaldo CTE, NETPAC Prize [Best Asian Film], 13th Jeonju International film Festival, Seoul, South Korea, April 26-May 4, 2012)

• Lawrence Fajardo (Posas, Best Feature Film, Hanoi International Film Festival 2012, Hanoi, Vietnam, November 25 to 29, 2012)

• Marlon Rivera (Ang Babae sa Septic Tank, NETPAC Prize [Asian Film Prize], 6th Annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane, Australia, November 23, 2012)

• Marty Syjuco (“Give Up Tomorrow,” Best Documentary, Anchorage International Film Festival 2011, Anchorage, Alaska, December 2 to 11, 2011)

• Nora Aunor (Thy Womb, Best Actress, 6th Annual Asia Pacific Screen Awards, Brisbane, Australia, November 23, 2012; Bisato d’Oro Award, Premio Della Critica Indipendiente, Lido, Venice, Italy, September 7, 2012)

• Shamaine Buencamino (Niño, Best Supporting Actress, 6th Asian Film Awards, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, March 19, 2012)

• Will Fredo (The Caregiver, Best Director, International Film Festival Manhattan, New York City, USA, November 9-15, 2012)

DANCE • Candice Adea (1st Prize in the Senior Women’s Division, Helsinki

International Ballet Competition, Helsinki, Finland, May 29 to June 7, 2012)

• Halili Cruz Ballet Company (Grand Prize, 14th Asia Pacific Dance Competition, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, July 20-22, 2012)

• Irina Feleo of Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company (Best Dancer, Couples Category, Cheonan World Dance Competition 2012, Cheonan, South Korea, October 1-9, 2012)

• Lloyd Callangan of Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company (Best Dancer, Couples Category, Cheonan World Dance Competition 2012, Cheonan, South Korea, October 1-9, 2012)

• The Crew (First Place, Gold Medalist, The 2012 World Hip Hop Dance Championship, Las Vegas, Nevada, July 30 - August 5, 2012)

DRAMATIC ARTS • Peter De Guzman (The Romance of Magno Rubio, Best

Choreographer, 2012 L.A Weekly Theater Awards, Los Angeles, U.S.A., April 2, 2012)

LITERARY ARTS • Romulo Baquiran, Jr. (S.E.A. Write Award, Southeast Asian Writers

Awards, Bangkok, Thailand, February 16, 2012)

MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ARTS• BBDO Guerrero (Grand Prix, AD STARS 2012, The Busan

International Advertising Festival, Busan, Korea, August 28, 2012; Network of the Year, London International Awards, London, England, September 2012)

• Kara David (“Alkansya” of i-Witness, UNICEF Child Rights Award, Asia Broadcasting Union Awards, Seoul, Korea, October 16, 2012)

• Sarah Geronimo (Best Asian Artist, 2012 Mnet Asian Music Awards, Hong Kong, People’s Republic of China, November 30, 2012)

• Wansapanataym of ABS-CBN Corporation (Prize of the Children‘s Jury, 7-11 Fiction, Prix Jeunesse International, München, Germany, June 1 to June 6 2012)

“Today, very fitting as we celebrate International Women’s Day, we are in the midst of two Filipino icons in the field of arts and entertainment—from the one and only Superstar, Ms. Nora Aunor, to this generation’s Popstar Princess, Ms. Sarah Geronimo—this Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino of the Cultural Center of the Philippines beams with so much stellar power, and yet, they are but only two of the powerhouse list of awardees for this year’s Ani ng Dangal to cap the month-long celebration of the Philippine Arts Festival,” says NCCA Chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. during his welcome remarks for the Ani ng Dangal—the annual recognition bestowed by the commission to Filipino artists who have won top recognitions in international competitions the previous year.

2 | Agung

Official List of Awardees of the

5th Ani ng Dangal

MUSIC • Arwin Tan (Outstanding Conductor Prize, 2012 Asia Cantate

International Choral Competition, Phuket, Thailand, July 15 to 18, 2012)

• Baao Children Chorus (1st Place, 18th Certamen International Juvenil de Habaneras y Polifonia, Torrevieja, Spain, April 27-29, 2012)

• Edgardo “Ed” Lumbera Manguiat (Special Prize for Excellent Conducting Performance, Béla Bartók 25th International Choir Competition, Debrecen, Hungary, July 25-29, 2012)

• Imusicapella (Grand Prix Winner, 2012 Busan Choral Festival and Competition, Busan, South Korea, November 14-17, 2012)

• Joseleo Ciballos Logdat (Grand Prix, 6th Yokohama International Music Competition, Yokohama, Japan, August 25, 2012)

• Miriam College High School Glee Club (Gold IV Diploma: Youth Choir of Equal Voices, World Choir Games 2012, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, July 4-14, 2012; Gold V Diploma: Musika Sacra, World Choir Games 2012, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, July 4-14, 2012)

• Muntinlupa Science High School Chorale (Gold V Diploma: Mixed Youth Choirs Category, 1st Guangzhou International Open Competition, Guangzhou, Mainland China, November 8-14, 2012)

• Novo Concertante Manila Choir (1st Xinghai Prize International Choir Competition, Guangzhou, Mainland China, November 8-14, 2012; Grand Prize, 2012 Asia Cantate International Choral Competition, Phuket, Thailand, July 15 to 18, 2012

• Samiweng Singers, Ilocos Norte National High School (Gold IV Diploma: Folklore, World Choir Games 2012, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, July 4-14, 2012)

• University of the Philippines Singing Ambassadors (1st Prize: Romantic Period Music, LX Concorso Polifonico Internazionale Guido d’Arezzo, Arezzo, Italy, August 23-26, 2012; 1st Prize: Folklore Music, LX Concorso Polifonico Internazionale Guido d’Arezzo, Arezzo, Italy, August 23-26, 2012)

• UP Concert Chorus (1st Prize: Folk Song, 30th Festival Internacional de Musica de Cantonigros, Cantonigros, Spain, July 19 to 23, 2012)

VISUAL ARTS • Jaime Sumugat Singlador (1st Place, ASEAN Secretariat Photo

Competition, Jakarta, Indonesia, July 8 to August 31, 2012)• George Tapan (PATA Gold Award for Travel Photograph, Pacific

Asia Travel Association 2012 Gold Awards, Kulala Lumpur, Malaysia, April 21, 2012; Winner for Places Category, National Geographic Photo Contest 2011, U.S.A., August 10, 2011)

• Zohayma Montañer (Islamic Artist of the Year, Pearl International, Kuala Terangganu, Malaysia, June 20, 2012)

• Jamia Mei Tolentino (Grand Prize, 2012 Wrecks of the World International Art Contest, Connecticut, U.S.A., August 23, 2012)

• Jamille Bianca Aguilar (1st Prize, Fine Arts High Schools’ “From Green to Blue” Competition of Children’s Art Work, Trabzon, Turkey, April 6, 2012)

• Joel C. Forte (1st Prize, ADB’s CLICK: Capturing Images of Inclusive Growth, May 2-5, 2012; 1st Place, Tumbhi’s 2012 Nature and Wildlife Photography Contest, Maharashtra, India, November 8-14, 2012)

•Jophel Ybiosa (1st Prize, Global Festival Photography Competition, Indonesia, December

1, 2011)• Trisha Co Reyes (Grand Prize, 24th Annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest, March 16, 2012)

NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon,

Jr. with NCCA ambassador for music

and awardee Sarah Geronimo

NCDA head Lutgardo Labad, NCDA member Tanya Lopez, NCVA head Nemesio Miranda, NCC head Dr. Mike Rapatan, NCD head Shirley Halili-Cruz, Sarah Geronimo, David Guerrero, Kara David, NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., Manny Palo and SCCTA head Joycie Dorado-Alegre

The Halili-Cruz Ballet Company

NCCA | 3

The awarding ceremony, which served as a culminating event for the Philippine Arts Festival (PAF)—dubbed as the biggest and grandest gathering of artists and cultural workers all throughout the country during the whole month of February in celebration of the National Arts Month—was held last March 8, 2013, and coincided with the International Women’s Day celebration.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino, also known as Little Theater, was full-packed

with art luminaries—from National Artist Eddie Romero, to awardees and their families,

and art enthusiasts and supporters of the arts—local government

units, media institutions, private corporations,

and others. The ceremony’s highlight, though, was not much on the awarding

per se, but on the showcase

of talents of some of

this year’s

awardees, led by Sarah Geronimo and Imusicapella for rendering the Philippine National Anthem, and Joseleo Logdat and Belinda Baltazar for the Doxology. Geronimo also rendered her version of Ani ng Sining, Arts Month’s official jingle, composed and originally sang by Joey Ayala, also NCCA-National Committee on Music’s vice head. Her rendition was accompanied by the award-winning groups Halili-Cruz Ballet Company and the U.P. Singing Ambassadors—also recipients of the Ani ng Dangal for this year.

Other notable performances which delighted the audience were given by the Baao Children’s Chorus, Jam Perez, Liza Dino, Maradee de Guzman, Irina Feleo and Peter Laurent Callangan of the Bayanihan Philippine National Dance Group, Novo Concertante Manila, Samiweng Singers, The Crew, and the Manila String Ensemble, and the U.P. Concert Chorus.

In his written message, President Benigno Simeon Aquino III said that “Our artist bear

witness to our dynamic development as a people and as a nation. In this era of hope and reform, with its strong

clamor for restoring the balance of justice in our social institutions, we derive

inspiration for the cultural landmarks that embody the values we hold dear and manifest the paradigm shifts in consciousness that we collectively undergo.”

Ms. Shirley Halili-Cruz, head of the NCCA-National Committee on Dance, is the over-all artistic director of the Ani ng Dangal, with the assistance of the P/PFPD led by its chief, Ms. Marichu Tellano, and PAF manager Vanessa Nicholas.

NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., NCC head Dr. Mike Rapatan, and SCCTA head Joycie Dorado-Alegre with awardee Nora Aunor

NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., NCD head Shirley Halili-Cruz, SCCTA head Joycie Dorado-Alegre and National Artist Eddie Romero with awardees

4 | Agung

Cultural identity – the perceptions, values, beliefs, ideas, skills, and practices, shared by a society - is the fundamental source of social empowerment. Rob a people of their identity and they become passive, lost, indolent, and unproductive. Affirming and recognizing this identity, however, mobilizes their enthusiasm and creative potential. Promoting cultural identity, then, is the genuine basis of a sustainable lifestyle and social well-being.

One of the most effective ways of strengthening cultural identity is through the arts. For it is the arts of a people that faithfully mirror their deepest feelings – their hopes and dreams, joys and sorrows, objects of affection and devotion, character and temperament, and gems of insight and wisdom.

The arts can provide us the most vivid images of social relations and cultural values. They are the most lucid symbols of a people’s quality of being or consciousness. Contemplating the arts is like reflecting on the psychic template of an artist or a cultural community. Thus promoting and developing the arts of a people inevitably inspires, brings about, and leads to all other kinds of development. Being expressive of a people’s soul, beauty, strength or genius - promoting their arts is promoting their skills and potentials for achievement.

Advancing artistic excellence and creativity is a fundamental principle of sustainable development. Many studies conducted by the United Nations

Priming Development through the Arts

By Felipe M. de Leon, Jr.

Development Programme have shown that the best way to prime a people for development is to promote their arts. A case in point was the European Renaissance. The artists vigorously ushered in the movement and all the rest, science, technology, mathematics and industry followed suit. We may also cite the phenomenon of Indonesia, which, in today’s economic ranking leaped twenty-six places from that of last year. This could be partly attributed to the strength of its creative industries which, in 2011, contributed 6.7 percent to the country’s GDP.

Thus, a flagship project of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is the February Philippine Arts Festival (PAF), which showcases contemporary Filipino artistic creativity in all the seven major art forms: visual arts, architecture, music, dance, theater, cinema and literature.

