AGUNG Vol. XX Number 5 Sep-Oct 2017

Volume XX • Number 5 • September-October 2017 • For Artists and Cultural Workers • ISSN 0119-5948

Shared diversity, multifaceted unity Official Newsletter of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts

Volume XX, Number 5 September-October 2017 ISSN 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 bimonthly by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.

VIRGILIO S. ALMARIO chairman

About the cover

RICO S. PABLEO, JR. executive director

Front and back covers show several panels from Kalipayapaan, a composite of works summarizing the two phases of artistic path of Davao City artist Kublai Millan. The work was highlighted during the ManilArt 2017.

MARICHU G. TELLANO deputy executive director Rene Sanchez Napeñas editor-in-chief Roel Hoang Manipon managing editor Mervin Concepcion Vergara art director Marne L. Kilates consultant

Leihdee Anne Cabrera May Corre Tuazon Roezielle Joy Iglesia Christine Sarah Sy Arcie Millare Brenda Corpuz public affairs and information section staff

Connec Crossro Conver

Budayaw Festival Celebrates Cult Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia an

Faith Yangyang photographer

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts As the government arm for culture and the arts, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is the overall policy-making, coordinating, and grants-giving agency for the preservation, development and promotion of Philippine arts and culture; an executing agency for the policies it formulates; and an agency tasked to administer the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA). The NCCA traces its roots to the Presidential Commission for Culture and the Arts (PCCA), which was created when President Corazon Aquino signed Executive Order No. 118 on January 30, 1987, “mindful of the fact that there is a need for a national body to articulate a national policy on culture, to conserve and promote national heritage, and to guarantee a climate of freedom, support and dissemination for all forms of artistic and cultural expression.”

On April 3, 1992, President Aquino signed Republic Act No. 7356 creating the NCCA and establishing the NEFCA, a result of over two years of legislative consultations among government and private sector representatives. The bill was sponsored by senators Edgardo J. Angara, Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Heherson T. Alvarez and congressman Carlos Padilla.

The NCCA Secretariat, headed by the executive director and headquartered at the historic district of Intramuros, provides administrative and technical support to the NCCA and other units, and delivers assistance to the culture and arts community and the public.

A scene from Maharadia Lawana, theatrical adaptation of the Meranaw folk narrative version of the Ramayana, staged by Mindanao theater groups

ections, roads ergence and

s Cultures of the Philippines,

By Roel Hoang Manipon sia and Malaysia Photos by Roel Hoang Manipon and Faith Yangyang

4 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

I The logo features a papanok, a migratory bird that traverses the East ASEAN Growth Area region.

Its multicolored plumage that symbolizes luck also represents the colors of the flags of Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines (BIMP). The intricate okir (traditional lace work design) depicts the flourishing of fronds and vines, signifying the interconnectedness of the four nations. Beneath the logo is the old Tagalog abugida or baybayin that reads “bu-da-yao,” a neologism made by combining the Malay word budaya (“culture, “heritage”) and the Filipino word dayaw (“bounty,” “praise,” “beautiful”). This ultimately encapsulates the essence of the BIMP cultures: celebrating peace, bounty and diversity.

kat dyeing technique for hand-woven textiles is practiced by several ethnic groups not only in the Philippines, but also in a number of countries in Southeast Asia. Also, there are similar stories that are being retold within the region, notable of which is the story of the epic Ramayana, which engendered different versions, evidencing a lasting influence from India. The commonality in traditional culture and heritage is more evident in an area in Southeast Asia that includes the countries the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia.

These shared heritage and traditions, as well as the diversity of cultures, were highlighted by the very first Budayaw: The BIMP-EAGA Festival of Culture and the Arts, which was held from September 20 to 24, 2017, in General Santos City. The festival included different activities and events such as lectures, workshops, performances, exhibits, tours and others.

“Budayaw, as festival of cultures, showcases the links of our diverse cultures within the equator surrounded by or attached to the Sulu and Sulawesi Seas, a very rich area of natural resources, and at the same time very blessed with diversity of cultures, which historically have been linked together since the eleventh, twelfth, thirteenth century,” explained Nestor Horfilla, a theater veteran and cultural worker, who served as the festival director.

Before the current political boundaries, the peoples of what are now the Philippines, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia and Malaysia have been in contact with each other since the olden times. Although the main purpose was trade, they were also influencing each other’s cultures.

Aside from geographical proximity, the enduring links among the four nations became the basis of the establishment of the Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), a cooperation to bolster socio-economic development in the region with a shared strategy, about twenty years ago.

The BIMP-EAGA originally focuses on areas of tourism, environment, connectivity, and transportation, and food production. In November 2015, the socio-cultural aspect and education pillar was officially added as an area of focus.

“Twenty years of economic cooperation in the BIMP-EAGA led to the realization that culture, indeed, is a vital element in sustainable development of the four countries in the equator,” said Horfilla.

“I am doubly glad that our East ASEAN Growth Area has recently included culture and education as one of its focal points. Culture remains at the very core of all of our endeavors, and it must perform its role as a motive force in the relationship of nations. The arts—our arts—are the distillations of those cultures, manifesting the best in all of us,” NCCA chairman and National Artist for literature Virgilio S. Almario expressed during the opening ceremony.

The delegation from Indonesia

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 5

The different country performances , showing traditions, expressions and shared heritage

The Budayaw Festival is the first major cultural project of the BIMP-EAGA. The Philippines was chosen to host the first festival, whose name was coined from two words—budaya, Malay for “culture,” and dayaw, a word in several Philippine languages that means “bounty” or “praise”—and which will be held every two years among the four countries.

As the official Philippine representative in the BIMP-EAGA Socio-Cultural Development Working Committee, the NCCA spearheaded the holding of the festival, providing about P10 million in funding, in collaboration with different agencies and institutions including the Mindanao Development Authority, Department of Tourism Region XII, the city government of General Santos, the provincial government of Sarangani, Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, the Mindanao State University in General Santos City and the Philippine Information Agency.

The Philippines saw an opportunity in Budayaw Festival to showcase the cultural richness of Mindanao and Palawan, the islands that are part of BIMP-EAGA which are often considered overlooked by the national government in terms of development, and a chance to project Mindanao, as organizers described, as a “life affirming experience.” However, these objectives were secondary to the greater aim of reaffirming connections and celebrating commonalities.

“As we join the festivities, whether as creators or audience, we fortify our connections in a more profound kind of togetherness. We grow in understanding, in a spiritual kinship that will strengthen us as connected peoples. And we are enriched with the awareness of our humanity, whose magnanimity can only be revealed in art and culture,” Almario affirmed.

The shared heritage, as well as cultural diversity, was exemplified in both traditional and contemporary arts and crafts, in events such as musical and dance performances, talks, demonstrations, exhibits and drama, all held at General Santos City’s major malls— SM City General Santos, Gaisano Mall, Veranza Mall and KCC Mall—favorite convergence venues of Filipinos.

6 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Ikat hand-weaving demonstrations and chorale concerts were featured at the festival

BUDAYAW THEME SONG Words and music by Joey Ayala

Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas Apat na bayan, iisang larangan Upat ka nasud, naginambitanay Keempat negara, satu wilayah Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas Budaya Budayaw (Keamanan) Budaya Budayaw (Kalambuan) Budaya Budayaw (Kemakmuran bersama) Budaya Budayaw (Kaunlaran) Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas (Magkapit-bayan) Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas (Magkaibigan) Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas Budaya Budayaw Budaya Budaya Budayaw Budaya Budayaw Budaya Budaya Budayaw

Budayaw Budayaw Budayaw Budayaw

Magkapit-bayan, nagtutulung-tulungan Silingan, kasikbit, nagtinabangay Tetangga membantu, satu sama lain Brunei Darussalam Indonesia Malaysia Pilipinas Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas (Magkapit-bayan) Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas (Magkaibigan) Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pilipinas

Traditional dances and musical performances made up a substantial part of the Budayaw Festival and proved to be the most popular. Performing troupes, both school- and community-based, from the BIMP-EAGA countries made the round of the venues as well as to a few communities in the province of Sarangani as outreach activity. Their repertoires entirely comprised folk and traditional performances.

“Soundscapes of the Earth” featured indigenous musics, with performances by traditional musicians and the intention to highlight the shared heritage in music such as the prevalence of gongs, bamboo instruments and string instruments in the region, while “Young Voices Rising” was a youth chorale concert, culminating in a “grand tutti” where all participants came together for a one dramatic performance.

“Under One Sky: BIMP-EAGA Visual Arts Exhibit” featured paintings and sculptures of BIMP-EAGA visual artists, serving as a platform to search for common ground and examine commonalities.

On the other hand, “Muslims in the Philippines: History and Culture” highlighted the most significant shared heritage among the BIMP-EAGA countries—Islam—and focused on the religion’s history in the Philippines. The very informative and attractive exhibit was punctuated by artifacts, such as weapons, musical instruments, and decorative items, showing the religion’s influence on native aesthetics.

Tapestry of Dreams: Ikat Master Weavers’ Pavilion unveiled the hand-woven textile traditions of mostly Mindanao ethnic groups such as the T’boli, Blaan, Yakan, Meranaw and Maguindanao, with displays of textiles and live weaving demonstrations.

“Reframing Kasalikas: Mindanao Theater” was a grand theatrical production that showed the “Maharadia Lawana,” the Meranaw version of the Ramayana story. Dramatic treatments were crafted from episodes of the folk prose story by five Mindanao theater groups—the Sining Kambayoka Ensemble of Mindanao State University (MSU) in Marawi City; Sining Kandidilimudan Ensemble of MSU in Maguindanao; Kabpapagariya Ensemble of MSU in General Santos City; Kaliwat Performing Artists Collective of Davao City; and Kagay-an Performing Arts Troupe of Cagayan de Oro City—which were strung together and performed during the festival.

The Budayaw Colloquium was a series of talks and lectures, mostly delving on cultural exchanges and preservation in the BIMP-EAGA, safeguarding cultural diversity and policies and practices affecting cultural exchange.

Other events such as a tourism expo and trade fair, a traditional pagana, a fashion show and special tour packages made the festival a more immersive experience in exploring the richness of Mindanao culture.

The festival gathered more than a thousand artists, performers, teachers, experts and officials.

According to Horfilla, Budayaw also aimed to gather experiences and proposals to craft strategies to enhance cultural exchanges among the BIMP-EAGA member countries, which

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 7 will be submitted to different cultural ministries “so that they will open more windows for cultural exchange for artists.”

“Roots of tradition and routes of development in culture are the key issues that we would like to highlight in the Budayaw Festival,” said Horfilla. “We also want to emphasize the right of people to appreciate different cultures.”

While showcasing the diversity of creative expressions of BIMP-EAGA cultural masters and artists, the Budayaw Festival hoped to raise awareness and foster appreciation for the cultures and arts of the region, thus engendering understanding and solidarity among the peoples of the BIMP-EAGA, a difficult feat but a wonderment when achieved as expressed in a poem in Filipino written for the event by Almario: Pagkakaisa (Sermong alay sa BIMP-EAGA) Ay, hirap magkaisa!

Kahit alam nating ito’y mahalaga.

Upang mas tumibay Kailangan ng lubid ang maraming hibla; Walang nabubúhay At lumiligaya dahil nag-iisa.

Upang mas sumarap Kailangan ng luto ang maraming sangkap.

Mas maraming kulay, Kahit bahaghari’y lalong dumidilag; Mga bayan pa bang Nabigkis ang hindi lalong magsiunlad?

Ngunit nahahati Ang ating planeta sa mga lunggating Hindi magkatugma, Hindi magkasanib sa iisang mithi.

Ay, hirap magkaisa!

[May apat? Nagsáma? Maligayang batì!]

Oneness

(Sermon for the BIMP-EAGA) Translated by Marne Kilates

Alas, it’s so hard to unite!

Even if we know it’s important.

To be strong A rope must have many strands; No one can live And be happy because one is alone.

To be more delicious A dish must have many ingredients.

With more colors, Even a rainbow is lovelier; And countries bound As one, didn’t they progress even more?

But our planet Is divided with aspirations So disparate, So separate, not one in purpose.

Alas, it’s so hard to unite!

[Oh, four? Together? Them I must greet!]

Dance and music comprised the bulk of the festival

8 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

PerfOrmances, Shows And Special EVENTS Dance and music proved to be the most popular art forms at the festival, being the most visible and prevalent of cultural expressions. They were dominant among the performances, which made up the bulk of the festival. Every component was punctuated with performances that show the diversity as well as the similarities of traditions, expressions, experiences and aspirations.

A performance at the SM City General Santos atrium

NCCA chairman Virgilio S. Almario delivers a message highlighting BIMP-EAGA cooperation during the formal opening of the festival

Formal Opening and Grand Public Performance The festival opening was held at the Grand Ballroom of Greenleaf Hotel on September 20, 2017, graced by NCCA chairman Virgilio S. Almario, Mindanao State University chancellor Abdurrahman Canacan, Mindanao Development Authority chairman Datu Abul Khayr Alonto, Department of Tourism regional director Nelly Dillera, and General Santos City mayor Ronnel Rivera. It was also attended by the different BIMP-EAGA delegations.

The opening saw performances by a kulintang master from Mamasapano, an angklung orchestra made up of Indonesian students in Davao City, In Unity Chorale of Malaysia and dancers from Brunei Darussalam. Singer-songwriter Joey Ayala and Tapati also performed.

The affair concluded with the banging of a gong to signal the opening of Budayaw Festival.

The formal opening led to SM City General Santos Atrium for the Grand Public Performance featuring the adai adai and jipin tar dances of Brunei; pring cupak and nandak ganjen of Indonesia; daling-daling of Malaysia; and Muslim dances by the Madayaw Cultural Ensemble of Davao and Tambuli Cultural Dance Troupe of Tawi-Tawi. Ayala and several choral groups sang the Budayaw theme song as bright pasandalans sprang forth, fomenting a festive air inside the mall.

