Agung Vol XIX No. 3 May-June 2016

Volume XIX • Number 3 • May-June 2016 • For Artists and Cultural Workers • ISSN 0119-5948

Clothed in Culture, Donned with Pride

Official Newsletter of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN Cultural Identity is the Basis of Empowerment

T

o suppress the cultural identity of a people and successfully impose an alien culture is to reduce them into a passive, docile mass subservient to the power wielders of the alien culture. They lose their originality, and treasure troves of knowledge, accumulated wisdom, and creativity.

Identity is power. Having no identity is like having no name. If a person or thing has no name, it is as if it does not exist. Thus, we feel slighted if somebody forgets our name. The more important and well-known a person is, the more he is said to have a name, “may pangalan.” Having “a name” means one’s identity stands out.

This holds true for concepts, ideas, images, theories, structures, tools and techniques—for all of these are forms of identity. And most visibly, this include these clothes we wear.

Harnessing and promoting our own distinctive creations and ideas are certainly to have confidence, power and control over our own lives. Economic power naturally follows from this. For instance, if we worship alien ideas of beauty—whose art works, music, fashion models, attires, and beauty products do we glorify and spend for? If we neglect the great potentials and do not develop our indigenous pharmacology and healing modalities—how much do we spend for imported drugs and medicines?

The primary source of soft power, whether of an individual, group, or nation is a strong, distinct cultural identity. A definite notion of who we are, gives us a basis for • Determining our direction in life, or vision for the future • Organizing our priorities • Making commitments • Knowing our responsibilities • Defining our place in the world It is imperative then, that we tap the genius of our people in all aspects of life, particularly our skills in transforming traditional culture in creative ways to serve the needs of contemporary living. Nowhere are these more evident than in the way we have repackaged traditional kakanins in very attractive new shapes and colors without losing their native essence; redesigned our furniture to make them world class without sacrificing their sense of airy lightness and casual elegance; and introduced innovations in contemporary ready-to-wear, stylish clothing without losing the characteristic textures, patterns and materials of our indigenous cultures.

Our minds are in full command of what is native to us. Relying on our indigenous heritage thus can produce superior and creative results, unlike when we think with “a borrowed mind.”

Harnessing the strengths of our traditional cultures is the best guarantee of sustainable development and social well-being.

FELIPE M. DE LEON, JR.

Vol. XIX, No. 3 May-June 2016 ISSN 0119-5948

FELIPE M. DE LEON, JR. chairman

About the cover

ADELINA M. SUEMITH oic-executive director

Front cover shows a Tiboli blouse with intricate beadworks, combining traditional designs and the maker’s innovations /Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

MARICHU G. TELLANO deputy executive director Rene Sanchez Napeñas editor-in-chief 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.

Roel Hoang Manipon managing editor Mervin Concepcion Vergara art director Maria Glaiza Lee writer Marvin Alcaraz photographer

Leihdee Anne Cabrera Manny Arawe May Corre Tuazon Roezielle Joy Iglesia Christine Sarah Sy paio staff

Emilie V. Tiongco editorial consultant

Facing page: AJ Bernabe’s barong Tagalog transformed into modern wear, pairing it with geometric structured denim skirt for a more casual look. This is the first place winner in the Professional Category of the NCCA Ready-to-Wear Clothing Design Competition. / Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

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; and 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 RamosShahani, 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.

n

Styles of our Soul INFUSING NEW LIFE TO TRADITIONAL TEXTILES, ENSOULING MODERN FASHION WITH INDIGENOUS ARTISTRY

By Maria Glaiza Lee and Roel Hoang Manipon Photos by Marvin Alcaraz

4 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

he Philippines has been producing textiles since pre-colonial times. Different ethnic groups from the Cordilleras in the north to the island of Mindanao in the south have their own traditions of textile weaving using different kinds of looms, employing various techniques and showing an impressive range of designs. However, these traditions are rapidly dying out.