The highlights of PAF 2013, with the subtheme “Celebrating Icons,” are the Philippine Visual Arts Festival that will showcase the importance of visual aesthetics in everyday life through exhibits, workshops, installations and competitions; architectural exhibits of Filipino religious architecture, landscapes, and 20th century design; the first ASEAN festival of gongs and bamboo music that will demonstrate the great diversity of musical expressions that have evolved in the region; the Sayaw Pinoy interaction and collaboration among different dance groups in the country; collaborative works of university and community-based theater groups; Cinema Rehiyon which provides opportunity for regional filmmakers—whether amateur or professional—to exhibit their films; and Taboan: Philippine Writers’ Festival which assembles writers from all the regions to interact with one another and their audiences on issues pertaining to their craft and state of literature in the country.

The chairman jamming with students in Lubuagan, Kalinga.

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Commitee chairperson Elena Rivera Mirano, NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. and Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III bestow the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan to Teofilo Garcia.

NCCA | 5

The Jose Rizal monument at the Rizal Park in Rosemeadow, Campbelltown, New South Wales, Australia, was unveiled on October 26, 2012, to coincide with the state visit of President Benigno S. Aquino III to Australia. It was attended by President Benigno S. Aquino III; Sue Dobson, mayor of Campbelltown; Barry O’Farrell MP, Premier of New South Wales; Department of Foreign Affairs assistant secretary Maria Theresa Lazaro; Philippine ambassador Bele F. Anota; Philippine consul general Anne Jalando-on Louis; other foreign dignitaries; descendants of Rizal; members of the Filipino community; and a delegation from the Philippines. The NCCA was represented by executive director Emelita V. Almosara, CESO IV, in this historic occasion as part of its involvement in the preparation of the installation of the monument and facilitating request with the National Historical Commission of the Philippines as to the provision of a historical marker for the Rizal monument. The NCCA was also instrumental in securing a certification from the National Museum of the Philippines for the exportation of the monument done by Eduardo Castrillo, who donated the monument to the Campbelltown City Council.

Jose Rizal Monument Unveiled in Australia

NCCA executive director Emelita V. Almosara, CESO IV, gave a talk about the NCCA

Pres. Benigno Simeon Aquino III with the Philippine delegation and New South Wales officials

6 | Agung

Photos by Marvin Alcaraz

A

Philippine ArtsFestive for theOpening

The month of February started with colors

and festivities as the nation celebrated the

National Arts Month (NAM). Spearheading

the celebration was the NCCA, led by its

chairman Felipe M. de Leon Jr. and executive

director Emelita V. Almosara, CESO IV,

which it has been doing since

1991, when Presidential

Proclamation 683 was signed

declaring February

as National Arts Month.

Different schools and cultural groups participated in the PAF grand opening in Marikina City

NCCA | 7

The NCCA held the Philippine Arts Festival (PAF), its main event for the National Arts Month, with the theme “Celebrating Icons.” It is composed of the flagship projects of the seven committees of the NCCA’s Subcommission on the Arts—architecture, cinema, dance, literature, music, theater and the visual arts.

On February 6, 2013, the NCCA in partnership with the city government of Marikina, formally opened PAF with a grand show titled “Ipagdiwang ang Sagisag ng Lahi” in Marikina City, incorporating different art forms and participated in by different schools and cultural groups. Under the helm of National Committee on Dramatic Arts head Lutgardo Labad with Soxie Topacio as director, the show told a story about two children in a journey of discovery of different Filipino cultural icons as it moved to different locations in Marikina City—Freedom Park in front of the Marikina City Hall, Our Lady of the Abandoned Church, Sentrong Pangkultura ng Marikina (Kapitan Moy) and the Riverpark Theater.

Participants included Kontra-Gapi under Edru Abraham, Marikina Elementary School, Sta. Elena Elementary School, Teatro ng Mga Kabataang Mandudula sa Pamayanan, Batlaya PLMar, Marikina Dance Guild, Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Marikina (PLMar) criminology students,

PLMar Chorale under the baton of Arthur Tuprio, sculptor Juan Sajib Imao, sculptor Peter de Guzman, painter Nemesio Miranda Jr., Rizal Lakeshore

Visual Artists Association, Art Wednesday Group, Marikina Rondalla, Ligaya Amilbangsa and Alun Alun Dance Circle with pangalay

dancers, soprano Miriam San Miguel, pianist Riya Yusi, poet Vim Nadera, poet Mike Coroza, singer Noel Cabangon, NCCA Film Committee, Kammerchor Manila choir under the baton of Anthony Go Villanueva, soprano Nenen Espina, pianist Maryanne Espina, Barasoain Kalinangan Ensemble, Angono Symphonic Band under the baton of Gabrielle Rojas and Halili-Cruz Dance Company.

Philippine ArtsFestival

2013

“Ipagdiwang ang Sagisag ng Lahi,” the opening show, told a story about two children in a journey of discovery of different Filipino cultural icons as it moved to different locations in Marikina City.

NCCA chairman Felipe M. De Leon, Jr. and Marikina City mayor Del R. De Guzman

8 | Agung

Dayaw 2012 opened on November 27. Hundreds of participants from different cultural communities around the country paraded around the Bulacan provincial capitol grounds, joined in by the Hiyas ng Bulacan Brass Band, Iba National High School street dancers, Malolos’s and Marcelo H. Del Pilar National High School’s drum and lyre bands, and NCCA officials. It ended with rituals to ask for blessings inside the capitol. The opening ceremony at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium was graced by former senator Jamby Madrigal in behalf of President Benigno

Simeon Aquino III; Bulacan governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado; Department of Tourism Region XI’s Sonia Garcia, representing senator Loren Legarda; NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr.; NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA) Commissioner Joycie Dorado-Alegre; Dayaw festival director Sonny Cristobal; Al Anwar Anzar of the NCCA National Committee on Southern Cultural Communities; and Francis Degay of the NCCA National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities.

The different activities were held at

Photos by Marvin Alcaraz, Roel Hoang Manipon and Mervin Concepcion Vergara

DAYAW 2012Indigenous Extravaganza in Malolos, Bulacan

The annual Dayaw: Indigenous Peoples’ Festival was successfully held in

Malolos, Bulacan, from November 27 to 29, 2012. Organized by the NCCA’s

Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA), under

Commissioner Joycie Dorado-Alegre; the provincial government of Bulacan, with

Joseph “Sonny” Cristobal as festival director; the city government of Malolos; the

Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation; and Inter-skills Development Foundation, Inc.,

Dayaw 2012 had the theme “Katutubong Pamumuhay, Halawan ng Aral sa Buhay”

(Traditional way of life, source of lessons in life) and featured different indigenous

groups of the country, with an enriching and interesting array of activities including

performances, rituals, forums, traditional cuisine demos, traditional games, arts and

crafts exhibit and cultural tours.

The Dayaw 2012 opening ceremony at the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium was graced by former senator Jamby Madrigal in behalf of President Benigno Simeon Aquino III; Bulacan governor Wilhelmino Sy-Alvarado; Department of Tourism Region XI’s Sonia Garcia, representing senator Loren Legarda; NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr.; NCCA deputy executive director Marlene Ruth Sanchez, MNSA; NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA) Commissioner Joycie Dorado-Alegre; Dayaw festival director Sonny Cristobal; Al Anwar Anzar of the NCCA National Committee on Southern Cultural Communities; and Francis Degay of the NCCA National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities, with members of the diplomatic corps

NCCA | 9

the Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium and at the nearby Hardin ng Bayani at Sining or the Bulacan Mini-Forest. Many, most of them students, trooped to the event to learn about Filipino indigenous cultures as well as interact with the indigenous participants.

The Bulacan Capitol Gymnasium was the venue for performances, forums, a tiyangge, film showings and a jamming session. The films shown were Arnel Mardoquio’s Crossfire and Panay Kalinaw, Mes de Guzman’s Ang Daan Patungong Kalimugtong, Aureaus Solito’s Busong and Regiben Romana’s Sakay sa Hangin. The tiyangge featured products by the Ivatan, T’boli, Tagalog, Molbog, Matigsalug, Talaandig, among others. The forums tackled topics on community-based tourism program for the employment of indigenous peoples and curriculum development for indigenous peoples. Artists and bands that jammed with indigenous performers were Philippine Barangay Music Ensemble, Bayang Barrios and the Mike Villegas Band.

The Bulacan Mini-forest turned into a virtual village teeming with activities such as performances, workshops, arts and crafts demos, informal dialogues, cooking demos, jamming and traditional games.

A notable feature was the cooking demos, which was fully realized in this year’s Dayaw. Every day, different ethnic groups demonstrated on how they prepare their native dishes. From the Batanes, the Ivatan cooked the uvud, the soft pith of the

banana, wrapped in leaves and served as side to rice cooked with turmeric and the Ivatan version of pork adobo. The Gaddang prepared inandila while the coast-dwelling Kasiguran Agta cooked ginataang kurrapan. The Waray of Leyte-Samar offered inutok na urang, mashed crayfish or shrimp meat with young coconut meat and ginger and then wrapped in banana leaves to be boiled or steamed. The groups which also showed their culinary traditions included Ati of Negros Occidental (ginataang ubad), Molbog (jaa), Bukidnon (linutlot and linubek), Sama (wasak kari), Apayao/Isnag (sinandila), Tagalog (gurgurya), Tinggian (laing), Ati of Guimaras (binakol na manok), Bikol (pinangat), Ati of Aklan (lumbay nga may urang), Bagobo (rinapas na batad), Yakan (kaliya manuk), Balangao (pinikpikan with inasin), Iloko (dinemdem and pinakbet na banang), Tagbanua (amik), Cuyonon (galang-galang), Tausug (tiyula itum), Mansaka (lyurut), Kagan (jampok), and Sangir (sapi inanageng).

There was also an exhibit at the Hiyas ng Bulacan Museum at the Gat Blas Ople Building as well as outreach performances at Robinsons Mall Pulilan and

different schools in Bulacan. The Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation staged its original musical Kakarong at Nicanor Abelardo Auditorium.

Dayaw concluded at the historic Barasoain Church where all the participants showcased their music and dances. Also, 21 Cultural Masters of the NCCA’s

Kalinga performers led by Jude Saclag

Dayaw activities inside the Bulacan Capitol Gym

10 | Agung10 | Agung

Schools of Living Traditions were honored, through the initiative of the NCCA Program Monitoring and Evaluation Division, headed by Adelina Suemith. Awarded were Ifugao’s Michael Dexter Aliguyon, Ellenora Aliguyon and Emilia Alindayo; Rebecca Reyes of Ayta from Bataan; Ampara Mabanag of Ga’dang; Panay Bukidnon’s Cenia Lastrilla and Aurelio Damas; Nedecio Badac of Pala’wan; Gloria Emag of Tagbanua; Richard Impil and Marieta Mahinay of Ati of Negros Oriental; Rodrigo Panganiban of Aklan’s Ati; Delia Pauden of Antique’s Ati; Jama Mapun’s Janeth Hanapi and Kamaria Sabturani; Tirso Serdena and Francisco Eligio of the Tagalog; Sangir’s

Abay Tacabil and Solaw Duca; Florita Sobilos of Subanen and Datu Josefino Gonlibo of Manobo. Bayang Barrios also performed during the closing ceremonies.

The NCCA has been annually celebrating the National Indigenous Peoples’ Month in different parts of the country through Dayaw. The festival is in consonance with Presidential Proclamation 1906, declaring October as National Indigenous Peoples’ Month. In 2007, Kalimudan: Panaghi-usa sa Mindanao (Mindanao Indigenous Peoples’ Gathering) held in Davao City in November, featuring Mindanao’s ethnic groups. The following year, Timpuyog: Indigenous Peoples’ Month

Celebration in Luzon was held in Santiago City, Isabela, focusing on Luzon ethnic groups and featuring performances, arts and crafts workshops, cultural awareness lectures, forums, tours, and a theme-park exhibition featuring the traditional houses, cultural resources, practices/rituals, chants, music, songs and dances, stories, traditional arts and crafts, indigenous games. In 2009, the Indigenous Peoples’ Festival was held in the Visayas, particularly in Roxas City, Capiz, called Dungog, with similar activities and aims. Dayaw 2010 was held in Metro Manila, and in 2011, it was held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

The 21 cultural masters honored during the closing ceremony

Ifugao

Preparing the pinikpikan

Cooking demo

SCCTA Commissioner Joycie Dorado-Alegre

NCCA | 11

A Yearlong Celebration of Heritage All Over the CountryDifferent provinces in the Philippines are

venues for this year’s celebration of National Heritage Month by the NCCA.