Jewels of the EAGA Throughout the festival, traditional dances and music were performed in different venues, particularly at the SM City General Santos Trade Hall and KCC Convention Center. These performances were interactive, inviting audience to participate and dance with the delegates.

Konsiyerto sa Kahapunan A series of sunset concerts were held at an outdoor stage at Veranza Mall featuring Mindanao alternative music artists including Joey Ayala, Popong Landero, and Mebuyan,

All the participating chorale groups perform i

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 9 an all-female group from Davao City. Traditional musicians—kudyapi player Bitol Sulaiman from Maguindanao; Salomon Gau from Sarawak, Malaysia; and Sidi Yusuf from Labuan, Malaysia—became guest performers.

Kaambengan: A Celebration of Palawan Culture Special shows were held featuring performances by the delegates from Palawan. Directed by provincial tourism officer Sammy A. Magbanua, the program was divided into the “Ethnic Suite,” inspired by the indigenous groups Palaw-an, Tagbanua and Batak; the “Molbog Suite,” inspired by the Muslim groups Meranaw, Molbog, Jama Mapun and Tausug; the “Cuyonon Suite,” inspired by Cuyonon culture; and the “Moden Suite,” featuring contemporary dance and music.

Young Voices Rising: Choral Concert Series The Gensan Ambassadors Chorale, Ramon Magsaysay Memorial Colleges Himig Choir, MSU Gensan Chorale, MSU-IIT (Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology) Octava Chorale and In Unity Chorale of Malaysia performed in the concert series which culminated in a Grand Tutti, where all participating chorales performed together on September 24 at the KCC Convention Center, singing “Bituing Walang Ningning,” “Anak,” “Tagumpay Nating Lahat,” and the Budayaw theme song.

Outreach Performances The BIMP-EAGA delegations went out of General Santos City to perform for and interact with different communities on September 23. The towns of Alabel, Maitum and Malungon, in the province of Sarangani, were visited.

Closing Ceremony The closing ceremony was held on September 24 at SM City General Santos Atrium, where all delegations performed. It culminated with the singing of the theme song and evoked the festivity of the opening.

groups perform in a Grand Tutti at the culmination of Young Voices Rising: Choral Concert Series

A street dance group welcomes delegates and visitors during the festival opening, ushering in the grand inaugural performance at SM City General Santos

NCCA executive director Rico S. Pableo graces the opening of the Budayaw Festival Travel and Trade Expo at the Gaisano Mall, led by Department of Tourism regional director Nelly Nita Dillera

10 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Under One Sky: BIMP-EAGA Visual Arts Exhibit The quest for connections and a common ground was the aim of “Under One Sky: BIMP-EAGA Visual Arts Exhibit,” believing that humanity lives under one sky, thus the title. Curated by Abraham “Abe” Garcia, Jr. of the Ateneo de Davao University, it also aimed to reflect the different styles, genres and traditions at work in the dynamic visual arts scene within the region.

The exhibit at the Veranza Mall Atrium gathered forty-four paintings, five sculptures and ten photographs from artists, most which came from Mindanao, including Malissa V. Abuga-a from Jasaan, Misamis Oriental; Raul S. Bendit from Malaybalay City, Bukidnon; Michelle Hollanes Lua, Jericho Antonio V. Vamenta, Oscar Esteban A. Floirendo and Michael E. Bacol from Cagayan de Oro City; Raymund A. Malicay from Cotabato City; Joel L. Geolamen from Santo Tomas, Davao del Norte; Alynna B. Macla from Panabo City, Davao del Norte; Raymond S. Tangiday, Mariano A. Catague and Rogelio D. Cayas, Jr. from Davao City; Lorna F. Jumalon and Rameer A. Tawasil from Zamboanga City; Chester M. Mato from Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur; Emma B. Prima from Dipolog City, Zamboanga del Norte; and Edrick Aguirre, Al-Nezzar B. Ali and Leonardo Rey S. Carino from General Santos City.

Works from Gerald Goh, Chris Pereira and Azize Mohd Yusoph of Malaysia were also on display as well as by Faizal Hamdan, Maziyah, Osveanne Osman, Khamarul Zaman Pg Hj Taguddin and Umi Zaty Basillah Zakaria from Brunei Darussalam Joyce Toh of Singapore Art Museum delivered the keynote speech at the opening, kickstarting daily art talks. Additionally, there were interactive sessions—a paper craft demonstration by Ryan Arengo, and “Balay Balay Ta” (Let’s Play House), the making of three-dimensional architectural puzzle of a Meranaw torogan, a result of the 2015 project of architect Gloryrose Dy-Metilla of Swito Designs.

Kulentangan (acrylic on canvas, 91.4 by 91.4 cm., 2016) by Mariano A. Catague from Davao City

Rebab Player (C-print, 50.8 by 76.2 cm., 2016) by Azize Mohd Yusoph from Labuan, Malaysia

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 11

Re/Imagining the SEA: The Sky’s the Limit, A Conceptual Note

By Abraham Garcia, Jr.

Students flock to the Veranza Mall Atrium for the exhibit

Madal Blaan (enamel on canvas, 160 by 160 cm., 2017)

by Leonardo Rey Cariño from General Santos City

Firebird (acrylic on canvas, 87.6 by 77.4 cm., 2017)

by Raymund A. Malicay from Cotabato City

WMD (Words of Mass Destruction) (mixed media assemblage, 25 by 25 by 50 cm., 2016) by Oscar Esteban Floirendo from Cagayan de Oro City

“Under One Sky” is a first for this peripheral sub-region of Southeast Asia. Although the coastal communities have been connected for centuries, a lot has been changed since. The nightmarish realities of colonial rule reconfigured not only borders and beliefs, but the fate of nations even up to the 21st century.

The visual arts exhibition component of Budayaw 2017 attempts to re/connect the island region to what was once affairs of nation states, like the seas that reach across these places within BIMP-EAGA. For the viewer, “Under One Sky” offers something familiar—the colors, the forms, the use of spaces, the images and perhaps, the tastes—as one tries to absorb and comprehend the meaning of artworks on display. Sometimes, it takes to understand the meaning of each art piece, or the thread that weaves stories of the region together.

The visual arts become a window that opens to a wider landscape of thought. We look into the minds of each artist as he or she makes sense of his or her local world. We should be willing and open participants to understand and experience the visuals encountered on display.

Is there something common and different?

Is there something recurring in the imagery presented? We will notice the shared heritage in the EAGA region as well as the different directions these nations have taken toward their imagined destinies.

What are visuals about? As we let our perceptions flow, we see representations on celebrations of history and the living heritage; the mundane and the everyday life; and communities trying to make sense of natural and man-made disasters.

Other visuals challenge us to face mortality and disgust; assertions of gender equality; personal beliefs and politics; and the culture of peace clashing head on with extremism to counteract this belief.

In this mid-centennial of the ASEAN, this EAGA exhibition that for so long has been hoped for has finally arrived. Perhaps, this thread of weaving stories through visuals can be pursued in the next incarnation of Budayaw for the next generation of Southeast Asian artists and viewers. Let us open our minds, our hearts, and our human spirit to the possibilities of art.

Abraham Garcia, Jr. is an art educator, visual artist, curator and cultural worker in Mindanao. He is currently an assistant professor at the Languages, Literature and Arts Department of the Ateneo de Davao University in Davao City. He was a Ford Foundation Fellow in Brisbane, Australia, where he completed his Master in Visual Arts degree at the Queensland College of Art of Griffith Univeristy in 2011. He has also held solo and group exhibits.

Muslims in the Philippines: History and Culture A rare and enlightening venue to know Muslim Filipinos, their history and culture, was provided with the exquisite “Muslims in the Philippines: History and Culture” at the SM City General Santos from September 20 to 24, 2017.

Islam arrived in the archipelago, which came to be known as the Philippines, about 800 years ago and is now the religion of millions of Filipinos, especially in Mindanao.

The exhibit, which was designed to travel to schools, malls, corporate and government offices and other public spaces, traces the history of Islam in the islands as well as the deep influences on different cultures. The material culture of different Muslim ethnic groups are presented in images and artifacts such as the traditional attires of the Maguindanao, Meranaw, Tausug and Yakan; example of the sarimanok, a Meranaw design motif; the panolong, a wing-like adornment of a Meranaw vernacular house; gador, the Meranaw brass container; saputangan, the Yakan headwear and kerchief; and musical instruments such as the gabbang, a bamboo xylophone, and the dabakan, a single-headed drum. Maguindanao sweets and pastries, such as tipas, bulwa, tinagtag and dudul, were offered for tastings.

Spearheaded by Anak Mindanao organization through congresswoman Sitti Djalia Turabin Hataman in partnership with the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, and curated by Tao Inc.’s Marian Pastor Roces, this exhibit brings together research and inter-

pretations by many scholars, including information that has not been part of mainstream discussion, and challenges stereotypes, leading to an appreciation of Philippine Muslim culture and its contribution to the development of the region despite conflict and challenges.

The Meranaw sarimanok, representation of a mythical fowl, is elaborated with polychromatic and dramatically drawn or sculpted feathers. Within Islam, the bird motif persisted and was incorporated into Islam-inspired arabesques. It also becomes a symbol of the Philippines.

ARMM Bureau on Cultural Heritage executive director Marites Maguindra and NCCA’s Adelina Suemith led in the opening of the exhibit

GRAND PAGANA A special Mindanao tradition was experienced when the government of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, through its Bureau on Cultural Heritage led by its executive director Marites Maguindra, hosted a pagana at the KCC Convention Hall on September 24, 2017, for the participants and guests.

Colorful mats were laid out on the floor with trays of food, concealed under colorful hand-woven food covers. The pagana is a traditional feast or banquet of the Meranaw and Maguindanao, held as thanksgiving or in honor of royalties and special guests during special occasions. Special native dishes are served in a traditional way. Dishes include sinina kambing, beef rendang, chicken lininggel, yellow rice, crabs and shrimps. Sweets such as dodol, tipas, bulwa, putrid mandi, dadal muntya and tinatag, and fruits are served as desserts.

The pagana was accompanied by a program that included delivering of messages from officials, recognition and awarding of tokens to guests and partners, and performances by the Tambuli Cultural Dance Troupe from Tawi-Tawi, Sining Kambayoka of MSU Marawi and Sining Kandidilimudan of MSU Maguindanao.

14 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Southern Weaves: Philippine Tapestry The Department of Tourism Region 12 mounted the fashion show-dinner called “Southern Weaves: Philippine Tapestry” on September 20, 2017, at the KCC Mall Convention Center. The show featured the contemporary creations of Mindanao fashion designers such as Al-Shamer Abdul from the Zamboanga Peninsula; Mark Yaranon from Northern Mindanao; Aztec Barba, Emi Englis, and Edgar Buyan of the Davao Fashion Design Council from the Davao Region; Jay-R Flores and Wilfred Yee from Region 12 or Soccsksargen; and Joey Sandico and Klevin Bartolaba from the Caraga Region. The second half was dedicated to the creations of prominent designer Rene Salud, categorized into Cordillera, Manila, Bicol, Visayas and Mindanao, inspired by the cultures in those places.

Design by Edgar Buyan (Davao)

Design by Jay-R G. Flores (Soccsksargen)

Design by Mark Yaranon (Northern Mindanao)

Design by Joey Sendico (Caraga)

Design by Al-Shamer Abdul (Zamboanga Peninsula) Design by Wilfed Yee (Soccsksargen)

Design by Klevin Bartolaba (Caraga)

ColloQuium

Budayaw colloquium speakers Felipe M. De Leon, Jr., Adelina Suemith of NCCA and Azhar Bin Othman from Malaysia

The Budayaw Colloquium ran for three days, bringing together scholars, researchers, policy makers and cultural workers from the BIMP EAGA region, where they can discuss and share experiences on the development of culture and arts, and its governance in the region; while fostering the exchange of ideas that leads to the future of regional cooperation.

The colloquium endeavoured to be a venue where participants share the richness and the uniqueness of culture and arts of the region; document the wealth of knowledge, experiences, and practices in the development, promotion and preservation of cultural heritage in the BIMP EAGA; strengthen partnership among cultural workers in the region to create a cultural voice in championing regional exchanges and collaboration in culture and the arts; and create a more inclusive design and implementation of policies, programs and other initiatives that will address the concerns for greater cultural cooperation in the BIMP EAGA. The colloquium was organized based on three key themes.

The first colloquium at the KCC Convention Center on September 21, 2017, “Cultural Exchanges in the EAGA Region before the Formation of Modern Nation States, and Safeguarding Cultural Diversity and Harmony in the BIMP-EAGA Region,” served as an introduction with Eamarie Gilayo of the Mindanao Development Authority explaining the history of BIMP-EAGA as a sub-cooperation within the ASEAN, and Adelina Suemith of NCCA presented the programs of BIMP-EAGA’s Socio-cultural Development Working Group.

The main speakers were professor Felipe M. De Leon, Jr., who focused on the cultural diversity of the region in the context of Nusantao, and Azhar Bin Othman from Malaysia,

Joyce Toh, curatorial co-head of Singapore Art Museum, opening the discussion with her presentation, “SEA Crossings and Connections in the (Contemporary) Art of Southeast Asia”

who talked about cultural exchanges within the region.

On the second day, “Preserving and Promoting Culture: Policies and Structures in the BIMP-EAGA,” Dr. Domingo Non discussed trade activities and how the business sector can help in safeguarding diversity, while Haji Mohd Abdoh Bin Haji Awang Damit presented an overview of Brunei Darussalam.

The third leg, “Cultural Exchanges and Policies in the BIMP-EAGA: Prospects and Challenges,” was held at the SM City General Santos Atrium on September 23. Joyce Toh from Singapore explained the sharing of cultural aspects through inter-modal transport linkage, and Ishak V. Mastura discussed cultural exchanges in the context of business.