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 5 Third-place winner Daryl Maat’s Cordilleran-inspired attire with vest and skirt inspired by Bontoc jackets and tapus, using different Cordilleran textile prints and piña jusi on the sleeveless top. Fourth-place winner Evangeline Rosales Badulis’s barong Tagalog of piña and inabel with callado, a traditional pattern in hand embroidery. Cordi Apparel and Accessories’ Cordilleran-inspired design, which received a special citation in the clothing line category. Second place winner Jinggay Serag’s balangay-inspired piece, made from Ilocano handwoven textile with the kusikos or whirlwind design

6 Agung • Number 3 • 2016 Fifth-place winner Rosalie Norico-Mendiola’s hinabal Bukidnon-inspired design featuring a kimono-style blouse and skirt ensemble made from inabel and embellished with flower cutouts and beads.

Aside from scarcity of materials used in the weaving process, two factors that contribute to the waning of traditional textile weaving are their inability to compete against the mass-produced and less expensive textiles and the dearth of interest among the younger generations in taking up traditional weaving.

NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon Jr. lamented that the young generation has no patience in engaging in time-consuming and unprofitable traditions and crafts, and would rather work in big corporations where they can get instant gratification.

One way of sustaining the viability of native textiles is to encourage more people to patronize and use them by incorporating them in contemporary daily wear. This was one of the aims of the NCCA Ready-to-Wear (RTW) Clothing Design Competition, launched in early 2016 to promote and popularize as well as renew interest on the different textiles from the different cultural communities of the Philippines.

The competition, organized by the NCCA’s Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts, also hoped to nurture creativity and a natural aptitude for fashion design while providing opportunities of exposure for the designers and their work, especially young and emerging designers. In cooperation with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) and the Center for International Trade Expositions and Missions (CITEM), the competition was held in conjunction with Design Week Philippines 2016.

Designers were encouraged to create contemporary designs that feature indigenous textiles, encouraging a modern way of seeing these cultural treasures. The designs must be practical enough for everyday use in such settings as work, school, shopping and leisure. However, NCCA emphasized that “the ethnicity of the design should not be tokens (e.g. just traditional motifs on the collar, pockets or cuffs), but should cover at least one-third of the total clothing. While the contemporary, innovative and practical designs are encouraged, the final product (clothes) should clearly bear the ethnic source.”

The competition, which accepted entries until April 15, 2016, had three categories to provide broader participation from the fashion design sector: Students’ Category; Professional Category; and Category for Fashion/Clothing Line Companies.

Among the sixty-two design entries, which were in the form of finished clothing ensemble, seven were chosen as winners. Entries underwent intensive selection process by the board of judges, composed of De Leon, designers Barge Ramos and Albert Andrada, Philippine Textile Research Institute director Celia Elumba and Bai Ilagan from the Office of Senator Loren Legarda. They were judged on the strength of the concept and inspiration of the design; appropriate use of the indigenous or traditional materials; originality/creativity; wearability; and workmanship.

Designer and Project Runway Philippines season 4 champion AJ Bernabe was declared the first place winner in the

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 7

The lone winner in the student category, Kimberly Baydo’s Tree Hugger, taking inspiration from the Hanunuo Mangyan and using ramit textile for the wrap-around skirt and square neck blouse ensemble, with wooden bead accents.

Rosalie Norico-Mendiola, fifth place winner; Renee Talavera, head of the SCCTA Section of the NCCA Secretrariat; first place winner AJ Bernabe; NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr.; second place winner Jinggay Serag; Heather Dominguez, a representative from Cordi Apparel and Accessories; and Kimberly Baydo, lone winner in the Student Category, during the awarding ceremony at the NCCA Building lobby

Professional Category with her bulol-inspired piece. She transformed the classic barong Tagalog into a modern wear, which one can wear not just in formal gatherings, pairing it with a geometric structured denim skirt for a more casual look.

Jinggay Serag’s balangay-inspired piece, crafted from Ilocano hand-woven textile, won the second place. The dress-and-jacket ensemble has a center panel, symbolizing the structure of the balangay. Serag chose the traditional kusikos or whirlwind design to represent the motion of the wind the seafarers need to navigate the sea.