Since the signing of Proclamation No. 439 on August 11, 2003, declaring the month of May as National Heritage Month “in recognition of the need to create among the people a consciousness, respect, and pride for the legacies of Filipino cultural history, and love of country,” the whole country is given a chance to highlight and appreciate its cultural treasures. It is also an occasion to raise awareness on their significance.

Leading the celebration is NCCA’s Subcommission on Cultural Heritage (SCH), headed by Regalado Trota Jose. With this year’s theme, “Taoid: Weaving Our Stories, Threading Our Paths,” the National Heritage Month celebration aims at giving us “a glimpse of the legacies of the past and how it remains to shape the present and the future.” It is also “a recognition and celebration of the different aspects of our national cultural heritage—our traditional art forms and practices, important cultural structures both movable and immovable, and other objects of national importance whether tangible or intangible.”

The SCH has lined up activities for the celebration of the 2013 National Heritage Month, which will be held in several sites all over the Philippines.

From March 11 to 13, 2013, the National Museum and the National Historical Commission of the Philippines conducted assessment of sites in Capul, Northern Samar, for possible declaration as National Cultural Treasures, and there was a talk on the Tam-awan experience by Chit Asignacion.

From April 3 to 7, 2013, the National Heritage Month celebration was held in Mahatao, Batanes, coinciding with the Rakanen Festival. A heritage clinic was conducted by the National Committee on Historical Research. There were also heritage clinics conducted by the National Committee on Art Galleries and National Committee on Libraries and Information Services, National Committee on Museums, National Committee on Archives and National Committee on Monuments and Sites, as well as technical assessment of sites for possible declaration as National Cultural Treasures from April 9 to 14.

From April 15 to 18, 2013, there were workshops on cultural mapping, art, festival

management, theater, music and dance in Glan, Sarangani, as well as technical assessment of sites for possible declaration as National Cultural Treasures.

The Tam-awan Village in Baguio City will hold the fourth Tam-awan International Arts Festival from May 15 to 19, featuring a cañao, art installations, performances, exhibits, artists’ talks and cultural shows.

From May 20 to 23, 2013, the CBCP will hold the Eighth National Convention of Church Cultural Heritage Practitioners in Dapitan, Zamboanga del Norte. Topics to be discussed include the cultural heritage of the church in Dipolog; Philippine liturgical music; church ceiling paintings; paintings conservation in the country; conservation management plan; and conservation of stone-built churches.

From May 24 to 25, 2013, the Sarangani Bay Festival and National Heritage Month 2013 celebration will be launched in Glan, Sarangani, with heritage clinics conducted by the National Committee on Historical Research, National Committee on Art Galleries, National Committee on Libraries and Information Services, National Committee on Museums, National Committee on Archives and National Committee on Monuments and Sites, and an exhibit.

On May 31, 2013, the grand launching of the National Heritage Month as well as the “Gabii sa Kabilin” will be held in Cebu City. This is a night-long tour of the 23 museums and 18 arts galleries in the cities of Cebu and Mandaue. An exhibit will also be mounted.

In June, workshops on cultural mapping, art, festival management, theater, music and dance will

be conducted in Capul, Northern Samar.From July 26 to 28, 2013, the Saluka Festival

and National Heritage Month 2013 celebration will open in Capul, Northern Samar. There will also be heritage clinics and an exhibit.

On August 2013, capability building workshops will be held in Glan, Sarangani.

On September 2013, workshops on cultural mapping, capability building, art, festival management, theater, music and dance will be conducted in Pudtol, Apayao, as well as technical assessment of sites for possible declaration as National Cultural Treasures.

From October 8 to 9, 2013, the Say-Am Festival and the National Heritage Month 2013 celebration will be launched in Pudtol, Apayao. There will also be an exhibit and heritage clinics.

The Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. (FHFI) will hold special events this May such as the traditional Santa Cruz de Mayo in Batangas City, Batangas, on May 29; Majayjay, Laguna, on May 26; Pampanga on May 22; and Cavite on May 16. It will also organize a heritage pilgrimage on May 4 and 9; and hold a pahampang in Negros Occidental.

The steering committee is composed of Regalado Trota Jose, head of SCH and the National Committee on Archives; Imelda Loste, head of the National Committee on Art Galleries; Dr. Maria Nela Florendo, head of the National Committee on Historical Research; Antonio M. Santos, head of the National Committee on Libraries and Information Service; Dr. Jaime C. Laya, head of the National Committee on Monuments and Sites; and Dr. Antonio Julian Montalvan, head of the National Committee on Museums.

The St. Charles Borromeo Church of Mahatao, Batanes, a National Cultural Treasure (Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon)

The National Heritage Month 2012 celebration culminates in Romblon last March 19 with the NCCA delegation led by NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon Jr. (seated, third from right), legal counsel Trixie Angeles (seated, fourth from right), Subcommission of Cultural Heritage section head Urbana Cadiz (seated, fourth from left), SCH commissioner Regalado Trota Jose (standing, fifth from left), and the committee heads and members of SCH

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The NCCA tied up with the Department of Education (DepED) for a development program on culture called NCCA-DepED Cultural Education Program (NDCEP). A memorandum of agreement was officially signed on February 9, 2013, at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall.

The signing of the MOA was graced by Education Secretary Armin Luistro, NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon Jr., NCCA executive director Emelita Almosara, CESO IV, Education Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Alberto Muyot, NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Dissemination head Alice Pañares, NCCA National Committee on Dramatic Arts head Lutgardo Labad, Philippine Cultural Education Program director Elmar Ingles and NCCA board secretary Myla Buan.

The NDCEP aims to develop and implement an enhanced special program for the arts curriculum where updated and effective materials for instruction will be

The NCCA has partnered with the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in creating a project called “Urban Artscape.”

The two organizations signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on January 14, 2013, with NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon Jr., NCCA executive director Emelita Almosara CESO IV, MMDA chairman Francisco Tolentino and MMDA general manager Corazon Jimenez.

“Urban Artscape” is a project that uses public spaces to promote

The NCCA-DepED Cultural Education Program memorandum of agreement signing was graced by DepED Secretary Armin Luistro (third from left), NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. (third from right), NCCA executive director Emelita Almosara, CESO IV (second from right), DepED Undersecretary for Legal Affairs Alberto Muyot (second from left), NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Dissemination head Alice Pañares (first from right), NCCA National Committee on Dramatic Arts head Lutgardo Labad (first from left) and Philippine Cultural Education Program director Elmar Ingles (center).

NCCA and DepED to Strengthen Cultural Education

produced. Also, the indigenous knowledge systems, skills and practices, which is formalized through and modeled at NCCA’s School of Living Traditions, will be taught to students.

This is done in support for the K-12 program of the DepED specifically on their programs regarding heritage, culture and arts. It is not only the students who will

undergo training but also the instructors of the NDCEP. This will also add to the cultural enrichment activities for students, teachers and educational administrators.

The NCCA-DepED collaborative project is under the NCCA Philippine Cultural Education Program in lieu of Article X of Section 38 of Republic Act 10066, or the Cultural Heritage Law.

the cultural identity of the Philippines through Filipino designs and patterns featuring the works of different Filipino artists.

This project of the NCCA and the MMDA will be implemented in the Nagtahan Underpass, Quezon Avenue underpass and certain pillars of the Light Railway Transit leading to Monumento and Andres Bonifacio Shrine. Along with this, these government institutions will also erect an Epifanio de los Santos National Monument at EDSA corner Quezon Avenue. The NCCA will also support the MMDA-

sponsored rotunda sculpture-design competition called “Imaheng Bayani.”

The NCCA will be providing the visual concept, design and supervision in the implementation of “Urban Artscape” through NCCA’s National Committee on Visual Art. Meanwhile, the MMDA will be delivering its metro-wide services in accordance to its mandates.

The public spaces will showcase murals and artworks that aim to uplift the Filipino’s self-worthiness and boost their moral. Traditional arts will also be featured to promote Filipino culture and show the long history of Philippine visual arts.

The signing of the memorandum at the MMDA office was also attended by NCCA Committee on Visual Arts member Joey Tañedo, NCCA head of Arts Section Ferdie Isleta, MMDA Office of the Chairman consultant Cristina Velasco, MMDA legal director Rochelle Macapili-Ona, MMDA planning officer Luisa Angangan and NCCA arts officer Niño Selibio and Cynthia Cañete for NCCA National Committee on Visual Arts head Nemesio Miranda.

NCCA Ties Up with MMDA for Art Project

IN THE NEWS

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cold cast marble, 2012 (midle)

Aba Lluch Dalena on Sexuality and Love

Visual artist and musician Aba Lluch Dalena wielded art to reflect on the transformative power of love: How love can transcend surface categories of being such as genders and sexes, race and physical forms.

Titled “Trans.Form (First of a Series: A Survey on Love and Sexuality)” Dalena’s 10th solo exhibition from December 6, 2012, to January 25, 2013, at the NCCA Gallery showcased various sculptures, photographs, paintings, mixed media and video installations.

The artist created different configurations of lovers using sculptures in terracotta or cold-cast marble, creating commentaries on the issue of contemporary sexuality. Dalena’s paintings made from acrylic, enamel and mixed media reflected on the various manifestations of love—from the romantic to the familial and the spiritual. The exhibition featured Love is for Everyone, an installation work made in collaboration with Nana Buxani and Susan Corpuz. The series comprised portraits of real life couples, partners, and lovers—all candidly captured in black and white photography by the three artists. This was Dalena’s first collaborative project with Buxani, a noted documentary photographer, filmmaker and painter, and Corpuz, a photojournalist and artist.

Put together in a single exhibition, these multi-media works were an expression and affirmation of Dalena’s personal belief in the equality of treatment and worth of all: the creed that love does not discriminate and is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of differences in age, race, gender, and religion.

The exhibition design was by Nilo Ilarde. Dalena held an artist’s talk to further elaborate on the concept and story of the exhibition on January 17, 2013, from 2 to 5 P.M. at the NCCA’s Leandro Locsin Hall. Trans.Form was made possible with the support of Orange Segment Printing.

qualitatively different from verbal or intellectually acquired knowledge.

The Visual Arts and Design students, a.k.a. VAD, would like to touch others life through this exhibition and hope to exert their influence on people as much as they had absorbed.

The featured artists were Mic Mutuc with her “Last Chance,” a short video that shows the relationship between freewill and fate; Rea Caberos, who used furniture pieces, specifically, chairs, which she designed herself, as her canvas; Jennifer Faustine Casabar, who uses printmaking as medium to create artworks touching on stereotypes and different characters; and Christina Villanueva, who created Audible Art and Visual Music using invisible UV paint over acrylic, and emphasizing the fact that in life, there is more than meets the eye.

INSIDE THE GALLERY

VAD on the Power of ArtMounted February 7 to 28, 2013,“VAD Influence,” an

exhibition featuring the works of four graduating students from St. Scholastica’s College Manila, was about the power of artistic expression to inspire, move and change others. Art, according to them, can alter the way one looks at the world or enhance his understanding and ways of seeing. Without it, a person’s way of looking at images would not be as passionate or as meaningful. Its influence lies in owning one’s direct experience which is

A Glimpse of ChinaThe exhibit “On the Wings of Culture: A Glimpse of China’s

Cultural Regeneration” was opened on January 17, 2013, at the Open Gallery. The opening was graced by NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr. and Ma Keqing, ambassador of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China.

Culture is often compared to the blood and soul of a nation and the spiritual homeland of the people. For China, a country with a vast land of 9.6 million square kilometers and more than 5,000 years of civilization, the dynamism and diversity of its culture has always stayed at the core of its history and remained a very important part of its progress in time.