Tapestry of Dreams: Ikat Master Weavers’ Pavilion The textile dyeing technique called ikat is a shared heritage of several countries in the Southeast Asian region, and was highlighted at the Tapestry of Dreams: Ikat Master Weavers’ Pavilion at the SM City General Santos Trade Hall 2.

Curated by choreographer, researcher, theater director and educator Leonardo Rey S. Carino, the pavilion included an exhibit of materials as well as the technologies used by different communities; live weaving demonstrations; and a showcase of traditional hand-woven textiles, most of which were from different Mindanao ethnic groups.

Supplementary displays included ornaments and headgears called “Women’s Vanities,” and “Kudong, Atbp.,” a section on traditional hats and headgears, mostly worn by men. A little shop was also set up selling textiles and textile products.

Indonesia also put on display modern garments and accessories made with ikat textiles.

Featured Mindanao textiles were the t’nalak of the Tboli; the mabal tabih of the Blaan; dagmay of the Mandaya; inabal of the Bagobo Manobo; pulaw of the Subanen; binaludan of the Meranaw; and inaul binaludan of the Maguindanao.

Five ethnic groups were present to do weaving demonstrations—Nurayja Arabain and Gigi Talamon of the Yakan; Sebulan Dulay, Charlie Dulay and Jeaniulyn Dulay from the Tboli; Rogaya Datuan, Noraisa Kasim and Raba Colli from the Maguindanao; Arthur Gulili and Myrna Sarino from the Blaan; and Melya Sayawan and Elizabeth Tanding from the Mandaya.

During the exhibit, there were performances, talks, guided tours and film screenings.

A Mandaya weaver

Blaan weavers

A colorful showcase of Mindanao ikat textiles

T’nalak of the Tboli

A Tboli weaver ties the abaca fibers before dyeing

18 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

MAHARADIA LAWANA The story of the ancient Indian epic Ramayana is one of the greatest stories of the world.

As the story was retold and traveled, there exist many versions, or tales and other literary forms inspired by the epic. Most countries in Southeast Asia have their own Ramayana stories, affirming linkages with India or among these countries. In the Philippines, the Ramayana took the form of a prose folk narrative of the Meranaw, “Maharadia Lawana,” documented and translated into English by professor Juan R. Francisco in 1968.

“The influence of the Rama story in the literature of Malaya, Indonesia, Borneo and other countries in Southeast Asia is no longer a debatable problem. As such it ranks high among all other stories of definitely Indian provenance. It is the source of much aesthetic inspiration, apart from the inspiration it has created in literature. Its influence upon the art of the region is too famous to need any reference here just as its pervasive spirit has permeated human imagination—“crude” or refined—among the varied peoples of Southeast Asia,” Dr. Francisco wrote.

For the Budayaw Festival, five community- and university-based theater groups were gathered for a grand theatrical adaptation of “Maharadia Lawana.” The story was divided into five parts, which were then given to the theater groups to interpret and create a dramatic rendition. These were then strung together and staged on September 23 and 24, 2017, at the KCC Convention Center.

For Nestor Horfilla, this gathering of Mindanao theater groups evoked the essence of Kalasikas Mindanaw, the first theatre festival of the island more than thirty years ago. The adaptation of “Maharadia Lawana” was timely, resonating with the context of the Mindanaons as they struggle against the arrogance of power and spoils of war to advance their aspirations for freedom.

Maharadia Lawana was made of “Prologue” by the Kaliwat Performing Artists Collective of Davao City; “Episode 1: The Winning of Potre” by the Kagay-an Performing Arts Troupe of Cagayan de Oro City; “Episode 2: The Abduction of Towan Potre Malaila Ganding” by the Kabpapagariya Ensemble of Mindanao State University (MSU) in General Santos City; “Episode 3: The Search for Potre Malaila Ganding” by the Sining Kambayoka Ensemble of MSU in Marawi City; and “Episode 4: The Return of Potre Malaila Ganding” by Sining Kandidilimudan Ensemble of MSU in Maguindanao.

20 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

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aharadia Lawana was the son of the sultan of Pulu Bandiarmasir. He had eight heads. Because of his bad habit of causing people to quarrel because of his vile language, his father the sultan ordered that he be placed on a raft with provisions and set adrift on the ocean.

The raft ran aground at Pulu Nagara. Maharadia Lawana disembarked and tried to burn himself to death, but the angel Gabriel (Diabarail) reported this to God, who ordered the angel to stop Maharadia Lawana from destroying himself and to tell him that none which causes death shall kill his. But in the heart of the palace of Pulu Bandiarmasir, there is a whetstone. Whatever tool is sharpened upon it, that only will kill him.

Maharadia Lawana embarked on his raft and, as fate would have it, the winds brought him back to his city of Bandiarmasir. The sultan, recognizing that it was his son’s fate not to die, let him be, refusing to impose another punishment for him.

Meanwhile, there lived in the kingdom of Agama Niog two young men, Radia Mangandiri and Radia Mangawarna, the sons of the sultan and his wife. Hearing about a princess, Tuwan Potre Malano Tihaia, daughter of the sultan of Pulu Nabandai, said to be of incomparable beauty, the two brothers asked their parents’ permission to journey to visit her. Because of their persistence, their parents gave their permission reluctantly, because of the great distance of the place and because of the strong currents between Pulu Bandiarmasir and Pulu Nabandai. A strong ship was built for them, and this was loaded with all kinds of provision and gifts for the princess and was manned by the strongest men in the kingdom.

father to whoever could kick the sipa into her room, many suitors, sons of datus, were trying to win her by means of the sipa. The two brothers were struck by the coincidence that after being shipwrecked, they would find themselves in the very place they wanted to reach. They decided to go to the festival and compete.

They made their sipa, then went down to the yard of Kabaian and played the sipa so skillfully that the old woman was amazed— she had never seen anyone play the sipa so well.

At the festival, the two brothers attracted attention because of their handsome appearance and their skills in playing sipa. Radia Mangandiri displayed his versatility in playing sipa to the great admiration of the ladies in the lama. Then he kicked the sipa with full force, sending it to the lamin where the ladies were.

The women in the lamin picked up the sipa, cut the areca nut into the pieces and put them inside the sipa. The princess, in addition, also put her ring, handkerchief, and her betel-areca nut case inside the sipa and threw it back to the ground. It happened that the sipa fell on the lap of Radia Mangandiri. Immediately he took the ring, the kerchief, and the case and scattered the areca pieces on the yard. The crowd grabbed the areca pieces while the two brothers left and returned to the house of Kabaian.

There was a commotion among the men, each one claiming that he had pieces of areca nut and should be wed to the princess.

But the sultan of the Pulu Nabandai ruled that only he who has the ring, the betel-areca nut case, and the kerchief of his daughter, which was kept in the sipa, could wed his daughter. As no one could present these things, the sultan ordered a search for these things in

Maharadia Lawana A Synopsis

As feared by their parents, these two brothers were shipwrecked.

The brothers managed to cling to a part of the wrecked ship and survived, but none of the people with them escaped the calamity.

A woman named Kabaian, who lived by the seashore to look for shells and pick some ferns, found the wreck to which the two brothers had clung to. Finding them still alive, she called to the other women, and with their help she bathed the two brothers with hot water and spooned some of it into their mouths to give a little warmth to their stomachs. When the two brothers were breathing, they were brought up to the house and were fed soft, cooked rice until they regained their strength little by little. Soon they were able to talk and relate what had happened to them. Mother Kabaian took care of them upon knowing that they were the sons of a noble man—Radia Mangandiri and Radia Mangawarna, sons of the sultan Agam Niog and his wife.

When the two brothers had been living with Kabaian for some time, they heard that a great number of people were moving to the heart of the town, playing the kolintang and making a lot of noise.

When asked what the noise was all about, Kabaian explained that the festival was for Potre Malano Tihaia, daughter of the sultan of Pulu Nabandai. Because her father had promised to wed her

the houses within the kingdom.

On a Friday, the sultan of Pulu Nabandai visited the house of Kabaian, and there he saw the kerchief and the areca nut-betel case hanging on the panggao of the house. Upon inquiry, he was told that they belonged to Radia Mangandiri. When Radia Mangadiri himself appeared, the datu saw that he was wearing the ring of Tuwan Potre Malano Tihaia on his third finger. So the sultan invited Radia Mangandiri to go with him, so he could be wed to the princess. But the bai of Nabandai imposed a task on Radia Mangandiri before he could wed the princess, and that is to kill the big snake in the mountain of the east. Radia Mangandiri was able to accomplish this task with the help of his brother Radia Mangawarna. And so Radia Mangandiri was married to the princess.

Soon afterwards, Radia Mangandiri began to long to see his parents, but he did not want to leave his wife behind when he visits them. The sultan allowed his daughter to go with Radia Mangandiri to his home in Agama Niog. He ordered a covered carriage for them to ride on and loaded it with provisions and everything the princess owned. Radia Mangandiri, his wife and Radia Mangawarna rode on it. Half of the people of Pulu Nabandai carried the carriage. Before they reached Agama Niog, however, Radia Manganduri ordered the

“Maharadia Lawana” was recorded in Meranaw by Mamitua Saber and Severino Velasco, as related by Bai Pamoki, an informant from Taraka, Lanao del Sur. It was translated into English in 1968 by Juan R. Francisco of the University of the Philippines. This synopsis, edited and translated with the collaboration of Nagasura T. Madale, was published in 1969.

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 21 carriage to be put down on a grassy area which they passed and which he liked because the land was fertile. Radia Mangandiri decided that they would live here. He ordered a house built and crops planted.

At last, the palay was ripe and ready to be harvested. One afternoon, while the three of them—Radia Mangandiri, Radia Mangawarna and Tuwan Potre Malano Tihaia—were by the window watching the palay, they saw a deer with golden horns grazing. Potre Malaila Ganding told her husband, Radia Mangandiri, that he must get the golden deer for her or she would die. So Radia Mangandiri went to catch the deer but with strict instructions to his brother not to leave Potre Malaila Ganding alone even if he should beg for his help.

Radia Mangandiri however could not catch the deer that fought back. He cried for help and Radia Mangawarna, who could not endure seeing his brother in difficulty, was forced to go down the house to help him but before he did so, he told Potre Malaila Ganding to close the window and not let anyone in. The two brothers, however, were not able to fight the deer, which had become two, because they lost track of them. When Radia Mangawarna arrived home, he found out that Potre Malaila Ganding was gone; she had been taken by Maharadia Lawana of seven heads. He realized that it was Maharadia Lawana, disguised as a deer, they had been running after. He ran back to the forest to look for his brother. Reaching the river, he swam and tried to cross it but his strength gave way; he fainted and was carried away by the current, but luckily his hand got caught on the root of a tree and after a while he regained consciousness. He got up, climbed a tree and looked around. He saw a man who was perspiring while he slept. He approached him and recognized him to be his brother, Radia Mangandiri, who perspires while he sleeps.

In his dream, Radia Mangandiri was fighting with a carabao that gored him so that one of his testicles was thrown to the east, where it was swallowed by Potre Langgawi, who thought that it was a precious stone. She became pregnant in the lamin and gave birth to a monkey who was named Laka Laksamana.

Radia Mangandiri woke from his dream to find his brother Radia Mangawarna crying. They both cried for joy at finding each other. But Radia Mangandiri fainted at hearing that Potre Malaila Ganding had been abducted by Maharadia Lawana and brought to Pulu Bandiarmasir.

Meanwhile, the monkey son of Potre Langgawi by Radia Mangandiri asked his mother who his father was, but his mother could not answer his question. Laksamana, feeling hungry, went out in search

of food, jumping from tree to tree. While doing so, he fell between Radia Mangandiri and Radia Mangawarna, who were both grieving over the loss of Potre Malaila Ganding. Laksamana addressed the two brothers as “father” and “uncle” and asked what their problem was.

He also introduced himself as the son of Radia Mangandiri and Potre Langgawi. After learning about their problem, Laksamana promised to help them. With the help of his subjects, the carabaos of the forest and the crocodiles of the river, whom he had conquered, Laksamana was able to enter the palace in Pulu Bandiarmasir, where Maharadia Lawana and Potre Malaila Ganding were.

He saw that whenever Maharadia Lawana approached Potre Malaila Ganding, fire appeared between them. When asked why this happened, Laksamana said that the reason was that her parents did not consent to their marriage. He also told Maharadia Lawana that Radia Mangandiri was waiting at the river to fight him. Laksamana then told Potre Malaila Ganding to prepare areca nut-betel chew for Radia Mangandiri. Then he brought her to Radia Mangandiri.

Meanwhile, Maharadia Lawana, when he was told that his subjects were being killed, jumped to the ground and with his kampilan he ran after the carabaos and started killing them. He reached the place where Mangawarna was and they fought with their kampilans.

Radia Mangawarna could not equal him. Radia Mangandiri relieved Radia Mangawarna but even he could not wound Maharadia Lawana. Seeing this, Laksamana (the monkey) got the kampilan of Radia Mangandiri and sharpened it at the whetstone upon a naga wood found in the palace and gave it to Radia Mangawarna, who called to Maharadia Lawana to surrender. When the latter refused, Radia Mangawarna grabbed Radia Mangandiri away and fought and wounded Maharadia Lawana, who collapsed and died, thus fulfilling the prophecy that whatsoever tool that is sharpened on the whetstone kept in the sacred corner of the palace it always kills.

For the next twenty years, Radia Mangandiri and Radia Mangawarna experienced all kind of hardships but they always achieved their desires. Then Laksamana told them that he would bring them back to Agama Niog. He did this by asking all of them to ride on the back of the king of the crocodiles, escorted by all small and large crocodiles. The people of Agama Niog were at first frightened by the great waves created by the crocodiles and the trembling of the forest caused by the walking of carabaos, but Laksamana calmed them and told them to meet Radia Mangandiri and Radia Mangawarna, together with Potre Malaila Ganding. They did so and there was a big festival in Agama Niog. The whole village was cleaned and they were all happy. As to Laksamana, he metamorphosed into a very handsome datu.