Daryl Maat, the third placer, was inspired by Cordilleran traditional attire. His vest and skirt designs were inspired by the Bontoc jackets and tapus. He combined various Cordilleran textile prints in his creation and added piña jusi on the sleeveless top for a modern vibe.

Evangeline Rosales Badulis’s barong Tagalog won fourth place, one of the few design entries for men. She jazzed up the traditional wear of piña and inabel with callado, a traditional pattern in hand embroidery, but maintained its elegance and formal look.

Rosalie Norico-Mendiola, with her hinabal Bukinon-inspired design, made it to the winning roster. Her fifth-place entry was a kimono-style blouse and skirt ensemble made from inabel, embellished with flower cutouts and beads.

In the student category, there was only one winner, Kimberly Baydo, who created the Tree Hugger. Taking inspiration from the Hanunuo Mangyan, the young designer used ramit textile for the wrap-around skirt and square neck blouse ensemble, with wooden beads in different shapes and patterns. Beaded accessories completed the look.

A special citation was given to Cordi Apparel and Accessories by Harvic Dominguez for his Cordilleran-inspired design in the clothing line category.

The winners were honored in an awarding ceremony on April 25, 2016, at the NCCA Building lobby, where NCCA deputy executive director Marichu Tellano promised that the competition would continue in the years to come and hoped that more designers will participate.

“We want the designs and the textiles to be mainstreamed and to be promoted throughout the country,” she reiterated.

8 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

A New Lookat the

Barong Tagalog Terno and Saya

M

embers of the Fashion Designers Association of the Philippines (FDAP) recently showcased a contemporary take on traditional Philippine attire during the “Metamorphosis of Filipino Barong, Terno at Saya” fashion show and exhibit at the Mega Fashion Hall at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.

A joint project of Filipino Heritage Festival, Inc. (FHFI), FDAP, and SM, the event was held on May 20, 2016, in time for Flores de Mayo as well as the forthcoming Independence Day. The fashion show featured sixty exquisite creations from thirty designers who turned the Filipino barong Tagalog, terno at saya into contemporary street wear, cocktail outfits and long, formal gowns while retaining the Filipino essence of the designs.

All the clothes presented were made exclusively by FDAP designers for this event. The FHFI and FDAP wanted to show the flexibility of Philippine attire not only for formal occasions by blending the laidback design and modern style into one and making it perfect for today’s fashion trends.

The exhibit, on the other hand, highlighted twenty ternos that displayed the talents and craftsmanship of the Filipino designers and brought the traditional attire to the 21st century. Twenty FDAP members participated in the exhibit. With this, FDAP successfully showed to the people the evolution of the butterfly-sleeved dresses from the traditional to the modern, mixing classic designs and innovative techniques and functionality.

“Metamorphosis of Filipino Barong, Terno at Saya” was one of the numerous events of the Filipino Heritage Festival to celebrate the National Heritage Month in May.

Jackie Bautista’s jusi top with flutter sleeves and short silk skirt are perfect for cocktails. Marjorie Lee-Gumabay’s strapless white gown with exquisite red embroidery. Nickky Martinez’s exotic t’nalak top with terno sleeves worn with a red skirt. Cathy Cavilte’s gold embellished blue dresses.

Blue barong Tagalog with white embroidered panels by Simon Ariel Vasquez. White delicately embroidered terno by Cheena Ng Lio. 7 Layering the barong Tagalog by Simon Ariel Vasquez.

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 9

7

WORN IDENTITIES econd skin, I remember one fashion designer described fashion and clothing. And like skin, clothing or attire serves a very practical purpose—as protection against the elements and the everyday assaults of the environment, as comfort from weather when it gets unpleasant, as a form of hygiene. But unlike skin, attire is changeable to suit situations, needs and even whims of the wearers. But attire is also an extension of the self and the society, reflecting culture, aesthetics and tastes, and thus in one way also an extension of the soul. Attire is one of the ways to express identity and to show identification with a group.