Throughout history, the Chinese culture has never stopped renewing itself, absorbing new elements and adopting new reforms, which only ended in more energy, more vitality and greater support for the nation. In today’s China, a new wave of cultural reform is taking place, which includes better cultural infrastructure and services for the public, burgeoning cultural industries, greater creativity in arts, literature, design and high-tech applications, safeguarding of cultural heritage, cultural innovation, dialogue and in depth exchange with other parts of the world. In such reforms, China is embracing a new age of youthful exchange.

When one things of China, one cannot forget those traditional operas with their colorful figures and engaging stories, and one cannot forget those great inventions China have contributed to the world including the elegance of its literati lifestyle portrayed with paper, ink and ink-stone. But through this exhibition, we wish to present a contemporary China full of new initiatives and sincere wish to play its part in a diversified and harmonious world.

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Artist Aba Lluch Dalena (left) and her works Nude Man, cold cast marble, 2012 (middle) and The Brokeback Kiss, cold cast marble, 2012 (right)

Work by Rea Caberos

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The winners of the Sine Panitik, a literary film library for students by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP) in collaboration with the NCCA and in coordination with the Department of Education (DepED) were formally announced and honored on December 3, 2012, at the NCCA lobby. These are Jeffrey Yap for his adaptation of Kerima Polotan Tuvera’s “The Virgin” and Gregorio Brillantes’s “Faith Love and Dr. Lazaro;” Raynier Avecilla for his adaptation of “Bangkang Papel” by Genoveva Edroza-Matute; Julie Po for her adaptation of “Tata Selo” by Rogelio Sikat; Anton Pelon for his adaptation of “Utos ng Hari” by Jun Cruz Reyes; Helen Lasquite for her adaptation of “Magnificence” by Estrella Alfon; and Therese Anne Cayaba for her adaptation of “Sandaang Damit” by Fanny Garcia.

Present in the awarding ceremony were Dr. Mike Rapatan, head of NCCA’s National Committee on Cinema (NCC), Ed Lejano, Jag Garcia, Bambi Beltran and Dax Cañedo of NCC. Also gracing the event were Leo Martinez, director general of FAP, and judge of Sine Panitik, director Jose Carreon, along with NCC and FAP members Robert Arevalo, Jess Navarro and Rez Cortez. Marlene Sanchez, deputy executive director of the NCCA; Rene Napeñas; and Mylene Urriza from the NCCA also attended the ceremony.

Sine Panitik aims to adapt Philippine literary classics being taught in schools to full-length feature and short films. The project is

composed of two phases: the scriptwriting phase and the production phase. This year’s Sine Panitik was judged by film director Carreon and writers Jun Cruz Reyes and Pete Lacaba. The seven winning screenplays will be incorporated to make three feature films. While production plans are being drafted, FAP is currently negotiating with several agencies for the funding of the film production. Once the budget is approved and released, filming will immediately start.

The NCCA supported the launching of the book Ang Pag-ibig sa Bayan ni Andres Bonifacio by National Artist for literature Virgilio Almario published by the University of Santo Tomas Publishing House in partnership with the city government of Manila on November 30, 2012, at the Bonifacio Park, beside the Manila City Hall, as part of the hero’s 149th birth anniversary celebration.

The book launch was graced by Manila mayor Alfredo Lim, Almario, NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr. and fellow writers.

The book Ang Pag-ibig sa Bayan ni Andres Bonifacio is a homage to Philippine hero Andres Bonifacio.

The program included performances from singer Sharon Quintero and mezzo soprano Clarissa Ocampo; “Tabbaw,” a presentation directed by Manila Councilor Lou Veloso; and an excerpt from San Andres B, an opera written by Almario with music composed by Chino Toledo.

The NCCA hosted the showing of “Singkwento Internasyonal” from February 12 to 13, 2013, at the Tanghalang Leandro Locsin at the NCCA Building. Triple MP Productions’ “Singkwento Internasyonal” consisted of five short films from five emerging filmmakers, exploring topics ranging from youth, personal relationships, death to growing up and other social issues. These films have participated in different festivals abroad and would be on a tour of

Winners of Sine Panitik RevealedPhoto by Marvin Alcaraz

From left: Jeffrey Yap, Raynier Avecilla, Julie Po, Anton Pelon, Robert Arevalo of NCC and FAP, Jess Navarro of NCC and FAP, Therese Cayaba, Rez Cortez of NCC and PAF and Dax Cañedo of NCC (standing), Helen Lasquite, NCCA deputy executive director Marlene Sanchez, NCC head Dr. Mike Rapatan, NCC vice head Jag Garcia, Bambi Beltran and Ed Lejano of NCC (sitting).

Five Short Films at the NCCA

Virgilio Almario Pays Homage to Andres Bonifacio in New Book

the country after the NCCA showing.The films included Roberto Reyes Ang’s “The

Brothers of Kappa Pi,” Sigrid Andrea Bernardo’s “Ang Paghihintay Sa Bulong” (Waiting To Whisper), Perry Escaño’s “Alibi,” Steven Flor’s “Breakfast With Lolo,” and Mikhail Red’s “Inosensya” (Innocence).

“The Brothers of Kappa Pi” is the story of a fraternity based in Queens, New York, composed of young Filipinos, mainly immigrants, fostering the

National Artist for literature Virgilio Almario (third from left) recently launched his book Ang Pag-ibig sa Bayan ni Andres Bonifacio at the Bonifacio Park. Gracing the event were Manila mayor Alfredo Lim (second from right) and NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr. (rightmost)

IN THE NEWS

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Celebrating the Birth Centennial of National Artist Carlos “Botong” FranciscoBy Roel Hoang Manipon

Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

A commemorative stamp on National Artist for visual arts Carlos “Botong” Francisco was unveiled on November 9, 2012, launching the celebration of the birth centenary of one of the Philippines’ greatest painters.

President Benigno S. Aquino III singed Proclamation 284 declaring the period from

landscape architect Ildefonso Santos and filmmaker Eddie Romero. From the family of Francisco, his grandson, Carlos Gil “Totong” Francisco II, attended.

De Leon said Francisco led one of the five schools of thought in Philippine visual arts. Among the painters, De Leon said the works of Francisco and Hernando Ocampo are distinctively Filipino—“hindi mo mapagkakamalan European o American.” (One cannot mistake them for being European or American) He also said the Francisco’s works are characterized by wavy patterns, thus full of rhythm.

Francisco is considered the greatest Filipino muralist, invariably linked with “modernist” artists. He, Victorio C. Edades and Galo Ocampo were known in the local art circles as The Triumvirate. Francisco’s unerring eye for composition, the lush tropical colors and faith in folk values have become hallmarks in his artworks. His other major works include Portrait of Purita, The Invasion of Limahong, Serenade, Muslim Betrothal, Blood Compact, First Mass at Limasawa, The Martyrdom of Rizal, Bayanihan, Magpupukot, Fiesta, and Sandugo. In the city hall of Manila, one can see one of his recognizable murals. He was awarded the National Artist title in 1973, the second visual artist after Fernando Amorsolo. Francisco hailed from the town of Angono in Rizal, long regarded as a home to many artists and the “Art Capital of the Philippines.”

The head of the NCCA’s National Committee for Visual Arts (NCVA), painter Nemesio “Nemi” Miranda, is also from Angono. He remembers accompanying Francisco in his hikes when he was a child and is proud that he is included in one of his paintings on Angono scenes. Francisco loved to hike and explore the countryside. He is said to be responsible for the discovery of the now famous Angono Petroglyphs in 1965, a

result maybe of one of his hikes.The NCVA and the Angono Ateliers

Association have a big project to celebrate Francisco’s birth centennial. To be held in the last two months of 2012 and the early part of January 2013, the “Sentenaryo ni Botong” is a cultural event that includes a competition, a conference, parades, a mural interaction and an exhibition that will travel all over the country. The national competition will be open to all. A jury will select 24 artists based on their recent works and will be given P5,000 production grant each to portray scenes from Francisco’s life and works based on a list of 30 themes about Francisco.

On the other hand, the 40-painting traveling exhibit, aside from Francisco, is also in honor of Lucio San Pedro, National Artist for music, who was also from Angono and whose birth centenary will be celebrated on February 11, 2013.

Aside from the NCCA, the Museum Foundation held a lecture called “Sabado sa Museo at si Botong Francisco” on November 10, 2012, at the National Art Gallery with art scholar Patrick Flores and Carlos “Totong” Francisco. This is part of a year-long series of events of the Carlos “Botong” V. Francisco Centennial Consortium, which includes the Angono Artists Association, Ayala Museum, Blanco Family Museum, Botong Francisco family, CCP, Far Eastern University, Freeway, National Artists Collectors Series, Lopez Museum, municipality of Angono, Museo ng Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, Museum Foundation of the Philippines, Philippine Art Awards, SM malls, University of Santo Tomas, University of the Philippines Vargas Museum and Yuchengco Museum.

November 4, 2012, to November 3, 2013, as the Centennial Year of National Artist for Painting Carlos “Botong” Francisco, whose works and achievements are said to be “reflective of this preeminent excellence and of the national genius that contributed to the national heritage of the Philippines and the world.” Also, in the House of Representatives, congressmen Feliciano Belmonte Jr., Neptali Gonzalez II, Edcel Lagman, Salvador Escudero III, and Ma. Jocelyn Bernos introduced House Joint Resolution 26 to commemorate the National Artist, who was born on November 4, 1912 and died on March 31, 1969.

The stamp launching at the Leandro Locsin Auditorium of the NCCA was led by NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. and the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Postal Corporation Cesar Sarino. The event was graced by other National Artists—sculptor Napoleon Abueva,

The commemorative stamp launching: (from left) Francisco’s grandson Carlos Francisco II, chairman of the Board of Directors of the Philippine Postal Corp. Cesar Sarino, NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. and National Committee for Visual Arts head Nemesio “Nemi” Miranda.

ideals of their Philippine revolutionary heroes. While Kappa Pi is a service-oriented and politically-conscious fraternity, it mimics the structure of a gang to attract new recruits who might otherwise be drawn to the dangerous life of real urban gangs.

“Ang Paghihintay Sa Bulong” is about a family who happens to take care of their ailing mother/grandmother. They see this as a burden in their lives, and they wait for her death so they could whisper their wishes.

“Alibi” is a cautionary tale about two actor friends who perpetually search for urban adventure and excitement. Although Ray is happily married and has family, sex with a

stranger is his secret fantasy. Things start to heat up when Ray agrees to be set up by Donald’s blind date, giving him the opportunity to realize what he covets.

“Breakfast With Lolo” shows how a grandson ultimately lives life to the fullest with his grandfather as they go on an adventure in search of the most delicious pancakes for breakfast.

In “Inosensya,” a school boy has to write an essay about society. For the first time he sees and hears things that he has never noticed before.

IN THE NEWS

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A Grand Philippine Exhibit in Paris

The Musée du Quai Branly in Paris, France, will host the exhibit “The Philippines, Archipelago of Exchange” from April 9 to Sunday July 14, 2013, at the Garden Gallery, curated by Constance de Monbrison, curator for Insular Southeast Asia collections at the Musée du Quai Branly, and anthropologist Corazon Alvina.

The exhibition brings together a selection of unique works of art from the Philippines, chosen from public and private collections in the Philippines, the United States and Europe. On the Philippine side, objects will be loaned from the National Museum, the Metropolitan Museum, the Ayala Museum, the University of San Carlos in Cebu and from private collections. This is the biggest exhibit in scope dedicated to the Philippines in Europe.

At the eastern edge of the South China Sea, the Philippine archipelago comprises more than 7,000 islands and stretches over nearly 1,700 kilometers. The geographical and historical situation of its people has generated strong and varied artistic expression in the natural environment of the monsoon regions of Asia. Based on the geography of the archipelago are two visions, one turned towards the mountains, the other looking out to sea, which set the tone of this exhibition of a civilization underpinned by the central theme of exchange. Exchange is understood as an object which is given and received, intent on seeing, and presupposing a relationship to the other. Whether symbolic or commercial, exchange creates relationships between visible or invisible beings. This exhibition, containing more than 300 works, is the first major exhibition in France in the last twenty years devoted to the archipelago of the Philippine.