Presented with Pride and Success Dayaw: Philippine International Indigenous Peoples’ Festival 2018

A Maguindanao performer/Photo by Faith Yangyang

W

hile there are issues and problems indigenous peoples and cultures deal with in the Philippines, these ethnolinguistic groups still persevere in preserving their cultures and have also achieved success in different aspects. These positive facets were highlighted, together with the celebration of traditional cultures, in the latest mounting of Dayaw: Philippine International Indigenous Peoples’ Festival, with the theme “Weaving Cultures.”

Dayaw, which was held from October 8 to 10, 2017, at the Rizal Park in Manila, gathered about 450 participants from different ethnic groups all over country and 45 foreign participants from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos and Korea.

The Dayaw Festival is the flagship event of NCCA’s Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts (SCCTA). Meaning “to present with pride,” “to show one’s best with pride and dignity coupled with excitement” and “ to honor” in various Philippine languages, Dayaw is in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples’ Month in October, and is now touted as the biggest gathering of indigenous ethnic groups in the country.

The festival presents an enriching and interesting array of activities including performances, rituals, forums, traditional cuisine demos, traditional games, arts and crafts exhibit and cultural exchanges, among others, to emphasize the importance and richness of indigenous cultures, to discuss issues indigenous peoples face today and facilitate interactions with other ethnic groups.

In partnership with Sining Bulakenyo Pangkat Mananayaw ng Bulakan, the 2018 Dayaw festival formally opened on October 8 with a program at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium, where participating groups were introduced in their traditional attires. The event was graced by NCCA executive director Rico S. Pableo, Jr., NCCA deputy executive director Marichu G. Tellano, SCCTA commissioner and National Committee on Central Cultural Communities head Alphonsus Tesoro, National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities head Federico Dalayday, National Committee on Southern Cultural Communities head Elmalyn Abatayo, and Manlilikha ng Bayan Alonzo Saclag, and Teofilo Garcia.

The Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan Exhibit An exhibit on the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan, its awardees and their crafts was mounted at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City. It showcased the profiles of the Manlilikha ng Bayan as well as samples of the crafts such as mats, hand-woven textiles, musical instruments and metalwork. About a thousand mall-goers viewed the two-day exhibition.

An Exhibit on Vernacular Architecture Like in the previous celebrations, replicas of some traditional houses, reflecting vernacular architecture, were mounted around the park. This year, the Meranaw torogan, a Gaddang rice granary, and Agta Dumagat linages were replicated. Park-goers could enter and see the interiors of the structures. The vernacular architecture exhibit was opened with a performance of Sayaw kay San Antonio de Padua of the Hiligaynon of Cuartero, Capiz, and the shelayan dance of the Subanen.

Cultural Night The opening day culminated with a grand performance of traditional dances, music and rituals by thirty local groups together with the performers from the international groups. The cultural night was graced by NCCA chairman and National Artist Virgilio S. Almario, who delivered his keynote speech. Performances were followed by a screening of “A Sound for the Spirits,” a shortened version of “A Subanon Celebration,” and episode of the travel show Travel Time, first aired on television in March 21, 1996. It was about the buklog ritual of the Subanen.

Forum The second day of Dayaw was devoted to the Indigenous Peoples Forum, featuring success stories from women, youth and local government, at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium, which opened with Tesoro’s address titled “The Indigenous Peoples and Cultural Communities: Affirming our Shared Successes, Expanding Our Gains and Collectively Responding to the Development Challenges.”

“Forum 1: Best Practices in Safeguarding Indigenous Heritage and Promotion of Traditional Arts” featured Ana Maria Paz R. Banaag from the Presidential Communications Operation Office; Christopher Benigno, supervisor of the Public Schools District; and Joel Mallari from the Center of Kapampangan Studies, while “Forum 2: Encouraging Stories on Mainstreaming IP Agenda in Local Governance” had presenters including Anastacia Viola, mayor of Basco, Batanes; Rosalino Lisag of IPMR Palawan; and Patrick Lachica, councilor of Balete, Aklan.

24 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017 Panel of presenters at “Forum 3: Success Stories on IP-focused Education: Reframing Its Relevance in the 21st Century” were Maria Lourie Victor of the Department of Education; Pablito Gonzales, assistant head of the Hiligaynon Cluster of the National Committee on Central Cultural Communities; and researcher and educator Dr. Billy Pobre.

“Forum 4: Leading IP Women Culture-Bearers: Nurturing Lives, Securing Livelihood” featured Carina Amsiwen of Paracelis, Mountain Province; Sittie Jehanner U. Mutin, chairperson of Regional Commission on Bangsamoro Women; and Leonisa Impil, chairperson of Cabagtasan Tribal Council.

“Forum 5: Engaging Indigenous and Moro Youth in Strengthening Identities and Advancing Culture of Peace” featured Pepito Sumayan of MSU Sining Kambayoka Ensemble; Al Nezzar Ali of Kalimudan Foundation; and Ramie F. Capuyan of Cuartero National High School of Capiz.

Dayaw arch welcomes visitors at the Rizal Park /Photo by Roel Hoang M

Culinary Demonstrations and Traditional Games Since 2012, the Dayaw Festival has been showcasing traditional cuisines of different indigenous peoples groups. This year, different cultural communities were given an opportunity to show how they prepare their traditional food using traditional ingredients and processes. The demonstrations were conducted at the Rizal Park where people and other festival participants were able to taste of traditional cooking. Demonstrations of traditional games were also held at the Flower Clock Area of Rizal Park.

Contemporary Show For this edition of Dayaw, the indigenous delegates were provided an opportunity to enjoy contemporary performances that they do not normally experience. The show was held at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium with performances from Joey Ayala, Noel Cabangon, Dulce, Joseleo Cacdac and Halili Cruz School of Ballet.

Outreach Performances The last day was devoted for the outreach performances by the participating groups in different schools in Manila, Quezon City and Marikina.

The Ivatan, Tinggian, Negros Occidental Ati, Jama Mapun, Tausug and Mamanwa groups went to the Lyceum of the Philippines University, while the Gaddang, Pampangan, Bontoc, Ati of Antique, Sama, Blaan and Kamayo groups went to Department of Education Marikina. The Kalinga, Isnag, Abaknon, Agta Dumagat, Higaonon-Talaandig and Kagan groups, together with delegations from Indonesia, Laos, Vietnam and Malaysia, went to SM Mall of Asia Atrium, while the Ibaloi, Ilocano/Bago, Panay Bukidnon, Ati of Guimaras, Subanen and Yakan groups went to F.G. Calderon Integrated High School. At the Justice Cecilia Muños Palma High School, the Bugkalot, Kasiguran, Bikolano, Agta-Tabangnon, Meranaw and Teduray groups performed and interacted with students, while the Ibanag, Bolinao and Pangasinan, Romblomanon, Mangyan, Iranun and Matigsalug Manobo groups were at the De La Salle Araneta University. The Kalanguya, Aeta, Hiligaynon, Cebuano Boholano, Tboli, Bagobo Monobo and South Korean delegates entertained the students of Mapúa University.

Gawad sa Gabay ng Katutubo The last night of the festival is meant to unite the indigenous groups and celebrate diversity as well as commonality. Fifteen cultural communities were selected to perform and showcase what they presented at the outreach performances. The highlight of the closing ceremony was the awarding of the Gawad sa Gabay ng Katutubo, which is given to cultural workers who have made significant contributions to their communities. The recipients of the award were Clarita Prudencio and Seraida Caga of the province of Benguet; Margarette Balansi of Paracelis, Mountain Province; Rico Cabiguen of El Nido, Palawan; Wilson Lastrilla of Calinog, Iloilo; Pablito Gonzales of Binalbagan, Negros Occidental; Conrado Jimenez of Tapaz, Capiz; Rolly Miguel of Sigma, Capiz; Rudy Reveche of Bacolod, Negros Occidental; Gauden Sireg and Renefe Tremedal of Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur; Abulcasim Dacula of Kumalarang, Zamboanga del Sur; Danny Arumpac of Marawi, Lanao del Sur; and Maria Todi Wanan of Lake Sebu, South Cotabato.

Dayaw: Philippine International Indigenous Peoples’ Festival 2018 was able to create cultural space for the convergence of indigenous groups, where their cultures, identities, expressions, and even rights were not only promoted, but also celebrated, recognized and asserted.—With reports from Joseph Patrick Lee of the NCCA Program Monitoring and Evaluation Division

The Gaddang delegates/Photo by Faith Yangyang

Matigsalug Manobo participants /Photo by Faith Yangyang

Tboli performer/ Photo

by Faith Yangyang

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 25 History

by Roel Hoang Manipon

Applai participants conducting a cooking demo/Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

Gawad sa Gabay ng Katutubo recipients with NCCA deputy executive director Marichu Tellano, Manlilikha ng Bayan Alonzo Saclag and SCD commissioner Orlando Magno /Photo by Faith Yangyang

Maguindanao kudyapi master Bitol Sulaiman /Photo by Faith Yangyang

Delegates from Thailand /Photo by Faith Yangyang

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Kasiguran performers from the province of Aurora/Photo by Faith Yangyang

Presidential Proclamation 1906 was signed on October 5, 2009, declaring October as National Indigenous Peoples’ Month.

Prior to this, the NCCA has been mounting big celebrations of indigenous cultures.

From December 3 to 9, 2000, for example, it held Dayaw: Philippine Cultural Communities Arts Festival at the Rizal Park, featuring performers, craftsmen, scholars, artists and cultural practitioners from different cultural communities. In 2007, Kalimudan: Panaghi-usa sa Mindanao (Mindanao Indigenous Peoples’ Gathering) was 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. In 2009, the Indigenous Peoples’ Festival was held in Roxas City, Capiz, called Dungog. Dayaw 2010 was held in Metro Manila, and in 2011, it was held in Tagum City, Davao del Norte.

In 2012, Dayaw graced the province of Bulacan. In 2013, Dayaw was slated to be held in Tacloban City but super typhoon Yolanda hit the region. It was reprogrammed into psychosocial and arts for healing activities in Leyte, Bohol, Aklan and Cebu. In 2014, Dayaw was held in three legs in the three island clusters— Baguio City in Luzon; Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, in the Visayas; and Zamboanga City in Mindanao. Last year, the Dayaw Festival was held in Angeles City, Pampanga.

Last year, Dayaw was staged at the Quezon Memorial Circle in Quezon City from November 22 to 24, gathering about 200 representatives from about 40 indigenous cultural communities of the Philippines.

Additionally, the festival became an international event with other ethnic groups in Asia and Australia invited to join the celebration including those from Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and Malaysia in the advocacy for peace, highlighting traditional and local knowledge.

Dayaw: Philippine International Indigenous Peoples’ Festival 2018 is a flagship project of the SCCTA, composed of the National Committee on Southern Cultural Communities headed by Elmalyn Abatayo, National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities headed by Federico Dalayday, and the National Committee on Central Cultural Communities headed by Alphonsus Tesoro, with support from the NCCA Secretariat led

by Bernan Corpuz, chief of the Plan/Policy Formulation, and Programming Division, and Renee Talavera, head of Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts section.

26 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Christian Bautista of the Philippines/Photo by Faith Yangyang

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Afiq Wafi from Brunei Darussalam /Photo by Faith Yangyang

he ASEAN Day Landmark Lighting was held on August 8, 2017, at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) grounds in Pasay City. This was followed by a concert at the BGC Ampitheater in Taguig City. These were part of the celebration of Association of Southeast Asian Nations’ (ASEAN) fiftieth founding anniversary, which coincided with the Philippines’ Chairmanship of ASEAN in 2017. The event was hosted by the Department of Foreign Affairs in collaboration with the NCCA, the ASEAN 2017 National Organizing Council, and other government agencies.

This grand celebration, which had the theme “Under One Light, we are One ASEAN,” was held simultaneously in the capitals of the ASEAN member states, which were joined by 63 key cities in the Philippines, with their respective landmark lighting programs.

The event started with the ceremonial blowing of horns of the different boats of the Philippine Coast Guard, kicking off the grand parade from Rizal Park to CCP. Various agencies and schools participated in the parade—about 500 students from different public schools facilitated by the Department of Education, three groups of street dancers from the Department of Tourism, 100 Coast Guard marshals, and flag dancers from the Far Eastern University. The parade was led by a float, inspired by the

sarimanok, designed by artist Toym de Leon Imao.

At the CCP, the program featured top singers from the ASEAN member states showcasing their best hits, headlined by Philippines’ own balladeer Christian Bautista, who sang “ASEAN Spirit” along with the Hail Mary the Queen Choir. Other featured artists were Myanmar’s pop star Eint Chit, Cambodia’s Kong Sothearith, Thailand’s Natthika Iamthamai and Brunei’s heartthrob Afiq Wafi. Joining them were Singapore’s Aizyah Aziz, Vietnam’s crooner Hai Nam Le, singer-violinist Ismi Halida from Indonesia, Malaysia’s young diva Dhiya Suhaili Binti and Latchana Anoulack of Lao People’s Democratic Republic. The program also included beat poetry, air dance, and traditional dances of the member states.

The program culminated with the lighting of the giant lantern made by Pampanga giant lantern makers. The lighting of the lantern was held simultaneously with the different agencies and local government units. The lighting of the lantern also signified the start of a pop concert at the BGC High Street.

Joining the 10 ASEAN pop artists in a concert at the Bonifacio Global City were leading Filipino acts, Up Dharma Down, 6Cycle Mind, Itchy Worms, Baihana Trio, the Nightingales, The Juans, Thyro and Yumi, Franco, and the cast of Rak of Aegis.

Singer-violinist Ismi Halida from Indonesia /Photo by Faith Yangyang

Latchana Anoulack from Lao People’s Democratic Republic/Photo

by Faith Yangyang

Aizyah Aziz from Singapore /Photo by Faith Yangyang

Natthika Iamthamai from Thailand/ Photo by Faith Yangyang

NCCA chairman Virgilio Almario holds hands with Southeast Asian pop stars at the program’s culmination /Photo by Faith Yangyang

Landmark Lighting and Pop Music Concert for ASEAN’s Fiftieth Anniversary

Hai Nam Le from Vietnam /Photo by Faith Yangyang

Eint Chit from Myanmar /Photo by Faith Yangyang

Kong Sothearith from Cambodia / Photo by Faith Yangyang

Dhiya Suhaili Binti from Malaysia / Photo by Faith Yangyang

28 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Power ManilArt 2017

from

Diversity

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 29

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he consistency, brilliance and distinct expressions of the Filipino artist in the past decade—both in the local and global scene—has been a key factor in re-establishing the Philippines as a cultural powerhouse in the Asia-Pacific region.

Whether at art shows, in auctions, or even in social media, Filipino artists have been featured prominently. It was this achievement that ManilArt underlined at its 2017 and ninth mounting from October 12 to 15 at the SMX Convention Center, SM Aura Premier, Bonifacio Global City (BGC) in Taguig City, which carried the theme “The Philippines as an ASEAN Cultural Powerhouse.”

Established in 2009 by the NCCA’s National Committee on Art Galleries (NCAG) as a response to the modern-day Philippine art revolution that was just beginning at the time, ManilArt, as an international art fair, remains much anticipated.

The Philippines’ history of being shaped by different foreign influences, indigenous cultures and distinct artistic flavors help expand the artistic frontiers of the region. There is no one dominant or homogenous voice to speak of. Philippine art is at once Asian and European, Catholic and Muslim, avant-garde and traditional, contemporary and folk, local and global. It is therefore necessarily a spread of different expressions and voices from all over the islands and even beyond.

ManilArt 2017’s Delan Robilllos, NCAG head; and Danny Rayos del Sol and Rio Ambrosio, NCAG members, with Amy Loste of the Bonafide Art Galleries Organization and Tess Rayos del Sol, art fair director, envisioned a showcase of the different aspects of Philippine art that would not only entice visually but also mentally stimulate.

ManilArt 2017 chose to highlight Mindanao this year, giving the stage to Mindanaoan artists, as well as works about Mindanao.

One such distinct voice is Rey Mudjahid “Kublai” Ponce Millan, a Mindanaoan artist whose passion is to show to Filipinos their culture so they would in turn have something else to be proud of in the world stage outside of boxing and beauty pageants.

Millan believes that the Mindanao faith is rooted and coexists with nature and the environment, as demonstrated by his largerthan-life public sculptures in Davao City. He says that artists must be grounded in their communities to sharpen their spirituality and develop a deeper understanding of their art. His talk on peace monuments addressed artists collaborating within the community, which he sees as a future trend because of their ability to strengthen local identity while also contributing to nation-building.

Millan’s work, Peace of Pie, was installed by the main entrance of SM Aura Premier, consisting of eight floor-mounted canvases surrounded by over thirty stand-alone sculptures. His sizable paintings were displayed by the entrance of the fair, complimented by functional pieces by sculptor-designer Agi Pagkatipunan.

While Milan focused on peace and nation-building, Romulo Galicano’s The Modern Holocaust reminded of a painful past and a human tragedy. Another of the fair’s highlights, the work depicts the massacre in Maguindanao and is inspired by Francisco Goya’s El 3 de Mayo, an epic work with a history of retellings by numerous artists from Manet to Picasso over the years. Galicano believes that artists must immortalize both the good and the bad if we are to develop a collective memory as a people.

Also looking to develop the local identity—this time with a focus on the youth—is Taguig-based, self-taught artist Roberto Lolong, who has created digital background painting for popular animes such as Slam Dunk, Dragon Ball Z, and One Piece. Lolong says he wants to pay it forward by giving the Filipino youth a chance to

30 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Kublai Millan’s Kalipayapaan is a composite of works summarizing the artist’s two phases of artistic path. The title is a portmanteau of the Cebuano word kalipay, meaning “joy,” and the Filipino kapayapaan, meaning “peace.”

be trained in and perhaps develop an interest in digital background painting. He conducted a free watercolour painting workshop at the fair.

Aside from these artists, many other visual artists were featured, presented by about thirty participating galleries, which included Galleria Quattrocento, Singapore International Contemporary Art Society, Art Lounge 1792, Dave Art Gallery, Galleria Zayco, Fundacion Sanzo, Galerie Raphael, 371 Art Space, Galerie Francesca, Galerie Y, Artepintura Gallery, Gallery Big, Artes Orientes, Gallery Nine, Arte Nove, Renaissance Gallery, Galleria Nicolas, Art for Space, Annual Sculpture Review, Galeria Astra, Galeria Lienzo, Legacy Art Gallery, Artologist, Ysobel Gallery, Vmeme Contemporary Art, Artphile by Gallerie CMG, Galeries Artes, and Espacio Manila.

Aside from the exhibits, ManilArt also had lectures, talks, workshop, performances, art demonstrations, and scheduled curatKublai Millan’s Peace of Pie /Photo

by Roel Hoang Manipon

Romulo Galicano’s The Modern Holocaust (Maguindanao Massacre)

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 31

A live sketching session by the Saturday Group artists with ballet dancers as models/inspiration /Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

ed tours. Italian painter Viviana Ricelli showed the link between figurative art and dance at her closed workshop. The demonstration by mosaic artist Lisa de Leon-Zayco proved that beauty can be crafted from a heap of broken pieces when it is made whole again. Francebased artists Henri Lamy, Alexandre Beretta, Chufy, Abdul Khadre Seck of Taverne Gutenberg, Lyon, with their project director Maia d’Aboville, conducted a live mural painting demonstration as part of their international residency program. On the other hand, a more traditional activity was an on-the-spot sketching of ballerinas led by members of the Saturday Group of Artists and guests.

Three-dimensional renditions of BenCab figures

by Secret Fresh Roberto Lolong’s Working Hard (acrylic, 70 by 48 inches) Dominic Rubio’s sculptures in the exhibit “Ilustrado” at Galleria Nicolas

32 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

C

inema Rehiyon proved to be an unconventional film festival, especially in its ninth mounting in the town of Nabunturan in Compostela Valley from August 22 to 27, 2017.

Cinema Rehiyon is a national film festival, which showcases the best films from the regions, a flagship program of the NCCA National Committee on Cinema. This year, the annual non-competition film festival was hosted by the Nabunturan Municipal Tourism Council,Inc. (MTCNI) and the local government of Nabunturan, with support from the Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP).

Nabunturan

Nabunturan and the Nabifilmex “Five years ago when I was first invited to the Nabifilmex the first thing that came to mind was where is Nabunturan?” NCCA Subcommission on the Arts commissioner Teddy Co admitted during the opening of Cinema Rehiyon 9.

Nabunturan, a first-class municipality, is the capital of the landlocked province of Compostella Valley, a two-hour drive from Davao City and with a population of about 80,000.

The municipality boasts of a local film festival, the Nabunturan International Film Exhibition (Nabifilmex). Nabifilmex has been adopted as one of the municipality’s official festivals where local filmmakers, other regional and international filmmakers, screen their works. During the four years of the festival, a community of cineastes has thrived even without a cinema establishment in the area. Despite challenges and limitations, Nabunturanons support the local filmmaking community.

With the help of the Open Air Cinema Foundation, an international organization which assists in bringing educational media to marginalized communities across the globe through open-air screen-

Text and photos by Roezie

Passions and Fruitions at Cinema Re Kids enjoy a free screening in one of the outreach programs

The groundbreaking ceremony for Cinematheque Nabunturan led by FDCP chair Liza Diño

ings, Nabunturan was able to acquire a twenty-foot, inflatable cinema located in front of the municipal hall, which the community uses during the screenings for Nabifilmex, an event that has bound a community and served as platform to present the unique stories of its people.

Nabunturan’s open-air screenings inspired the theme of Cinema Rehiyon 9, “No Walls, No Ceiling.”

Cinematheque Nabunturan One of the objectives of Nabunturan in hosting Cinema Rehiyon 9 was to put the municipality in the filmmaking map. This dream became true with the historic groundbreaking of a new cinematheque, sponsored by the FDCP. “This is the first cinematheque in my term, so we are very, very proud that we are able to make it happen,” shared FDCP chairperson Liza Diño Seguerra, who graced the groundbreaking ceremony.

Diño highlighted the challenges that FDCP faced and the need

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 33

an Dreaming Regional filmmakers during a forum

Producer Moira Lang during the production master class, and SCA commissioner Teddy Co

Filipino; 2 Cool 2 B 4gotten (2016) by Petersen Vargas from Cinema One Originals; Sunday Beauty Queen (2016) by Baby Ruth Villarama from the Metro Manila Film Festival; and Tu Pug Imatoy (2016)

by Arbi Barbarona in Sinag Maynila Film Festival 2017. Cinema One Originals Best Documentary Film Forbidden Memory (2016)

by Teng Mangansakan; Lily (2016) by Keith Deligero; Baboy Halas (2016) by Bagane Fiola; and Patay na si Hesus (2016) by Victor Villanueva were also screened.

os by Roezielle Joy Iglesia

ma Rehiyon 9 in Compostela Valley to put importance to arts and culture, especially in the communities.

On the other hand, festival director and lawyer Karen Santiago-Malaki related how Cinema Rehiyon came to be held in their humble town and the challenges they faced in lobbying for a cinematheque to be established in their municipality.

With the upcoming cinematheque Nabunturan has affirmed its spot in the filmmaking map of the country.

The Screenings Among the highlights of the weeklong film festival were the screenings of ninety-eight short films and twelve full-length feature films from the different regions. The 40th Gawad Urian and QCinema International Film Festival 2016 Best Picture Women of the Weeping River (2016) by a Mindanaoan filmmaker Sheron Dayoc was the opening film.

Award-winning films from different film festivals were also screened including Ned’s Project (2016) by Lem Lorca from Cine-

Forums and Filmathon Forums were also organized for Cinema Rehiyon 9 to engage filmmakers in the discussion of various issues in the film industry.

The series of forums started off with “How They Do It: Journey of Full-Length Filmmakers from the Regions,” where the directors of the full-length films shared their experience to the younger generation of filmmakers. This was followed by “Cinema Rehiyon: Quo Vadis?” facilitated by Dr. Mike Rapatan, former head of the NCCA Cinema Committee. The forum was attended by festival directors and all the delegates where they evaluated the current state of regional filmmaking movements and their impacts on national development. A master class on production management and distribution was conducted by successful independent producers Bianca Balbuena and Moira Lang.

Another highlight of the CR9 event was the Pabonggahan Filmathon, co-organized by the Mindanao Films and Television Development Foundation, Inc., a Davao City-based collective of filmmakers and TV and film enthusiasts. The Filmathon engaged delegates in a filmmaking race where they underwent mental and physical challenges with the ultimate task of completing a short film within the span of twenty-four hours.

With its activities and shows of passion, “Cinema Rehiyon 9 will be hard to beat,” Co said during the closing ceremony.

Edson Cabalfin’s sketch of the exhibit installation in the Arsenale for the Philippine Pavilion at the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale /Image courtesy of Edson Cabalfin for PAVB

Nick Joaquin-Inspired Exhibition Represents Philippines at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale T he Philippine Arts in Venice Biennale (PAVB)—composed of NCCA, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda—revealed the selection of the curatorial proposal titled “The City Who Had Two Navels” by Edson Cabalfin as the country’s representative to the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Cabalfin’s curatorial concept was selected among 12 proposals that were submitted to the coordinating committee in response to the open call for curatorial proposals for the Philippine participation at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale.

The Curatorial Proposal Inspired by National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin’s novel The Woman Who Had Two Navels, Cabalfin’s proposal “confronts the tension between the vicissitudes of the past and the challenges of constructing contemporary identity.”

It will highlight two navels in constant

dialogue—the forces of colonialism and neoliberalism.

The intersection of these two “navels” represents an emergent wave of postcolonial anxieties born out of the process of exiting the colonial condition. Through a transnational and transhistorical investigation, the pavilion argues that the Philippines does not exist in a vacuum, is implicated within power relations, and is inextricably intertwined with other nations and people.

To address this emerging postcolonial anxiety, the Philippine Pavilion invites future architects, planners and designers to respond to the two “navels” in the exhibition.

As part of the exhibit, a think-tank consortium will be created comprising of students and faculty from select architecture, design, and planning programs in the Philippines.

This consortium will be commissioned to conduct research on the current state of Philippine cities in terms of transnational flows.

Subsequently, the students will be tasked to respond to the identified issues and pres-

ent proposals about the future. The diagrams, documentation, models, and ideas generated from the research will be exhibited in Venice.

Through the speculations about the two “navels” and the concomitant architectural and urban issues, Philippine “Freespace” anticipates possibilities for renewed life and hope.

The Curator Edson G. Cabalfin is associate professor and currently coordinator of the undergraduate and graduate Interior Design program in the School of Architecture and Interior Design at the University of Cincinnati. He received his doctoral degree in Architecture (major in History of Architecture, minors in Historic Preservation and Southeast Asian Studies) in 2012 from Cornell University.

Prior to coming to the United States, he had received his professional bachelor’s degree in Architecture (cum laude) and Master of Architecture degree from the University of the Philippines in 1996 and 2001 respectively.

He has published articles in various journals,

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 35 book anthologies, and conference proceedings on queer spaces in the city, Art Deco architecture in the Philippines, colonialism and post-colonialism in modern architecture, informal settlements and the capital city, alternative modernities and national identity in Philippine vernacular architecture, architectural photography and American colonialism, architectural historiography, architectural education, and Philippine pavilions in international expositions.