“The arts of the Philippines are little known in France and rarely shown in their entirety and diversity. Through these unique objects, each of which conveys a particular meaning, we pay homage to these multiple artistic expressions. This exhibition is an invitation to explore complex, sometimes ahistorical cultures, whose foundations are rooted in reciprocity,” Monbrison said.

“The Philippines, Archipelago of Exchange” is divided in two main sections. It focuses primarily on traditional artworks of the mountains and valleys of the northern highlands before moving on to the influence of the shipping network on the productions of the southern coasts and islands.

“The Highlands: Austronesian Imprints” is dedicated to the artistic and ritual imprints of the Austronesian world on the arts of the Highlands of the north of Luzon and Mindanao. The works presented—objects from daily life or dedicated to rituals—were born from these societies that value prestige, the accumulation of wealth and the prowess of warriors. Illustrating the communion between Man and Nature, this first section interrogates the forms of creation that ensure continuity and balance between the different worlds (the world above, the intermediate world, or limbo, and the underworld). Divinities, external signs of wealth, magic, poetry, personal ornaments and other signs of warrior rank illustrate the history of men under the sign of exchange.

“At the Heart of a Maritime Network” explores the history of shipping routes and trade exchanges. Unlike the mountains, the coastlines and islands of the south saw the emergence of sultanates and vitalist artistic expressions that were prized element of the refinements of the Muslim world. This maritime governance was the medium through which Indian, Indonesian, Arabic and Chinese influences penetrated the sphere of objects.

With the golden age of cities, the exhibition progresses through the history of the Philippines before the arrival of the Europeans. Finally, archaeology guides visitors back in time to discover ancestors and their funerary cults.

Musée du Quai Branly is located on the banks of the Seine at the foot of the Eiffel Tower, dedicated to the arts and civilizations of Africa, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. It houses a rich collection of 400,000 objects, to which is added a collection of 700,000 photographs.

SPECIAL FEATURE NCCA | 17

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Royal belt kandit from Surigao del Sur, from the collection of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Photo by Neal Oshima)

Surigao tutubi collar from the collection of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Photo by Neal Oshima)

A pair of end caps of a belt-rope from Surigao del Sur, from the ollection of Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (Photo by Neal Oshima)

Mother-of-pearl necklace

An earring, from the Musée du Quai Branly (Photo by

Claude Germain)

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15th century Ifugao bulul rice carrier made of narra with sacrificial patina from the Musée du Quai Branly (Photo by Claude Germain)

Secondary funeral jar and a skull

Cover of secondary burial jar from Maitum, Sarangani

Detail of late 19th-century Bagobo armor, probably of Arabic origin and inspiration, from Davao Oriental, made with resin and cowrie shells

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On its fourth year, Archi[types/text] 2013, the flagship project of the National

Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts, headed by architect Gerard

Lico, for the Philippine Arts Festival showcased Philippine architecture

and production spaces in the country in exhibitions, conferences, lectures and

competitions.

Kicking off Archi[types/text] 2013 was the exhibit “Masjid: Jewels of Filipino

Islamic Faith” at the University of Santo Tomas Museum from February 5 to March

8, 2013, accompanied by a lecture series. Though the masjid is an iconic landmark

dominating the urban skyline of Mindanao, it is rarely visited by non-Muslims

and in their eyes its architectural beauty remains an enigma. To foster a better

understanding and appreciation of the mosque’s cultural and aesthetic values

especially among non-Muslim Filipinos, the exhibition traced the historical genesis

of the Philippine mosque, and deciphered the anatomy a mosque as building

type and revealed aesthetic and design principles behind its formal and spatial

arrangement. More than thirty mosques were showcased in large format to

highlight the rich Filipino Islamic heritage expressed in the built-form.

“Art Made Public,” and exhibit of selected award winning works of the

Metrobank Art and Design Excellence (MADE) Competition from 1984 to 2012 in

painting, architecture, sculpture and interior design, with accompanying lectures,

was opened on February 1 at SM City North Edsa, on February 6 at SM City Manila,

on February 13 at The Podium, on February 27 at SM City Cebu and on March 6 at

SM Lanang Premiere in Davao City.

“Plot,” a public art project, was mounted at the UP Sculpture Garden on

February 28.

The “Istilo: Guide to Architectural Styles in the Philippines” exhibit was on

February 6 at the Far Eastern University in Manila and the book was launched on

February 19 at the Negros Museum in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental. The book,

Photos by Marvin Alcaraz

Archi[types/text] 2013A Celebration of Spaces

National Committee on Architecture and Allied

Arts head Gerard Lico cutting the ribbon to open

the MADE exhibit with Gemma Cruz-Araneta and

SM malls’ Milie Dizon

PAF 2013

NCCA | 21

covering the architectural styles in the

Philippines, is an attempt to bring order

to the semantic confusion of style in the

country.

Other activities of Archi[types/text]

2013 included the Annual Conference on

Architectural Research and Education (ACARE

12) at the Bicol Sate University from February

7 to 8, and the showing and launch of the

documentary “Lunan: A History of Filipino

Built Environments,” which is about the

evolution of urban planning, interior design

and landscape architecture in the Philippines,

at the Aldaba Hall of the University of the

Philippines Theater on February 4; at the

SM City Iloilo on February 18; and at the

University of San Carlos in Cebu City on

February 26 . Arkistry: Padyak Manila, a

heritage bike tour of the city of Manila, will

happen on February 2. The exhibit openign

and awarding ceremony will be on February

15 at the UP Diliman. The symposium “Arch

360: Design Matters” will be on February 15 at

the University Theater of UP Diliman.

Contests will also be conducted

such as Critical Architecture: The Honrado

Fernandez Architectural Writing Competition

(awarding on March 7); Contempo: The First

Annual Contemporary Filipino Architecture

Photography Competition (awarding and

lecture on February 23 at the Metropolitan

Museum of Manila); and the interscholastic

quiz show Arkwiz 2013 at the UP Diliman on

February 28.

NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr. and NCAAA head

Gerard Lico grace the opening of the “Masjid” exhibit at UST

PAF 2013 NCCA | 21

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Since its inception 11 years ago, Sayaw Pinoy has been enthralling the whole

country with different genres of dances, performing to thousands of

people in different parts of the nation. Also, it has been providing

opportunities to young Filipino dance groups to show their talents, and

giving emerging and small dance organizations opportunities to perform

and learn from professional dance companies. It is also a venue for the

local groups to showcase their cultural identities through dance to other

communities.

Organized by the National Committee on Dance headed Shirley

Halili-Cruz, Sayaw Pinoy, the longest-running and most attended NCCA

program for the Philippines Arts Festival, once again toured different parts

of the country. Aside from performances, there were dance workshops to

be conducted by different local groups. Local choreographers had a chance

to meet with each other and have a dialogue about the concerns about

dance in the Philippines.

Sayaw Pinoy 2013’s grand opening was held at the Rizal Park, Manila on

February 3. Hundreds of park goers and guests were treated to the spectacle of

dance that only Sayaw Pinoy only can bring. The show, which was supported by the

National Parks Development Commission and the National Broadcasting Network, opened

with a ritual dance titled “Habi ng Samu’t Saring Galaw” by the Sinukwan Performing Arts

Troupe from Pampanga and a dance interpretation of PAF theme song “Ani ng Sining” by

the Halili-Cruz Ballet Company. Dance troupes Lahing Batangan, University of the East

Silanganan Dance Troupe, Philippine Normal University Kislap Sining Dance Troupe,

Technological University of the Philippines Kalinangan Dance Troupe, Philippine Dance

Teachers Association, Airdance, Next to Innocence, University of the Philippines Dance

Company, Ballet Manila, Powerdance, Ballet Philippines and Bayanihan: The Philippine

National Folk Dance Company enthralled the audience with different dance pieces. They

were joined by the University of the East Band, Manila City Band, Quezon City Band, Rizal

Technological University Band and Jhocson Band. Musician Diwa de Leon and company also

Spreading the Gospel of Dance with

Sayaw Pinoy Photos by Marvin Alcaraz

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performed.

After this, Sayaw Pinoy went to different

cities and towns in Luzon, Visayas and

Mindanao throughout the month. A total of

85 dance groups participated in this year’s

Sayaw Pinoy with 45 performances. Different

dance troupes went to Bulacan (Capitol

Gym) and Pampanga (Marquee Mall)

on February 1; Zambales (Ramon

Magsaysay Technological University,

Olongapo) on February 2; Baguio

City (Saint Louie University) on

February 7 to 8; Zamboanga del

Sur (Dao Provincial Complex, St.

Columban College and Tangub

Gym) on February 8 to 10;

Manila (Rizal Park) on February

10; Ozamis City on February 11

to 12; Saint Pedro Poveda College

on February 13; Dumaguete City,

Mabinay and Tanjay on February 15

to 16; Resorts World on February 16;

Manila (Rizal Park) on February 17; Roxas

City, Capiz, on February 18 to 20; Medina and

Gingoog in Misamis Oriental on February 22;

Butuan City on February 23; Cabadbaran

on February 24; Surigao City on February

24; Manila in February 24; Bohol

(Tubigan, Maribojoc, Balilihan and

Tagbilaran) on February 25 to 27;

and Manila (Adamson University) on

February 27.

Sayaw Pinoy closed on March 2 at

the Resorts World in Pasay City.

NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr. , NCD head Shirley Halili-Cruz and members of the NCD

NCD head Shirley Halili-Cruz and NCCA PPFPD chief Marichu Tellano with St. Pedro Poveda College officials.

PAF 2013 NCCA | 23

24 | Agung

About 10,000 people graced the fifth edition of Cinema

Rehiyon, the flagship project of the National Committee on

Cinema headed by Dr. Mike Rapatan, held at University of the

Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) from February 5 to 8, 2013.

A total of 88 films were shown in the festival ranging from short

films to full-length features which came from different parts of the

Philippines such as Kalinga, Albay, Antique, Iligan City and Sulu,

among others.

The festival was opened by Anthony Genuino, mayor of Los

Baños, NCCA executive director Emelita

Almosara, CESO IV, NCC head

Dr. Mike Rapatan, UPLB

Chancellor Rex

Victor Cruz and

Prof. Katrina

Ross Tan,

Cinema

Rehiyon

2013

festival

director.

Budding and veteran filmmakers from the regions converged

and showcased their works. This year, the movies were screened in

two venues—Dioscoro L. Umali Auditorium and Southeast Asian

Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture

(SEARCA) Auditorium.

Among the prominent filmmakers who participated during the

event were award-winning director Peque Gallaga with his Bayi sa

Aparador from Bacolod City, Guttierrez Mangansakan with Qiyamah

from Maguindanao, Mes De Guzman with his Diablo from Nueva

Vizcaya, Palanca hall-of-famer Peter Solis Nery with his Gugma sa

Panahon sang Bakunawa from Iloilo, Lawrence Fajardo with his The

Strangers from Bacolod City and Sherad Anthony Sanchez with his

Jungle Love from Davao City, among others.

A documentary about filmmaker Celso Ad Castillo by Gorio

Vicuna, The Gospel According to Da Kid, was the opening film of

the festival while Mindanao filmmaker Arnel Mardoquio’s Ang

Paglalakabay ng mga Bituin sa Gabing Madilim closed Cinema

Rehiyon.

The curators for this year’s Cinema Rehiyon were Teddy Co for

Luzon, Gabby Fernandez for Visayas and Mangansakan for Mindanao.

Cinema Rehiyon 2013 was presented by NCCA, UPLB Foundation

Incorporated and Pelikulab.

in Los Baños, LagunaCinema Rehiyon

NCC head Dr. Mike Rapatan in a radio interview to promote Cinema Rehiyon

NCCA executive director Emelita V. Almosara, CESO IV, NCC head Dr. Mike Rapatan and NCCA PMED chief Adelina Suemith with Cinema Rehiyon organizers and participants

PAF 201324 | Agung

NCCA | 25

Experiences on Stage

National University Theater Festival

The Tanghal:

from Negros Occidental” (Karaang Balay by Kalingaw Teatro Hiligaynon, Balay sa Diyos by Maskara Theater Ensemble and Balay sa Paghigugma by Kanlaon Theater Guild); Lola Masing by the Datu Lubay Center and Teatro San Antonio in collaboration with the Hiraya Theater Company; Taytayan ni Favian by the Youth Advocate Through Theater Arts of Dumaguete; and Damgo sa Gab-I sa Tunga Sang Tig-Adlaw, a NCDA Visayan collaborative adaption of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream in different Visayan languages.

The Mindanao leg was held at Xavier University Ateneo de Cagayan and Liceo de Cagayan in Cagayan de Oro City from February 13 to 16. Performances included Xavier Stage’s (TXS) adaptation of Rabindranat Tagore’s The Post Office; Saint Columban College (Pagadian) Teatro Columbano’s Eyeball; Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) of MSU-Iligan Institute of Technology’s Epicon; Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges Teatro Ambahanon’s Limang Bagay; and La Salle University Teatro Guindegan’s Lola Basyang’s Alamat ng Lamok.

School and community theater groups were highlighted in seventh Tanghal: National University Theatre Festival, the

flagship project of the National Committee on Dramatic Arts (NCDA), headed by Lutgardo Labad. The festival combined the emerging community theater groups with the constantly active student theater organizations. Held in the National Capital Region, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao, Tanghal had performances, workshops, talks and exhibits.

Tanghal National Capital Region happened from February 18 to 20, 2013, at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Sta. Mesa, Manila. It opened with a parade at the PUP Freedom Park. Performances included Pitong Sundang by Sinag Bayan; Ang Parukyano at Ang Pokpok by Molave Theatre Guild; Saan Papunta and mga Putok at Lagablag sa Utak ni Damian Rosa by Dulaang SuhayFil; Sintang Dalisay by Tanghalang Ateneo; Ilusyon at Delusyon by Sining Lahi Polyrepertory; The Anniversary by Molave Theatre Guild; Prinsepe Rodante by Komedya ng San Dionisio, Paranaque; By A Lady by Dulaang Filipino; Ang Sistema ni Propesor Tuko by Ateneo Entablado; and Titser ng Bayan, collaborative production by Alyansa,

Malabon, Dulaang SuhayFil, GUSI and CAST.Tanghal Luzon was held at the Bicol

University in Legazpi City, Albay, from February 11to 13, with performances of Byaheng Luzon by the Lusong Arts and Culture Network Inc.; Colonial by Samasining (Department of Humanities, UP Los Banos College, Laguna); Ang Luha ni Kumintang by Lipa Actors Company (De La Salle University, Lipa); Pepe’s Wall by Arts Research and Training Institute in Southern Tagalog, Inc (ARTIST); Lihim ng Hari at Luho ng Reyna by Samu’t Sari of Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba; Silang Maraming Pangalan by Sining Banwa Actors’ Company, Legazpi; Rossum’s Universal Robot by Tanghalang SLU of St. Louis University; Makina by Tanghalang Bayan Ng Kabataan Sa Baguio (TaBaK); Sa Likod Kan Sabsaban by An Bawa: Kultura, Buda Arte kan Tabaco (ABKAT); Imbitasyon by Bicol University Rawitdawait Belada; and Osipon buda mga Dahon Bicol University.

The Visayan leg of Tanghal was hosted by Bohol from February 26 to 27 and participated in by drama groups from Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Iloilo, Aklan, Antique, Samar and Bohol. Held at the Bohol Cultural Center, featured plays included “Balay Taliambong: A Triptych of Three Plays

PAF 2013

26 | Agung

Taboan 2013: The Philippine Writers Festival, the flagship project of the National Commission on Literary Arts with vice head Christine Godinez-Ortega as festival director, was held in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, from February 7 to 9, 2013.

Now on its fifth year, Taboan is an annual gathering of writers all over the country to trade ideas and stories on culture, history and the literary arts. Taboan is the Visayan word for “market,” and it is purported to be a venue for writers, as well as readers, students, teachers and scholars to interact with one another and discuss writing and literature. It mostly consists of conferences, seminars, talks and panel discussions, usually happening simultaneously. An attendee can thus hop from one discussion to another. Taboan is held in different regions in the country. The first one in 2009 was held in

Metro Manila, then it moved to Cebu in 2010, Davao City in 2011 and at the Clark

Freeport Zone in Pampanga last year. According to Godinez-Ortega, it

was but apt that the Taboan was held in Dumaguete City, home to the country’s oldest and most prestigious writers’ workshop, and to a good number of writers.

Highlighting Dumaguete City’s and the Visayan region’s writers, literature and literary traditions, Taboan 2013 was

hosted by different schools in the city including Silliman

University, St. Paul University of Dumaguete, Negros Oriental State

University, College of St. Catherine of Alexandria, St. Joseph Seminary College

and Foundation University, with Bethel Guest House as main venue.

With the help of the city government of Dumaguete, Taboan for the first time had an opening parade, followed by a pahili, a ritual to augur luck, by Buglasayaw of Foundation University and performances by Handuraw Dance Troupe of St. Paul University of Dumaguete and a rondalla group of the municipality of Dauin. During the opening ceremony, Resil Mojares delivered his keynote address titled “The Nation in the Visayan Imagination,” and a plenary session, “Your Place at the Writers’ Table,” was held with National Artist for literature Bienvenido Lumbera, Mojares, Leoncio Deriada and Isagani Cruz as speakers. Different panel sessions immediately began with topics ranging from gender, translation, networking, chronicling disasters to writing the past, Catholic writing, Chinoy writing, experimenting with genres, writing for the ebook market and prominent Visayan

writers. The country’s leading and emerging writers participated in different panels.

Aside from the seminars and panel discussions, there was a performance of sidays by Nemesio Baldesco, Sr. and Heminigildo Sanchez, balak by Richard Boles, and balitao by the Bantayan Cultural Troupe; a launching of Merlie Alunan’s book Pagdakopsa Bulalakaw; and a concert by the St. Paul University of Dumaguete Orchestra.

The closing ceremony at the Essencia Hotel was highlighted by a performance of the Tanjay City Symphony Orchestra and “Suga-Tula (Crossing Poetry)” by the Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) of the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, under the direction of Steven Patrick Fernandez. Taboan 2013 Literary Awards, which was started in 2010, were bestowed, honoring the contributions of significant Visayan writers. This year’s awardees are Erma Cuizon, Marjorie Evasco, Lamberto Ceballos, Ernesto Lariosa and Cesar Ruiz Aquino from Central Visayas; Alice Tan Gonzales, Maria Rosario Cruz Lucero, Maria Luisa Defante and Victorio Sugbo from Western Visayas; and Fray Paolo Maria Diosdado Casurao from Eastern Visayas.

New this year was the Taboan Lifetime Achievement Award which was given to Bienvenido Lumbera, poet Cirilo Bautista, critic Isagani Cruz, fictionist Elmer Ordonez and fictionist Leoncio Deriada.

Taboan 2013: Gentle Passions

The Philippine Writers Festival in Dumaguete City

PAF 2013

NCCA | 27

The first Tunog-Tugan: International Gongs and Bamboo Music Festival is the flagship project of the National Committee on Music, headed by NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., was held in Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte, from February 16 to 22, 2013; and Maasin, Iloilo, from February 23 to 26, 2013.

Gongs and bamboo music are still very much in practice today, but their significance has not been fully appreciated and explored. Tunog-tugan was conceptualized to fully realize the importance of the gongs and bamboo tradition in contemporary life.

Many of the gong and bamboo instruments bear similarities with those found in the Philippines, but the instrumental groupings, the musics and the performance practice vary from culture to culture depending on the historical circumstances surrounding each and every ethno-linguistic group.

Forming a major part of Tunog-tugan were the concerts that provided the experience of a wide range, tone, color, texture and distinctive musicality of all the participating performing groups in the festival.

Participants from the Philippines included Bagobo Clata of Davao City, The Cordillera Music Tutorial and Research Center of Baguio City, Dipolog City Bamboo Marimba Ensemble of Dipolog City, Ifugao Performing Arts Group, Ingat Kapandayan Artist Center, Tausug of Jolo, Sulu, the Maguindanao Kulintang Ensemble of Cotabato City, the Panay Bukidnon of Iloilo, Roxas Ahadas Yakan Music Cultural Group of Basilan, the Lapuyan Subanen of Zamboanga del Sur, Siayan and Sindangan Subanen of Zamboanga del Norte, and Teduray Agong Ensemble of Maguindanao.

Participants from other parts of Asia included Senandong Budaya of Brunei Darussalam; Ensamble Modero Palu of Sulawesi, Indonesia; Persatuan Seni Budaya Sabah of Sabah, Malaysia; Noreum Machi of South Korea; Taiwan Bamboo Orchestra; Prasarnmit Performing Arts Alliance of Bangkok, Thailand; Khac Chi Bamboo Music of Vietnam; and Dr. Hongkad Souvannavong of Laos.

Photos by Marvin Alcaraz

International Gongs and Bamboo Music Festival in Zamboanga del Norte and Iloilo

Tunog-tugan:

PAF 2013 NCCA | 27

Dr. Ramon Santos (left) and Dipolog City mayor Evelyn Uy (right)

28 | Agung

Photos by Roel Hoang Manipon

The PhilippineVisual Arts

Festival in Zamboanga del Sur

The Philippine Visual Arts Festival (PVAF), the flagship

project of the National Committee on Visual Arts headed

by Nemesio Miranda, was held in Pagadian City, Zamboanga

del Sur, from February 7 to 11, 2013.Visual artists from all over the

country gathered and celebrated the richness of Philippine visual arts.

PVAF was held at the Provincial Government Center in Dao, Pagadian City,

with the support of Zamboanga del Sur governor Antonio H. Cerilles. On February 8,

an opening parade featuring the delegates, local student bands and Angono higantes

went around d the multi-purpose complex. Art workshops were held

for local students at the Megayon Hall from February 8 to 10,

where delegates participated in a collaborative painting

competition. On February 8, the PVAF exhibit was opened

at the Subanen Hall featuring works of artists from Luzon,

Visayas and Mindanao. There was a series of lectures on

February 9 at the Maguindanao Hall about pressing

issues that concern artists especially from the regions.

On February 10, PVAF went to the town of

Lakewood where an art workshop, a forum and an on-

the-spot painting session were held at the Alindahaw

Lakeview Resort. The concluding activities at the

Provincial Government Center included a performance

art on the PAF theme at the Maguindanao Hall, a nude

sketching session at the Balay Bisaya and an artists’ jam

with Popong Landero at the Maguindanao Hall.

The Philippine Visual Arts Festival had an opening parade, on-the-spot collaborative painting sessions, forums and exhibits

PAF 2013

NCCA | 29

Vigan, the only UNESCO World Heritage city in the Philippines, won the World Heritage Centre’s highest award for Best Practice in Sustainable Conservation and Management of World Heritage Properties.

This recognition was conveyed to Secretary-General Virginia Miralao of UNESCO Philippines and Vigan City mayor Eva Marie Medina by director Kishore Rao of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre.

Vigan’s Heritage Conservation Program bested over twenty-eight other submissions of best practices worldwide. A ten-member selection committee, consisting of representatives of the UNESCO regional groups, the advisory bodies and the World Heritage Centre reviewed entries according to the criteria.

After two rounds of consultations, Vigan garnered the most number of votes for good management practice achieved with relatively limited resources which makes it adaptable by other world heritage site managers; strong local community participation in the conservation and management of the site ; and the development of unique multi-faceted conservation scheme of the site.