Deliberation of Jurors A panel of jurors deliberated on the submitted curatorial proposals on September 22, 2017, at the NCCA Building in Intramuros, Manila.

The jury was composed of NCCA chairman Virgilio S. Almario; Leandro Y. Locsin, Jr.; Fernando Zobel de Ayala; Carol Yinghua Lu; Lani Maestro and Senator Loren Legarda.

“The first time I read the proposal, I was immediately attracted to it. The curator borrowed the point of view of Nick Joaquin—a critical point of view about who the Filipino is. Then he was able to use it to also present a critical point of view regarding architecture.

That’s what made it different from the other proposals,” said Almario, National Artist for literature and the Commissioner for the Philippine Pavilion.

Legarda, the visionary and principal advocate of the Philippine participation in the Venice Biennale, thanked all the other curators who joined the open call and said that all curatorial proposals were well-written and well-thought-out.

“When you read the curatorial proposals, you really just appreciate the Filipino even much more. But the chosen curatorial concept, which is based on academic research, excites me. It does not look at city as built heritage, built structure or architecture, but it looks

deeper into the people who live in the city, the souls, the whole ecosystem,” said Legarda.

Locsin, administrator of the Leandro V. Locsin Partners (LVLP) architecture firm and part of the curatorial team that represented the Philippines in its first participation in the Venice Architecture Biennale in 2016, said that the winning curatorial proposal presents a dichotomy: “On the one hand, the way we present ourselves architecturally towards the world, and on

gone into each proposal” and that the deliberation was a very interesting process where judges were free to discuss and speak about their own views about each proposal.

“The selected proposal talks about that constant struggle of trying to keep a certain part of your identity but moving on into the modern era. I thought the curator captured it very well in his words and I think it would be something that is Filipino, but at the same

Philippine Pavilion curator Edson Cabalfin /Portrait by Andrea D’Altoè

the other hand, how we treat our built environment, architecture, urban situation, and social issues that are happening on the ground.”

Zobel, chairman of Ayala Land Inc. and member of Tate Asia Pacific Acquisitions Committee, said that he was “extremely impressed with the amount of work that had

The City Beautiful urban ensemble of Manila under American colonial authorities /Photo from U.P. College of Architecture HTC Laboratory collection

time, something that the global audience can relate to,” said Zobel.

Lu, a curator, art critic and who was part of the jury for the Golden Lion Award in the 2011 Venice Art Biennale, said that she was very impressed in terms of how the curator made references to the past, at the same time, trying to link it to the present context. “This proposal has that quality of an exhibition that can put forward certain conceptual issues and address these issues through architectural practices.”

Meanwhile, Maestro, one of the participating artists in this year’s Philippine Pavilion, “The Spectre of Comparison,” at the 2017 Venice Art Biennale, explained the importance of being in the Venice Biennale and other art biennales. “It’s not about prestige, but more about participating in a community of other artists from other nations and how they’re developing a language to speak about similar concerns and subjectivities.”

“The City Who Had Two Navels” by Edson Cabalfin will be mounted as the Philippine Pavilion in the Arsenale for the 16th Venice Architecture Biennale, which will run from May 26 to November 25, 2018.

This is only the second time that the country will participate officially at the Venice Architecture Biennale and the first time that the Architecture Philippine Pavilion will be in the Arsenale, one of the main exhibition spaces of the Venice Biennale

“Conjecture”

‘Muhon’ at home The Philippine National Pavilion of the Venice Architecture Biennale at the Metropolitan Museum of Manila Text and photos by Edgar Allan M. Sembrano

The Metropolitan Museum of Manila hosts the Philippines’ first foray into the prestigious Venice Architecture Biennale, the exhibition “Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City,” as it is brought home.

“Muhon” is the country's representation in last year's Venice Biennale 15th International Architecture Exhibition held from May 28 to November 27 at the Palazzo Mora in Strada Nuova.

It was the first Philippine participation in a major international architecture exhibition, a project of the NCCA with the support of the Department of Tourism, Department of Foreign Affairs, and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda.

The Philippines’ participation at the 15th International Architecture Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia came at the heels of its comeback in the 2015 Venice Art Biennale after a fifty-one-year hiatus.

Curated by Leandro Locsin Jr., Sudar-

shan Khadka, Jr., and Juan Paolo de la Cruz, the exhibit explores Filipino heritage consciousness from mostly post war buildings in Manila evaluated by architects and artists for their cultural significance and them being cultural identifiers of the residents of the relatively young Manila metropolis, having it been reconstructed following its destruction from World War II. It also delves into the connections and disconnections these properties illicit in terms of heritage, modernism, and the subsequent developments and redevelopments.

Landmarks Among those structures and sites that were analyzed and given abstract renderings and architectural mutations are the Pandacan Bridge, Ramon Magsaysay Center, Makati Stock Exchange Building, Philippine International Convention Center, the demolished Manila Mandarin Hotel, Tah-

anang Pilipino or the Coconut Palace, Binondo-Santa Cruz districts, Kilometer Zero in Luneta, and the historic Pasig River.

These edifices and places tagged as “muhons,” Tagalog for “landmarks” or “place-markers,” were selected, surveyed, and examined for reinterpretation by participating artists, architects and architectural firms, which include Poklong Anading, Tad Ermitaño, Mark Salvatus, Ed Calma, Jorge Yulo, C|S Design Consultancy, Inc., LIMA Architecture, Mañosa & Company, Inc., and 8x8 Design Studio Co. The interpreted sites and structures were mounted into three rooms, “History,” “Modernity,” and “Conjecture,” discussing their state of infancy, present conditions, and future directions.

The homecoming exhibit also plays with the often misunderstood concept that heritage and development do not bode well with each other. It also opens into discus-

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 37 sion the lack of awareness on heritage preservation in which significant buildings are either wrongly repurposed, left to rot or worse, eventually demolished.

Locsin explained, “The primary objective of the exhibition is to question the debilitating mindset of a damaged identity as-

ing and diplomatic relations since "art is a form of cultural diplomacy, which is a soft opener to our political and economic initiatives with other nations."

The homecoming exhibit was accompanied by a lecture, “The Big Idea,” on November 11, featuring speakers Leandro

“Modernity”

cribed to the conflict between fashion and commercialism, and a desire to conform to a preconceived notion of self and history.”

Cultural diplomacy The prime mover of the Philippine participation to the Venice Biennale 15th International Architecture Exhibition, Legarda said the exhibition underscores the importance of architecture in responding to human needs.

"Building is not only about creating new structures all the time [but] it is also about revitalizing communities and connecting the present with the past," she said.

Legarda added that "cities and its architecture, in a way, shape our personal narrative while allowing us to connect as community."

She explained the exhibit also creates a dialogue on the architectural heritage of the country, the progress Philippine architecture has made in the decades following the liberation, and their protection and conservation.

The senator also urged every Filipino to preserve their heritage and stressed the importance of such events in nation-build-

Y. Locsin, Jr. and Alexander Dominic A. Mayoralgo. The lecture presented “the history, modernity, and legacy of Leandro V. Locsin’s architectural spirit,” and enjoined the audience “to traverse three fundamental threads of thought: ‘Where is Mr. Locsin’s place within modernity?,’ ‘How is his legacy alive today?’ and ‘What is the value in what architects and designers do?’” It also tackled the multi-faceted narrative of the different phases of Locsin’s life, culminating in an exposition of his design process and quest for meaning in architecture.

“Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City” runs from October 27 to December 29, 2017, at the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) Gallery of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila on Roxas Boulevard, Malate, Manila.

“History”

Edgar Allan M. Sembrano obtained his Master of Arts in Cultural Heritage Studies degree at the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Manila. Sembrano is a writer/contributor for The Philippine Daily Inquirer and The Daily Tribune, covering the arts, culture, heritage, and heritage conservation issues. He is the assistant area editor for architecture of the revised edition of the CCP Encyclopedia of Philippine Art. He also used to co-anchor “Ang Ating Katipunan” of DZAR Angel Radyo 1026 and “RMN Journalism Hour” of RMN Manila DZXL 558. This article was first published in The Daily Tribune on November 15, 2017

Documentary on the Philippine Participation at the Venice Biennale The first documentary about the Philippines’ return to the Venice Biennale after five decades of absence was aired on ABS-CBN News Channel (ANC).

“How to Tie a String Around the World” was shown on September 27, 2017, 8 p.m. and on September 30, 2017, 11:30 a.m.

“The documentary narrates how the idea to return to the world’s oldest and most prestigious contemporary art platform was conceived, the mounting and the successful opening of the comeback pavilion, and the warm reception it received. It also provides explanation from the curator and artists themselves on how they developed their concept and works,” said Senator Loren Legarda, the visionary and driving force behind the Philippines’ successful comeback in the Venice Biennale in 2015, fifty-one years after its first participation.

The documentary was created by Manny Montelibano, who was also one of the participating artists in the country’s participation in 2015.

The Philippine Pavilion at the 2015 Venice Art Biennale, “Tie a String Around the World,” was curated by Dr. Patrick Flores of the University of the Philippines’ Vargas Museum, and featured the late national artists Manuel Conde and Carlos Francisco’s film Genghis Khan, Montelibano’s multi-channel video A Dashed State, and Jose Tence Ruiz’s installation, Shoal.

Legarda said that all the other Philippine pavilions would also have their own documentaries. In 2016, the Philippines’ first national pavilion for the Venice Architecture Biennale featured the curatorial concept, “Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City,” by Leandro Locsin Jr., Sudarshan Khadka Jr., and Juan Paolo de la Cruz of Leandro V. Locsin Partners (LVLP). This year, for the 2017 Venice Art Biennale, the curatorial concept of Joselina Cruz, “The Spectre of Comparison,” is the Philippine Pavilion, which is now located in the Arsenale, one of the main exhibition spaces of the Venice Biennale.

38 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Gathering Together, Discussing Issues XCCA Marks Tenth Year with Intercultural Dialogue

By Angelo Lorenzo

I

n celebration of the National Indigenous Peoples’ Month, Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan’s Xavier Center for Culture and the Arts (XCCA) held the Yamug Intercultural Forum at the Xavier Little Theater of Xavier University-Ateneo de Cagayan, Cagayan de Oro City, on October 7, 2017.

On the tenth year of both XCCA and Yamug (which derives its name from hamug, meaning “morning mist”), intercultural discussions and lectures by representatives of indigenous communities and peoples in Mindanao were provided platform. Funded by NCCA, the forum tackled historical injustice shared by indigenous leaders and academicians from Muslim and other institutions.

“We know for a fact that there are so many things that happened in the country, in our cultural communities,” XCCA director Hobart Savior said. “It is important to discuss the historical injustices and to celebrate the triumphs over these.”

IPRA Assessment After Twenty Years The whole-day dialogue was divided into two parts.

In the morning session, the Indigenous Peoples’ Rights Act (IPRA) of 1997 was assessed by North Cotabato Second District representative Nancy Catamco and Talaandig Manobo cultural community chief Datu Victorino Saway in front of a audience composed mostly of students, academicians, and NGO workers from the provinces of Bukidnon and Misamis Oriental, and the cities of Iligan, Cagayan de Oro and Marawi.

“Twenty years since IPRA was passed, only 5,110, 393.12 hectares of land—of the estimated thirteen million hectares—were given,” Catamco, who was also the keynote speaker of the dialogue, said. “This represents less than fifty percent of the ICC’s impending claims.”

As the current chairperson of the House Committee on the Indigenous Cultural Communities (ICC) and Indigenous Peoples, she expressed the grievances of the indigenous peoples caused when their lands were stolen from them by the landownership system introduced by the Spaniards during the colonial period. These grievances were echoed by Datu Saway, who stated that historic injustice is injustice against people.

“It is injustice against their identity, culture and humanity,” he said.

The founder and head of the Talaandig Community Inc. in Lantapad, Bukidnon, Datu Vic relayed his dismay about the continuing struggle of the IPs to reclaim and establish ownership over their ancestral domains despite IPRA’s existence for 20 years.

To date, private corporations—although with legal documents to justify ownership in the domains of the IPs in provinces—continue to operate without acknowledging and following the necessary requirements of the ICCs. Paramilitary groups murdered advocates and innocent people in their communities, and loggers and mining companies exploited forests and mountains, many of which are indigenous sacred places.

However, he emphasized that the indigenous communities do not wish conflicts in the fulfilment of their aspirations.

“Marching on the streets to protest against the government’s failures is not our attitude,” Datu Vic said. “Why should we do that when we can tend our land and plant our crops to feed our people?”

For Catamco, who is Manobo, proper education in their com-

munities is a step towards progress. “As a congresswoman, I push for the Department of Indigenous People so the gargantuan problems we face will be immediately addressed,” she said.

She also emphasized that the value of cultural identity exceeds ownership of ancestral domains. Recognition as early inhabitants of the region and as a group that continually upholds pride and dignity despite their long struggles is important.

Unbreakable Bond Between Muslims and Christians In the afternoon, the dialogue was geared towards identity and the struggles of Muslim Filipinos, a proud but often misunderstood group due to misrepresentations during the height of terrorism and radical ideology.

Exploring issues and considering opportunities to address them, Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) History Department head Dr. Rohane Derogongan said that she has been grateful for the efforts of different organizations in advocating for peace and settling rifts among the regions’ diverse groups.

“Engagements like these are so inspiring and challenging,” she said.

Derogongan enumerated the historical injustices her people had struggled against for many decades. “It is manifested in the enforced displacement, land-grabbing, forced integration into the Philippine political system, and replacing traditional justice system with structures that are highly vulnerable to corruption.”

“Although the Meranaw are culturally rich and resilient,” she said, “reparations are intended to help reconstruct a political community that has been broken by civil conflict or scarred by historical injustice.”

Despite efforts to address these concerns, the peace process has often been delayed or neglected by administrations. Since 2014, the BBL has yet to be passed. This contributed to prolonged conflicts in the region with false ideology feeding frustration.