Medina accepted Vigan City’s award in the closing of the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention in Kyoto, Japan, on November 8, 2012. She was accompanied by Ferdinand Medina, former mayor of Vigan; Virginia Miralao, secretary general of the Philippines National Commission for UNESCO; Eric Zerrudo, vice chair of the National Commission; and Christina Ortega,

Philippine ambassador to UNESCO.“Reflection has been going on for

years within the WH community about establishing recognition related to management of WH sites and values. In particular, capacity building discussions have brought to light the great interest for sharing best practices among WH sites and managers. It was in that framework that the WH committee called for a One-off Initiative at its 35th session in 2011, when it requested the World Heritage Centre, with the support of the Advisory Bodies, to explore ways of recognizing and rewarding best practice through a one-off initiative at the closing event of the 40th anniversary of the World Heritage Convention,” said Rao in a message before the presentation of the award.

By the end of November 2011, the WH Centre launched a request to all states-parties to submit cases of their WH sites that could apply for this recognition. In order to be eligible as a best practice, the World Heritage site had to apply with certain criteria. Successful and sustainable management had to be clearly demonstrated. Best practices were considered those that are tried, tested and applied in different situations and in a wider context. There must be an overall good performance on all headings mentioned in the submission form, with an exemplary performance in at least one of the areas. There must be an outstanding example of innovative management in dealing with one or more management challenges/ issues that could offer lessons to other sites.

Twenty-eight submissions were received from 23 states-parties, representing all UNESCO regions (eight on nature and 20 on culture). A 10-member selection committee, consisting of representatives of the Advisory Bodies, the UNESCO Regional Groups and the World Heritage Centre, examined all the submissions.

The four proposals that received most of the support of the selection committee were from the Wet Tropics of Queensland in Australia; Gros Morne National Park, Canada; Jiuzhaigou Valley Scenic and Historic Interest Area, China; and the Historic Town of Vigan, Philippines.

And after two rounds of consultation, Vigan obtained the highest level of support because good management practice has been achieved with relatively limited resources which should make it adaptable in all countries; the local community was well integrated in many aspects of the sustainable conservation and management of the property (Even before the site was inscribed on the World Heritage list, public forums and multi-stakeholder workshops were organized to formulate a vision statement for the city.); and an interesting multi-faceted approach to the protection of the site has been developed.

The Vigan Heritage Conservation Program is well funded, with allocations coming from the public and private sectors. Tourism and heritage-related economic enterprises have also been fostered. Moreover, the city government has established a Heritage Conservation Division with trained personnel to ensure that all physical interventions within the protected zone are properly carried out according to approved engineering and architectural plans.

Vigan was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1999 as the best-preserved example of a planned Spanish colonial town in Asia. Established in the 16th century, Vigan’s architecture reflects the coming together of cultural elements from elsewhere in the Philippines, from China and from Europe, resulting in a culture and townscape that have no parallel anywhere in East and Southeast Asia.

Vigan Hailed for Having the World’s Best Practice in Sustainable Management of a Heritage Property

Director Kishore Rao of the UNESCO Heritage Center presents to mayor Eva Marie S Medina the award for best practice in sustainable management of a world heritage property. With her are former mayor Ferdi Medina, Director Virginia Miralao of Unacom and Prof. Eric Zerrudo of UST-CCCPET

30 | Agung

Text and photos by Roel Hoang Manipon

Awichon

At the heart of the rugged and mountainous Cordillera

region lies Kalinga, a province of wild beauty where Chico

River and its tributaries snake through its undulating

bosom and the hypnotic music of bamboo and gong

reverberate through the lush forests and valleys. At about

5,000 feet above sea level, mist frequently shrouds its

mountains and hills.

The Rough Road towards Promoting and Preserving Kalinga Culture

Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan awardee Alonzo Saclag

The picturesque and historical town of Lubuagan

SPECIAL FEATURE

NCCA | 31

Kalinga, more than 400 kilometers north of the Philippines’ capital Manila, was hardly conquered during the Spanish occupation partly because of its rough terrain, but it came under the American political rule, becoming one of the five sub-provinces of Mountain Province in 1912. It then became a separate province as Kalinga-Apayao until it was divided into the provinces of Apayao and Kalinga.

Aside from its natural beauty, Kalinga is remarkable because of its brave people, the Kalinga, and their unique culture. The

name Kalinga is actually an exonym, given by the Itawes, the Ibanag and the Gaddang, their neighbors in the east.

Kalinga came from a term that means “enemy,” “fighter” or “headhunter.”

The Kalinga have long been known to decapitate their enemies, but this is rarely practiced now, mainly

because of modernization as well as their indigenous peace process called budong. There are many things

that we should know about Kalinga culture, which remains relatively preserved. But it is now fast

vanishing with the encroachment of modernization and other factors.

About 50 kilometers west of Tabuk City, the capital of Kalinga, the town of Lubuagan, one of the province’s seven municipalities, is becoming a center of the promotion and preservation of Kalinga arts and culture.

It is an apt place for such endeavor because the town hosts a number of schools and it is very historical. General Emilio Aguinaldo, the first president of the first Philippine republic, stayed in Lubuagan in 1900, before his escape and capture in Palanan, Isabela, on March 23, 1901. Many claimed that Aguinaldo made Lubuagan the capital of the first Republic for 72 days from March 6 to May 17, 1900.

It is said that Lubuagan prospered and experienced a golden age during the American period, with Lieutenant Governor Franklin Walter Hale, whom the people baptized and fondly called Sapao, establishing the first civil government in Kalinga in 1907. Lubuagan became the center of education, culture, commerce and trade. Kalinga Academy, a secondary school run by American missionaries, was founded in 1927, and the St. Teresita’s School, a Catholic primary and high school

managed by the CICM Belgian Missionaries, in 1929.At St. Teresita’s School, one can chance on students playing

indigenous musical instruments and composing their own songs in Kalinga. These are part of the school’s curriculum.

Just behind St. Teresita’s School, one finds the home of Alonzo Saclag, one of the staunchest supporters in the preservation of Kalinga arts and culture, and himself a master musician and performer of Kalinga music and dances. He was bestowed the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan or the National Living Treasures award in 2000. The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan recognizes and honors the outstanding folk artists as well as the traditional arts of the country. Established in 1993, it is given by the national government through its arts and culture arm, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Saclag has many stories to tell. The ones he is fond of telling the importance of arts and culture—how they saved the province of Kalinga and how they saved him. He related that during World War II the Japanese forces came to Kalinga but were beguiled by Kalinga music and dances that the province was spared from destruction that many other places in the country suffered from.

He also related that during his younger days he led a purposeless life of alcohol, gambling and gang wars. But that all changed when he got involved with arts and culture. Even as a child, Saclag was fascinated with the sights and sounds of everyday village life and ritual. Even though he had no formal training and education in the performing arts, he mastered playing different Kalinga musical instruments and dances through diligent and studious observation and intimate experience.

His talent and passion brought him to different places in the Philippines as well as to other countries, creating awareness and fostering appreciation for Kalinga arts and culture. Aside from passing on knowledge and appreciation of Kalinga culture to his nine children, who are now all skillful on native music and dances, Saclag tirelessly strives to inculcate these to the whole of Kalinga and to preserve their arts and culture in many ways.

He has lobbied for funds from the provincial government to grant funds to convert the abandoned capitol building into a museum. His efforts bore fruit when a branch of the National

32 | Agung

NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon Jr. with the Saclags

The native Kalinga hut

Kalinga men making native musical instruments

The cultural center in Awichon

Museum was established in Lubuagan. He also campaigned in schools for the wearing of traditional attires during special events and urged local radio stations to broadcast Kalinga music. Saclag formed the Kalinga Budong Dance Troupe, and took under his wings youths who wish to learn about the music and dance of their ancestors.

One of his major plans was building a village to showcase Kalinga arts and culture. This fervent dream came into fruition a

of the Tagalog; liggochin, a being with big belly; katkatawa, a forest spirit; and lingo-lingo, a being that causes one to lose one’s way. Saclag would point out at fruits half-eaten by the luyawans. Although they can be naughty at times, they remain harmless to humans.

The center of the complex is an excavated, multi-purpose field, where performances and rituals can be held. Saclag hired Dangwa Dalangon, said to be one of the best riprap wall makers

few years ago with the opening of the Kalinga Center for Culture and the Arts in the sitio of Awichon in Dangoy, Lubuagan, on May 3, 2008.

The Awichon mesa is about 10 kilometers from Poblacion. To get there, one has to ride through steep and rough road. Here, where fossils of a prehistoric elephant were found and the landing site of American forces during World War II was located, Saclag slowly bought tracts of land whenever he gets money until there are about 35 hectares on which to build his dream.

Because of its isolation, the place is perfect as a sanctuary to nurture creativity. Awichon affords one with a spectacular view of the Pasil Valley, the barangays of Uma and the Pasil River. Clouds pass through the verdant peaks of southern Kalinga with the river running below.

With ornamental plants, Saclag planted the place with wild chogway trees, whose fruits can be made into preserves and wine. He tells of luyawans, elves or dwarves, living in the chogway groves. Kalinga folklore is rich in otherworldly beings including alito, a huge and hirsute being much like the kapre

but who died recently, to create the riprap walls of the field. Saclag and his wife, the gracious and beautiful Rebecca, who

is ever supportive of his endeavors and frequently accompanies him in his travels, largely spend their time here, welcoming visitors. They live in one of the four native huts around the field. Little by little, Saclag builds his dream village through his own pockets and whenever he gets funding. Aided by his firstborn son, Robinson, 70-year-old Saclag tirelessly looks for funding. He dreams of building more huts to showcase the beauty of Kalinga culture.

According to Robinson, the Kalinga hut is remarkable because it uses no nails. The Kalinga hut or buyoy is simple and functional, assembled without the use of nails, with four sides and a single living space inside. It is elevated from the ground by four posts. It is mostly made from wood planks with rattan for the ceiling and other interior aspects and cogon grass for the roof. Inside, the sipis is the elevated side section. In the middle is the hearth or fireplace where one cooks. It is a square section filled with clay with three stones for the pot. Wealthier Kalinga

NCCA | 33

Reggie Saclag or Kalasag

Bead making

Loom weaving

Rebecca Saclag

School children playing native instruments

Inside the native hut

families have octagon-shaped houses. When many Kalinga huts have been put up, Saclag plans to

invite families of craftsmen and artisans to live in them. When people come to visit, they will get to witness traditional Kalinga village life. He plans to build rice terraces or payao nearby. The Awichon village is dreamt to be a center of Kalinga arts and crafts where craftsmen can earn income; a tourist destination; a venue for performances, retreats and seminars; and an institution of learning for traditional arts and culture. At the performance

on a metal sheet over live coals and shapes them into oblong beads.

Two men make bamboo musical instruments. The Kalinga has several musical instruments. The balingbing is bamboo instrument shaped like a tuning fork and is played by beating it against the palm. The tungngatongs are bamboo tubes of different lengths struck against flat stone to produce sound. The saggaypo is a kind of wind instrument. The kullitong or ofit

area, a gong festival and a grand budong can be held.To realize this dream, Saclag knows he needs help. He

appeals for the government so that roads can be built from Poblacion to Awichon for easier access for visitors as well as residents. He seeks funding and support from individuals and institutions to be able to build additional structures.

Saclag invites craftsmen to demonstrate his vision for us. Fifty-six-year-old weaver and mother of four, Cecilia Aweng

weaves cloth with back strap loom. She is from the barangay of Mabilong, known as a village of weavers. Aweng learned the craft from her mother, and this she is passing on to her two daughters. With her are Sarah Bannocan, 17, and Cherry May Wansi, 16, also from Mabilong, who do the embroidery and embellish the finished cloth.

Forty-three-year-old Josephine Biggaong is a bead maker from Dangoy. She makes pilakid and ong-ong. She uses plastic balls, which are originally used for Chinese prayer beads, bought from Divisoria and discarded plastic materials such as disposable forks and spoons, ballpoint caps and CD cases. She melts them

is Kalinga’s version of the guitar with six strings. The tungali is known as the nose flute.

But the most known among the Kalinga msuical instruments is the gong or gangsa. Made of brass or copper, it comes in a set of six, called pa-id, of different sizes and each one producing different sounds from the lowest and loudest ferfer to the pasingsing, the smallest and the highest-pitched.