In addressing extremism, according to MSU-IIT English Department Faculty professor Saturnina Rodil, whose lecture tackled social cohesion between Christians and Muslims amidst the war in Marawi, interfaith and intercultural dialogues must be continually held.

“At the core, all religions are grounded on love,” she remarked.

“It is the layers that need to be discussed. These layers include the beliefs, traditions and culture.”

Grounded on Shared Cultural and Spiritual Values In his speech to welcome the speakers, Xavier Ateneo Vice President for Social Development Cluster Roel Ravanera envisioned a genuine reconciliation that would mark a lasting peace in Mindanao.

“For Xavier Ateneo, we are guided by the Jesuit Provincial Road Map in our social engagement,” Ravanera said. “We are tasked to direct greater apostolic preference in Mindanao, particularly the continuing poverty and marginalization of peoples and the regions’ pervasive conflicts.”

Savior shared the same vision: “We aspire for a better future for all of us here in Mindanao.”

For a decade now, the XCCA has been working towards this vision by spearheading programs and projects that bring people of diverse backgrounds together in memorable events, and the Yamug Intercultural Forum is one of them.

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 39

Lessons from a Davao Artist “I am an artist who writes. I write for two reasons: one, it leads me to a contemplation zone, where I can reflect on personal issues, think about ideas relevant to my convictions, and collect my fleeting thoughts and imaginations,” explains Davao City painter Victor Secuya in the essay “Why Do I Write” in his book Art Insights: 60 Essays on Art and Life (Davao City, Image World Digital Printing, 2017).

It is rare to have a painter who also writes. Although there are quite a number of Filipino writers who can paint like National Artist Cirilo F. Bautista, Gilda Cordero Fernando, Luisa A. Igloria, Carla Pacis, and Isidoro Cruz. There are also those who are both writer and visual artist such as cartoonists-comic writers Josua Cabrera of Cebu and Manix Abrera of Manila. In the case of Secuya, he is primarily a painter, and he writes on the side.

Art Insights is composed of sixty short essays, which are musings about life being lived around art. He decided to write sixty essays for his sixtieth birthday in May 2017. Secuya is generously sharing the authorship of this book to his editor, Celia Castillo, who, according to the note on the back cover, is a medical doctor and a writer.

“I also write because it gives me so much pleasure. I enjoy every moment I put my thoughts in black and white. I really get a kick out of the process,” writes Secuya.

I would quote him to my creative writing students, that while writing may be difficult, it can also be pleasurable. In the essay “The Artist,” Secuya gives this definition: “An artist is someone who sees something—the moon, a flower, trees, a face, dreams—feels it and experiences it deeply and tremendously. He thinks about the details; caresses the shapes and textures; relishes the colors and gets awed by the play of light and shadows.”

This will come in handy as a reading for enrichment for teachers and students of humanities or art appreciation. If the short essays of Secuya sound like little lectures, it is because he was once a teacher of art and philosophy at the Ateneo de Davao University.

Another feature of this book useful for students and teachers are the quotes about art and life from other artists and writers like H.R. Ocampo, Pablo Picasso, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Pico Iyer, and even from Aristotle and Saint Francis of Assisi.

In an art exhibit, sponsored by Phoenix Petroleum in Davao City in December 2017, which featured the works of Mindanao artists curated by Secuya, it is said that Mindanaoan art features “image of bold colors and shapes, varied textures, and indigenous patterns (www.phoenixfuels. ph).” Secuya’s paintings, Memories of My Father’s Farm 1 and 2 depict his beloved island Mindanao with “bright and vibrant colors and unique shapes that communicate movement [ibid].”

Is there a signature Secuya painting? In his essay “Secuya Style,” he says there is no such thing. Instead, “if there’s one word to describe my artistry, it is change. My works are manifestations of the changes occurring in me. Through every exhibit that I mount, it’s no longer the same as the Secuya paintings exhibited before. I can’t repeat the same painting, same subject, same composition, same color scheme.”

It is refreshing to read a book on art by an artist. For someone like Secuya who has devoted years of painting and contemplating on this art form, his insights about art using lucid and crisp prose is a gift for the reader’s mind and heart. Who can write more with authority and credibility about art than an artist?

I bought my copy of this book in Morning Light, a gallery selling original paintings by Davao artists and a fine arts supplies store, along Quirino Avenue, in Davao City. The next time I return to Davao, I will surely look for the paintings of Victor Secuya.

Reading Victor Secuya’s Art Insight: 60 Essays on Art and Life

By John Iremil Teodoro

John Iremil Teodoro is an award-winning writer from San Jose de Buenavista, Antique. Author of several books, he is an associate professor of literature and creative writing at the De La Salle University, and the secretary general of Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas (UMPIL).

40 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Writing me Fates Written in the Stars

By Christine F. Godinez Ortega

T

he non-Mindanawon catches a glimpse of the way of life of the lumad through T.S. Sungkit, Jr.’s second novel, Driftwood on Dry Land, translated by the author from the original Cebuano, Mga Gapnod sa Kamad-an, to English.

In 2007, Sungkit won the National Commission for Culture and Arts (NCCA) Writer’s Prize for the novel in Cebuano, which provided him with a grant to write the novel. The finished work was published by the University of Santo Tomas (UST) Publishing House in 2013.

Driftwood on Dry Land (240 pages) is the history of a people from the ancestral land Tagoloan (Tag-olowan) and how they have survived in these ancestral lands that settlers, aided by government decrees, have dispossessed them through time, and with it, their traditional ways of life.

The narratives are structured in such a way that the reader must be constantly aware that the storytelling is from a socio-cultural context about a people who have become alienated from a dominant culture and the college-educated who compose today’s Muslim and Christian majority.

Sungkit’s narration from an oral, “performative and dramatic” storytelling culture draws parallels with the Native American Leslie Marmon Silko’s novels Almanac of the Dead (1991) and Ceremony (1977) as well as N. Scott Momaday’s House Made of Dawn (1968).

The reader’s attention is held by the dramatic discourse of how the Higaonon Monobo have been displaced, and their response to outside factors over which they have no control. Like Silko’s novel, what is more important are “the levels of discourse,” the “process” of the storytelling and interpretation that are always through the cultural context of text.

We see the author’s need to tell his people’s story within a spacetime schema in, and to borrow from Catherine Rainwater “a semiotic re-creation” of his people’s past and present within today’s world.

On the other hand, the novel’s oft-repeated phrase—“all things are written in the stars”—compels the reader to question whether the natives’ response to any crisis or natural calamity is a matter of fatalism.

One Uto Managkes dares gather a force to attack a banuwa (domain) without the blessings of the elders. He wants to prove that what the stars say could be changed. He is killed and his followers stay with “Those With No Shoes.”

Events such as a big flood and the coming of “aliens” are written in the stars as Sungkit tells of the Higaonon Monobo cultural heritage that is closely tied to the environment in which the people live and work in.

Apart from cultural heritage, the novel engages the reader in multiple levels and educates him that most things in the Higaonon Monobo world is situational and communal, and characters move about within their own understanding of their functions toward survival of the race.

It is also exciting how the novel narrates events in a distinctive, magic realist way, seamlessly, and without much fanfare, the phenomenon blending in with the situation.

For instance, the ability of Datu Magsumagpang to “fly” at his enemies during battles and to converse often with beautiful beings who suddenly shape-shift or disappear into smoke, beings who are equipped with magical powers and who either help during times of crisis, or punish those who betray the people and therefore threaten cultural traditions.

One of the more mysterious events in the novel is the appearance of a snake, the Amimilay that comes at night to kill enemies.

Or in an intense situation, an angry datu suddenly turns his head and shows to everyone his eyes burning like coals. If not taken metaphorically, the transformation simply astounds.

Fast-forward to contemporary times, specifically during the EDSA Revolution, Ramon, Kaamayan (Great Father) Gaun’s descendant, has inherited his ancestor’s magical powers. Gaun is the great-grandson of Datu Mangulilong who in turn is a descendant of epic hero Buuy Agyu, descendant of Panginaway, the descendant of Buuy Pigsugdan, Great Patriarch.

Ramon gets a college education as a reward for his having rid a store, owned by a Chinese, Hamling’s descendant, of a cobra. Ramon recognizes the young girl sitting on a cobra’s head as a tagbaya named Amimilay. Save for one but without recognizing who she is, nobody else saw Amimilay.

When Ramon returns to Mindanao, he meets Amimilay again—an exciting piece of information for this writer because here is a suggestion that the descendant of the original Snake Woman, protector of the people, as its function in the Higaonon world, has always been around.

There are parallels in the stories about the flora and fauna, of gi-

September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 41

memory ants, of rituals, large, fist-sized rice grains, the salimbal (golden boat) and the heavenly kingdom Nalandangan described in the novel that likewise appear in Mindanao’s longest epic, the Livunganen-Arumanen Manobo Ulahingan and other Mindanao narratives.

What stands out in the novel’s narrative is the retelling of how the group’s datus and warriors lead their people through many trials such as conflicts within families, the coming of the Spaniards, the Americans and the Japanese and finally, the struggles against the settlers and corrupt officials of the local government.

The narrator’s tone is bitter and does not ease up as the narrative progresses to contemporary times.

Name-calling of “aliens” is common: “pests” for Americans, “bow-legged” for the Japanese and “American minions” for the businessmen who had employed the natives as laborers to till the land for bananas or pineapples, land once upon a time owned by their ancestors.

Surely, Sungkit reflects the anger and frustrations of his people who have been pushed back because of poverty, lack of political power, and somehow reluctant to keep up with the times.

Often heart-rending are their attempts to hold on to cultural traditions that have been eroded by a complex system of laws, and the different ways of life of descendants of settlers that often force natives to assimilate themselves by speaking a new language and more often than not, hiding their cultural identities.

Such bitter tone that characterizes the novel must be the attitude of Sungkit’s people towards the Moro and the Christian descendants of settlers that seemed to have taken root in the dispossession of an-

cestral lands, the abuses experienced by some members of the ethnic group, the colonial educational system, and religions that target already vulnerable lives.

The novel could be approached in multi-dimensional ways: a comparison of the warrior in the mythic past focusing on the warrior brothers, the women fighters and the saut (war dance) in contemporary times, the study of rituals and the study of setting, and most of all, the imposition of foreign languages against their use of native tongues considered tongues of the outcast, among others.

It is time for Mindanao teachers and students to read novels such as Sungkit’s to better understand the aspirations and hurts of the lumad instead of ignoring, pushing them further inland, or worse, killing them.

Kudos to Sungkit, the country’s first Higaonon Monobo novelist and for the UST Publishing House for this novel which should be understood according to a people’s cultural codes and aesthetics.

Using the form of the novel is, to our mind, Sungkit’s way to circumvent power because oral storytelling is ephemeral. As author, he takes power over the written word for posterity, closing the novel with hope: “After several days, I have finished our history at last.

This shall be read by my descendants until the time when a new great house shall rise from Tagoloan’s womb.”

Christine F. Godinez Ortega is the director of the MSU-IIT Office of Publication and Information and a professor of Literature and Humanities at the College of Arts and Social Sciences. A published poet, she was head of the NCCA National Committee on Literary Arts and secretary to the Subcommission on the Arts.

42 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017 NCCA GALLERY

Humanism Underneath Raul Lebajo’s Modernism

By Gary C. Devilles

Red Dot (pen and ink, 2009)

NCCA GALLERY September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 43

W

hen one looks at modern technology, with our laptops and cell phones, one cannot help but marvel at the speed of communication, work efficiency, and accessibility of information. For the working middle class, these gadgets guarantee a degree of satisfaction and well-being. However, we are far from being content, and our anxiety stems not from insatiable desires nor from the frequent breakdown of our computers. Deep down there is a reality that we still question.

Modernist thinkers and artists have preoccupied themselves with this contradiction, and in their works they have strived to offer us not clear-cut answers but inspiration by which to reckon such a problem. Raul Lebajo has endeavored to give us a subtle commentary on who we are and what we want in relation to our environment.

Through his imaginative landscapes that made him a pioneer of surrealism in the Philippines, we again feel that awe Untitled (acrylic on canvas, 2013) and begin to question life at the same time as we go beyond the superficiality of our surroundings and commit to a life of unceasing discernment.

In his exhibit simply titled “Lebajo,” the artist takes us to the core of the modernist principle of the human face, which for the philosopher Emmanuel Levinas reveals a certain poverty that forbids a reduction to sameness and simultaneously installs a responsibility for the other. What we see as abstract the faces in Red Dot, Red Window, and Shield and even in Panahon and Drawing Lang—all intimations of the disparity and the uniqueness of our lives. Looking at these faces, we seem to be thrown into this unknowable depth that springs from our asymmetrical relation to the infinite, and this overwhelming feeling transcends our capacity for understanding. We get a glimpse of the numinous, the mysterium tremendum et fascinans, that Rudolf Otto believes loom in any spiritual encounter. Hence, despite the powerful force of modern technology that reduces us to mere statistical figures, the face summons a foundational understanding of our discrepancies, an awareness of our limitations and transgressions, and a desire to transcend and reconnect.

Social media, with sites like Facebook, can easily lead to a certain

forgetfulness of this implicit understanding which ironically leads to defacement. Sometimes, we can be so passionate that we forget the real faces behind our tweets, postings and accounts. Lebajo’s fantastical portraits such as a bust made of dots with a leaf, or a half face with a red nose, a completely covered face with a protruding eye, a man in bandana, a side view of a green man with red hair, all signify not just the plurality but the scale and magnitude of human lives in relation to a world teeming with life and bounty.

A face-to-face encounter is always an encounter of mutual respect. A face-to-face encounter forbids us to kill—that is why we are so bothered by the growing indifference to extra-judicial killings and an airline company’s barbaric treatment of one of its passengers.