At night, one can gather around a bonfire to listen to stories, drink sugar cane wine called basi and sing. Saclag’s son Reginald, who goes by his native name of Kalasag, gathers the men to form a ragtag band. He sings the most known among Kalinga kinds of song, the salidummay, a song expressing joy and gladness. Salidummays are impromptu but often contains the phrase “Dongdong-ay si dong-ilay insalisali dummay.” Native Kalinga instruments blends well with the modern guitar, creating a memorable sound.

Kalasag’s beautiful voice swirls around the warm bubble around the bonfire, rolls out into the gelid night to join the glimmering fireflies and echoes faintly into the valley below.

34 | Agung

NEWS BRIEFSFive Raymond Red Short Films Restored and Re-mastered

With the recent growing awareness of the importance of film preservation and archiving as a contribution to cultural heritage, filmmaker Raymond Red, through the support of the NCCA and the Film Development Council, has undertaken the restoration, digital re-mastering and preservation of his seminal short films from the early 1980s, which represent the beginnings of the Filipino alternative and independent cinema movement.

The current standard for restoring and preserving master copies of the virtually obsolete film format of Super-8mm is now via digital re-mastering, the most professional of which is available only through the Burbank, California-based company called PRO8MM Labs.

Red flew to Burbank in October 2011 to restore and re-master copies of his Super-8mm films. The lab offered different options of transferring film material depending on the required resolution (SD or HD), final material output (tape or data), budget and other specifications.

Red related: “The restoration and preservation of old Super-8mm motion picture film, as compared to all other film formats, is a unique and difficult task as it is made more challenging by the following: the small size of the film material (and is therefore more delicate), the fact that only one copy exists because it is a positive reversal film original (as opposed to professional film formats which are usually negative film stock ideal for printing), the fact that the original film is edited using physical tape splices, and the fact that process machines both for film printing and video transfer for such a format are rare and definitely not available in the Philippines.”

Red successfully restored five of his films and returned in November 2011 to publicly screen his newly restored films, aimed with knowledge of the new processes, which can be applied for future local archival tasks.

NAMCYA Winners AnnouncedThe National Music Competitions for

Young Artists Foundation, Inc. (NAMCYA) announces the 2012 winners of its annual contest. NAMCYA started in 1973 by virtue of Proclamation 1172 under the government of then president Ferdinand Marcos, declaring that every last week of November is a celebration of the National Music Week for Young Artists.

The winners in Choir Category C are U.P. Los Baños Choral Ensemble (first), The New UMAK Chorale (second), University of Cordilleras Chorale (second) and Tarlac State

University Chamber Choir (third).The winners in the Dance, Senior Ballet

category are Lobreza L. Pimentel (first), Kenneth Marc G. Sorongon (second), Ma. Regina A. Magbitang (third), Mark Christopher S. Simbiling (Manolo Rosado Special Award), and Fredrick Fernandez (Trudl Dobsky Special Award for choreography).

The winners in the Guitar Category B are Ziv B. Astronomo (second), Paul Gene C. Alvarado II (third) and Ephraim Gen L. Dabalos (honorable mention).

The winners in the Rondalla Category A are Nikki Zen A. Obmasca (first), Jomlowe Andres D. Gaco (second) and Katrin Kaye R. Diyal (third), while the winners in the Rondalla Category B are Jamaika Mozelle B. Sebumpan (first), Nelson J. Quirit, Jr. (second) and Janna Sheena R. Rosales (third).

The winners in the Piano Category A-2 are Nicole Marie P. Cortero (Gantimpala ng Tagapangulo and second), Roland Vincent L. Saavedra (third) and Jet Stephen C. Chong (Special Jury Prize). The winners in the Voice Category B are Criselda Marie L. Go (third) and Richelyn D. Mayoral, Angelica Rose M. Benipayo and Princess Lerma B. Porbolan (honorable mention).

The winners in the Traditional Music Ensemble Category B are Bentangan National High School Cultural Ensemble from Carmen, North Cotabato; Datu Jose A. Libayao Memorial National High School from Salawao, Sto. Nino, Talaingod, Davao del Norte; DepED Bulacan Performing Arts Group from Malolos City, Bulacan; Dilong National High School Ethnic Ensemble from Dilong, Tubo, Abra; New Society National High School Ensemble from New Society, Apopong, General Santos City; and Yapyapan (Talubin National High School) Cultural Dance Troupe from Talubin, Bontoc, Mountain Province.

Valenzuela Artists Gather for ‘Ani ng Sining sa Valenzuela’

In observance of the National Arts Month, Valenzuela City celebrated Valenzuelano artistry through a festivity held on February 14, 2013 at the Museo Valenzuela. Called “Ani ng Sining sa Lungsod ng Valenzuela,” the event coincided with the city’s 15th Charter Day commemoration.

Performers included Gary Granada, Jose Laderas Santos, V.P. Trinidad National High School’s Indak Maharlika Ensemble, Our Lady of Fatima Chorale, Valenzuela City Chorale, Valenzuela City Violin Ensemble and VCCPA, performing an excerpt of their play Madlang-Away, which climaxed to segue to the Valenzuela: Kahapon, Ngayon at Bukas mural project, a collaborative creative efforts of students from the high schools of Canumay,

Lawang Bato, Bagbaguin and Dalandanan. Also present were Msgr. Mar DJ Arenas

who led the prayer, City Cultural Affairs and Development Office (CATDO) officer-in-charge Ahna F. Mejia; Second District Councilor Shalani Soledad-Romulo; Mayor Sherwin T. Gatchalian; and guest of honor, NCCA executive director Emelita V. Almosara, CESO IV.

Philippine PEN Holds Annual Conference

The Philippine chapter of PEN International, sponsored by the NCCA, conducted its annual literature conference last December 6 and 7, 2012, at the Silangan Hall of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. This was part of their 55th anniversary celebration and the conference is grounded with the theme “The Writer as Public Intellectual.”

The conference, which was opened to the public, was graced by National Artists Bienvenido Lumbera and F. Sionil Jose. It was also attended by Filipino writers and students, among others. Former University of the Philippines College of Mass Communication dean Luis Teodoro was the keynote speaker of the event.

The sessions of this year’s conference were “Philippine Intellectual Tradition,” “Writer and National Discourse,” “Writer as Social Commentator,” “Writer and Popular Culture,” Writer and Social Media,” and “Writer and Current Concern (Quest for Peace in Mindanao).” A paper by Carmen Guerrero Nakpil was read by Amadis Ma. Guerrero for the gathering’s Jose Rizal lecture.

Critic Nicanor Tiongson, fictionist Charlson Ong, writer Angela Stuart-Santiago and critic Tito Valiente, among others, participated in the panel discussions.

Valenzuela City Second District Councilor Shalani Soledad-Romulo; NCCA executive director Emelita V. Almosara, CESO IV; and Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin T. Gatchalian

NCCA | 35

Photos by Marvin Alcaraz

First Likha Asya Held in BoholJakarta Arts Council; and

choreographer and performer

Agung Gunawan from

Indonesia; Thailand’s Bhumin

Dhanaketpisarn, artist leader

of Makhampom Foundation;

Potjana Suansri, executive

director, CBT-I, Chiangmai; Dr.

Jittasak Putjorn of Silapakorn

University; and Premruethai

Tosermkit, executive director

and proprietress of the Family

Tree, Hua Hin, from Thailand; and Tomoco

Kagaguchi, director of Koenji-za Theater;

and Natuko Kiritani, artistic director of

Black Tent Theater, from Japan. They

presented their expertise and experiences

together with Filipino delegates Dr.

Eric Zerrudo, director of the Cultural

Conservation Program of UST; eco-tourism

specialist Boboi Costas; Emilia Roslinda,

manager of the Abatan River Development

Management Council; Leah Espallardo,

director of the PETA-Mekong Partnership

Program; Benigno Balgos, program head of

the Center for Disaster Preparedness; and

Labad.

Gunaman conducted a workshop

titled “Klono Topeng: Yogyanese Classical

Mask Dance;” Raymund Marcaida on

“Pangalay Dance;” Bhumin on “Likay (Thai

Folk Opera): Basic Gestures, Way of Singing

and Dance;” Suansri on “Strategies in

Community Development and Tourism;”

Tosermkit on “Communicating the Local

Artisan’s Work and Products;” and Kiritani

on “Japanese Improvisational Techniques

and Exercises.”

Delegates were treated to a river

cruise along the Abatan River, witnessing

community-based tourism initiatives;

dinners at the Governor’s Mansion

and Dauin Church; and home stays in

Maribojoc and Baclayon.

Likha Asya was supported by the

Department of Trade and Industry, Diocese

of Tagbilaran, Immaculate Heart of Mary

Seminary, the Abatan River Development

Management Council, PETA, and the Bohol

Arts and Heritage Council.

The island province of

Bohol, with the support of

Bohol governor Edgar M.

Chatto, hosted Likha Asya:

The First Asian Festival and

Conference on Community

Theater, Creative Industries

and Community-Based Tourism

for Sustainable Livelihoods,

spearheaded by NCCA National

Committee on Dramatic Arts

(NCDA) head Lutgardo Labad.

Held from February 27 to March

2, 2013, at the Bohol Cultural Center in

Tagbilaran City, Likha Asya had conferences

on community-based tourism, community

theater, creative industries and the role

of government in eco-cultural tourism;

workshops; a creative industries fair; and

nightly performances at the Abatan River

Pavilion in Salvador, Cortes.

International delegates included

Henky Hermantoro, director general

of Tourism Destination Development,

Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy;

Dewi Noviami, program director of

Bhumin Dhanaketpisarn from Thailand

Agung Gunawan from Indonesia

A NCDA Visayan collaborative adaption of William Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream

Likha Asya and Tangal participants at the Abatan River

NCDA head Lutgardo Labad

The NCCA’s National Committee on Dance (NCD), headed by Shirley Halili-Cruz, spearheaded the

implementation of Dance Xchange: The Philippine International Dance

Workshop and Festival from April 11 to 14, 2013. It brought together the best dance companies and dance experts, both local and international, for a grand celebration of dance that included activities such as artists’ forum, dance workshops conducted by dance directors/dancers from participating countries, masters classes, cultural tours, festival of dance performances and concerts at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum.

For four years, Dance Xchange has engaged many dance groups from different countries, making this event truly an international

cultural destination every April. The NCCA supported the country’s biggest dance spectacle in partnership with

the city government of Puerto Princesa led by Mayor Edward Hagedorn.

With the theme “Cultural Connectivity Through Dance,” the event aimed to “strengthen network among dance groups in Southeast Asia and beyond; enhance knowledge and skills of the dancers, dance teachers and choreographers on dances of the different countries; showcase the unique dances of each country to enhance

cultural understanding; provide venue for interaction and facilitate learning among

dancers, directors, dance teachers, choreographers; and harness the potential of the Philippines to be a cultural destination in Asia.”

Dance Xchange was also in celebration of International Dance Day, created under the auspices of the

United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris and held all over the world by the International Theater Institute (ITI) on April 29, and the Philippine National Dance Week, which is on the fourth week of April every year, as declared by Proclamation No. 154 “to bring together

Grandest Dance Event in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan

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Empoweringthe Filipino Imagination

NCCA executive director Emelita V. Almosara, CESO IV, Puerto Prince City mayor Edward

Hagedorn and NCD head Shirley Halili-Cruz. Below: The different dance troupes which

participated in Dance Xchange

Photos by Marvin Alcaraz

dancers to demonstrate and realize the function of dance in the society and in

the rest of the world.” Dance companies from

Japan, Hong Kong, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, England, Indonesia, Singapore,

Thailand, Malaysia, Brunei Darussalam, Taiwan and Vietnam participated. They were joined by 22 dance companies from all over the Philippines.

Dance Xchange has been held for five years now—2009 in Dumaguete City, 2010 in Roxas City, Capiz, 2011 in Metro Manila and 2012 in Cebu City.

National Committee on Dance head Shirley

Halili-Cruz with NCD officials and Dance Xchange

participants during the Dance Xchange opening

in Puerto Princesa City Coliseum

(Fullstoryandmorephotosnextissue)