Lebajo’s portraits aim to defamiliarize our face-to-face encounters, and such an encounters are not far from what Job realized when he questioned God in the Old Testament. Job’s encounter was a reflexive account of where he is in the vast creation of the morning dawn, springs of the sea, gates of death, in the scattering of light and wind, and in the stars and their constellations. Job, like many of us, can easily forget our place in the grand scheme of things. We feel that we are the center of the universe and everything revolves around us. We even call this geological period Anthropocene, a period that marks humanity’s role in the evolution and dramatic change in our environment. Lebajo’s works, including his Mystic Garden and Circle, remind us of this unfathomable wonder as we shrink in the face of the sublime.

Ultimately, modernism is not about the conceit of humanity.

What is intimated by Lebajo is this awareness of ourselves and a sense of being profane that leads and moves us to an ethical generosity and genuine care for all forms of life. Art, nature and humanity are all intertwined, and in one untitled work of Lebajo this is intimated by a depiction of a heart that is also a seed, which beats with profound care for what we inherit from the past, which we maintain and bestow to the next generation. Underneath Raul Lebajo’s modernism is a thriving and vibrant humanism.

Circle (acrylic on canvas, 2013)

“Lebajo” ran from May 5 to 31, 2017, at the NCCA Gallery.

The creation of the NCCA Gallery dedicated to contemporary arts was a joint initiative of the National Committee on Visual Arts (NCVA) and the National Committee on Art Galleries (NCAG). Through the establishment of the gallery, both committees envision to help young artists get their much needed exposure without hampering their zest to explore new tendencies on the edge of current art making. The new gallery is outfitted to accommodate video works and movable panels for installation pieces. Contemporary artists are welcome to submit their exhibit concept along with their portfolio should they wish to exhibit at the gallery. The NCCA Gallery is at the ground floor of the NCCA Building, 633 General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila. It is open 9 A.M. to 5 P.M., Monday to Friday, and weekends and holidays. For details, contact 527-2192 local 512, or email nccagallery09@gmail.com.

44 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017

Cultural Activities at the Rizal Park Spending weekends at parks became a more meaningful experience with cultural activities mounted by the NCCA through its Art in Public Spaces program.

In March 2017, different demonstrations and workshops were held at Rizal Park in Manila through the partnership of the NCCA and National Parks Development Committee.

The Baybayin Writing Workshop and Henna Tattoo, on March 4, taught participants how to write the Old Tagalog abugida or baybayin, as well as explained its history and context. It was facilitated

by Sanghabi, a non-profit organization which aims to foster appreciation of Philippine culture, primarily through workshops on Old Tagalog abugida writing and the use of indigenous musical instruments. This was followed by a henna tattoo session, using the Old Tagalog abugida as design.

The “Art of Cooking a Heritage Cuisine: Kalutong Bulakenyo Cooking Demonstration” was held on March 11, facilitated by Kalutong Bulakenyo, a group founded by food and culture historian Milagros Santiago Enriquez. Chefs Nico Hernandez and Ferdie Talbenito of Bistro Maloleño showed how to cook heritage Bulacan dishes including hamon Bulakenyo and pinaso.

The Cavite Bonsai Club, which is affiliated with the Philippine Bonsai Society, facilitated a bonsai making activity at the Cave of Rizal Park on March 18.

On March 25, Ryan Arengo, the designer of the NCCA Paper Crafts Series, facilitated an afternoon of creating paper sculptures including those of the rice terraces of the Cordilleras, Magellan’s Cross in Cebu and the Rizal Monument.

The following month, a senakulo or passion play was staged on Good Friday, April 14, near the Dancing Fountain, with the Dularawang Bulacan Foundation. On Easter Sunday, an Easter egg painting activity was held at the Children’s Playground, facilitated

by Eleazar Guevarra, Joseph Angelo Alcuriza and other members of Guhit Pinas Manila.

Visual Artist Manuel Baldemor Holds Art Workshop for Children in Jakarta

Manuel D. Baldemor guides workshop participants on coloring techniques.

Filipino artist Manuel D. Baldemor conducted an art workshop for children at the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta, Indonesia, on September 6, 2017. This is part of the Sentro Rizal program of the Philippine Embassy in Jakarta, in cooperation with the NCCA. The art workshop, along with “Philippine and Indonesia: Symphony of Colors, Vital Links in ASEAN, A Manuel Baldemor Painting Exhibit,” was attended by twenty-five Filipino children together with their parents.

The embassy and the Filipino community were delighted to have Baldemor, who generously shared his coloring techniques to the children and their parents. The attendees were not only inspired but they also learned about their Filipino heritage and acquired new perspective on everyday scenes of Jakarta through the works of the artist. Aside from being a learning experience, the session turned out to be a bonding activity for children and parents.

The Philippine Embassy and the Filipino community were grateful to Baldemor. On the other hand, the artist welcomed the opportunity to work with children and admitted he was also able to learn new things from them.

For more information, visit www.jakartape.dfa.gov.ph, www. philembjkt.com or https://www.facebook.com/PhilEmbassyJakarta.

THE SENTRO RIZAL

A senakulo staged at the Rizal Park during Good Friday /Photo by Katrina May Ojo

Sentro Rizal was established through the virtue of Section 42 of Republic Act 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. Its primary purposes are to promote Philippine culture, arts and languages throughout the world; establish global offices which will serve as repository of materials; and coordinate with different agencies for different cultural activities such as lectures, film screenings and language programs catered to the Filipino and those who wish to acquaint themselves on the Filipino culture. The Sentro Rizal also serves as a repository of materials on all things Filipino. For more information, call number (+632) 527-2192 local 605 or email info@ncca.gov.ph or sentrorizal@gmail.com.

IN MEMORIAM September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 45

Jose Victor Peñaranda

Poet, Journalist and Development Worker

P

oet, journalist and community development worker Jose Victor Peñaranda passed away on September 23, 2017, at his home in Las Piñas City, due to cardiac arrest. He was sixty-four years old.

Born on March 6, 1953, in Isla de Convalesencia, Pasig River, Manila, Peñaranda came from a clan of poets, writers and journalists, hailing from Barugo, Leyte. His father was a journalist.

Peñaranda studied at the Ateneo de Manila University and Philippine Christian University.

He worked as a journalist and community development worker, traveling extensively in the Philippines. His engagement in community development started in the 1980s with civil society organizations.

While working for an international development organization, he was deployed for several years in the Kingdom of Bhutan and the Republic of Macedonia.

He also became involved in the Educational Development Project Implementing Task Force, and came to oversee the production of children’s books for the Nutrition Cen-

ter of the Philippines, then headed by Virgilio S. Almario. Working alongside them were Charles Funk and Perfecto Martin, forming the original team that created the Aklat Adarna series. Peñaranda stayed on with Children’s Communication Center, the private organization that continued Aklat Adarna, after the government project ended. The Aklat Adarna published the book Ang Buhay ni Bimboy in partnership with the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Peñaranda became managing and opinion editor of the defunct Evening Paper in the late 1990s. He was an associate of Philippine Literary Arts Council (PLAC). He won third prize in poetry in English at the 1985 Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature. In 2015, he was named the Nick Joaquin Literary Awards Poet of the Year. He has also been honored with a Gawad Balagtas by the Unyon ng Manunulat ng Pilipinas in 2014.

He started writing poems in WarayWaray in 2014 and revived his interest in writing fiction in 2016. His fields of research were on mysticism and on local history. He authored three poetry collections:

Voyage in Dry Season (Sipat Publications, 1996), Pilgrim in Transit (Anvil Publishing, Inc., 2010), and Lucid Lighting: Poems and Prose (UST Publishing House, 2013).

He contributed to the anthology Bloodlust: Philippine Protest Poetry (From Marcos to Duterte), edited by Gemino H. Abad and Alfred A. Yuson (Reyes Publishing, 2017).

Poet and fictionist Alfred A. Yuson wrote a tribute in his The Philippine Star column, “Kripotkin,” published on October 1, 2017: “It’s his laughter I’ll miss most. It wasn’t loud, but rollicking in its own way, jovially exuberant. Like the gurgling of a brook, if I may be permitted a cliché.

“Friends who knew Bimboy Peñaranda share a common modifier: a gentle soul, a gentle poet. The quietude in his poetry bears that out. His stories and essays are similarly about being pacific. In speech and demeanor, as an old soul bathed in gracious wisdom, no doubt he was attuned to a universe void of an angry word.”

Peñaranda is survived by his wife Josephine and their three children, Saira, Siday, and Nikos.

46 Agung • Number 5 • September-October 2017 IN MEMORIAM

V

eteran actor, director and singer Ramon Gil “Chinggoy” Alonso passed away on October 15, 2017, due to colon cancer, at the age of 67. Alonso is known for his work in theater and television, appearing in many stage plays and televisions series.

Born on July 22, 1950, in Manila, Alonso was exposed to the performing arts early in life, being the son of theater artists. He started acting in school plays at Saint Louis University in Baguio City.

He studied at the University of the Philippines’ College of Music and continued appearing in plays, often in leading roles, including as Professor Henry Higgins in My Fair Lady, as Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music, the King of Siam in The King and I, Don Quixote in Man of La Mancha, King Arthur in Camelot, El Gallo in The Fantasticks, Cyrano in Cyrano de Bergerac, Proteus in Two Gentlemen of Verona, Charlie Dyer in Staircase, and T.P. Sud in The Pot Boiler. He also appeared in productions in Filipino such as Maalaala Mo Kaya?, Juan Tamad, Binhing Pilipino, Ang Kiri and Kismet.

Alonso also joined the international tour of the UP Concert Chorus in Europe as a vocal soloist. He had appeared in many concerts and musicals here and abroad.

He was a director and stage designer for such productions as Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo; Camelot; Kiss Me Kate; My Fair Lady; No Hassle; and Dahil Sa ‘Yo. He often played lead in many productions, especially in English-language musicals of Repertory Philippines.

He won many awards including the Aliw Award for Best Actor in 1977; and

Chinggoy Alonso

Actor, Director and Singer

the Karilagan Award for Best Performer/ Director from 1974 to 1976.

Alonso also acted in films and television series such as the ABS-CBN 2 series Sana Bukas Pa ang Kahapon, Moon of Desire, Got to Believe, May Bukas Pa, Lobo, Bituing Walang Ningning and Wildflower.

For GMA 7, he did Hahamakin Lahat, Ang Lihim ni Annasandra, Mars Ravelo’s Dyesebel

and Anna Karenina. He was in the movies Etiquette for Mistresses, My Valentine Girls and The Healing.

His last stage appearances were in 2014 in Repertory Philippines’ A Christmas Carol, and Marco Polo: An Untold Love Story, which also was brought to Paris, France, after premiering in Metro Manila.

The actor also a published two collections of poetry, I’ll Pocket You a Rainbow (1974) and The Heart of Id (1975).

Alonso was married to ballet dancer and choreographer Veda Bañez, with whom he had three sons, Ralion, Altair and Mako.

IN MEMORIAM September-October 2017 • Number 5 • Agung 47

D

r. Lourdes Reynes Quisumbing, Secretary of the Department of Education, Culture and Sports; Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines; and first chairman of the Presidential Commission for Culture and the Arts (PCCA), passed away on October 14, 2017, at the age of 96.

Born on February 13, 1921, in Cebu, she was a lifelong educator, fondly called “Dr. Q” by everyone.

Quisumbing obtained her Bachelor’s Degree in Education, summa cum laude, at Saint Theresa’s College (STC) in Manila; her Master’s Degree in Education, summa cum laude, at the University of San Carlos (USC) in Cebu; and her doctorate in Philosophy in Education, benemeritus, at the University of Santo Tomas in Manila. She taught at the graduate schools of USC, the University of the Visayas, and Cebu Institute of Technology (now Cebu Institute of Technology-University).

Her teaching stint started in 1940s at STC in Cebu. From 1966 to 1986 she served as dean of the College of STC, chair of Graduate Education at USC, dean of the Graduate School of Education at the De La Salle University in Manila, and president of Maryknoll College (now Miriam College) in Quezon City.

She was also active in national educational organizations with her service as being president of the Philippines Accrediting Association of Schools and vice-president of the Catholic Educational Association of the Philippines (CEAP) Eight years into her term as president of Maryknoll College, Dr. Quisumbing was appointed by then President Corazon C. Aquino to become the first woman Secretary of Education, Culture, and Sports in 1986.

Dr. Lourdes R. Quisumbing Photo courtesy of Miriam College

Educator and Administrator

When Aquino signed Executive Order No. 118, creating the PCCA, she appointed Dr. Quisumbing as its first chairman in February 1987, where she served until December 1989.

In January 1990, she was appointed Secretary-General of the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines, with the rank of ambassador at the Department

of Foreign Affairs, which she held until her retirement from public service in 1998.

Even after retirement, Dr. Quisumbing remained active, continuing as chairperson of the board at STC in Cebu, the first lay person to serve that position. She was also chairperson of the board of trustees as well as a professor emeritus of Miriam College. She was the president of UNES-

CO-APNEIVE (Asia Pacific Network for International Education and Values Education) and APNIEVE Philippines, of which she was the founding president.

Dr. Quisumbing, was the widow of engineer Carlos C Quisumbing, Sr. and is survived by ten children, twenty-seven grandchildren, twenty-two great-grandchildren, and three great-great-grandchildren.

Empowering the Filipino Imagination Send your comments and inquiries to The Editor, NCCA, Public Affairs and Information Office

633 General Luna Street, 1002 Intramuros, Manila. Tel. (+63 2) 527-2192 to 96 • Fax (+63 2) 527-2191/94 • E-mail: ncca.paio@gmail.com, info@ncca.gov.ph • Web site: www.ncca.gov.ph BUSINESS MAIL: Entered as third-class mail at Manila Central Post Office under Permit No. 3C-14-10-276, dated October 14, 2014. Subject for postal inspection