Aside from its practical uses, attire, especially the traditional ones, has been one of the most important means of artistic expressions among ethnic groups in the Philippines. Aside from indicating social status, gender and religion in a community, attire also makes manifest the native aesthetics, reflecting sensibility to colors and patterns, penchant for certain designs, and interpretations of everyday life as well as spiritual beliefs.

With more than eighty indigenous groups, there are as much traditional attires, resplendent in their colors, determined by the groups’ preference or their environments, and rich with embellishments, signifying the innate desire to make things beautiful as well as meaningful.

Traditional attire, like the cultures they belong to, is constantly evolving, adopting from other cultures as well as adapting to the times, but often these adopted elements are altered according to the native sense of beauty.

Attire has become a mark of ethnic identity, and perhaps the most obvious and attractive one. With traditional attire, one declares his/her oneness with his/her own people, taking pride in the artistry and heritage that the attire so much holds.

Get a glimpse of different Philippine traditional attires from three indigenous groups—the Kalinga from Luzon, the Panay-Bukidnon from the Visayas, and the Blaan from Mindanao.

By Roel Hoang Manipon

KALINGA The Kalinga can be usually found in the province of Kalinga in the heart of the Cordillera Region of northern Luzon. They are often grouped into three subgroups—Balbalan (northern), Lubuagan (southern), and Maducayan (eastern)—although there are other postulated subgrouping. Because of their dress and personal ornamentations, the Kalinga have been dubbed the “Peacocks of the North.” They are also known for distinctive pottery, basketry and metal craft.

(Reference: Glimpses: Peoples of the Philippines by Dr. Jesus T. Peralta, NCCA, 2000; and Kalinga of Cordillera by Maximo B. Garming, NCCA, 2009)

Dinaya or siniwat, colorful and fitting vest or jacket, usually worn by men from the subgroups in northern Kalinga.

Also in northern Kalinga, men wear silup, fit upper garment. Usually, Kalinga men do not wear upper garments.

During occasions, men also sport tapis, a piece of cloth, usually in plain red or stripes, draped over the shoulders and reaching to the knees.

Ba-ag, loincloth or G-string.

In southern Kalinga, men usually wear red loincloths tightly wound between the legs and around the waist and knotted at the back. Men from the upper class have red loincloths with yellow figures at both ends, and usually adorned with shells and tassels.

Alonzo Saclag, musician, dancer and Manlilikha ng Bayan, and wife Rebecca Saclag Lubuagan, Kalinga /Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

Lawi, headdress with rooster feathers Gamat, blouse.

Traditionally, Kalinga women do not wear upper garments. In contemporary times, the women have adopted wearing them.

The gamat can be long- or short-sleeved and can be adorned with native embroidery, shells and coins.

Tapis or kain, wraparound skirt usually with red, yellow and indigo stripes. In the northern area, it is embellished with shells, beads and coins.

Both the ba-ag and kain are made from textile hand-woven using the backstrap loom.

The Kalinga also wear several accessories and ornaments such as the basiklo, necklace; kulkul and bongol, bead necklaces; ong-ong, highly valued heirloom bead necklace; lubai, large earrings; tinali, bracelet; and bilay lekted, elbow and arm band.

Batek, the Kalinga term for the traditional tattoos, or inscriptions on the skin, is also an important part of the Kalinga body ornamentation for both men and women, known for elaborate designs. Aside from aesthetics, the batek also convey the wearer’s social status as well as achievements.

12 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

Biningkit, necklace of beads and coins, an innovation of contemporary. It is usually given as heirloom by grandmothers. The coins are a show of a family's wealth.

Pudong, a headdress of cloth embellished with panubok and coins. Also called tangko.

Baliog, choker with panubok and coins

Panubok is the native embroidery (from the word tubok, which means “to sew” or “to embroider; tinubkan means “embroidered”), used in Panay Bukidnon attire and accessories.

Threads from old blankets are usually used together with pieces of flour sack or katsa.

Many consider the barangay of Tabon in Tapaz, Capiz, as the birthplace of the panubok. Lore has it that the Tabon folks of old prefered to stay home and preen themselves rather than work in the fields and eventually conceptualized the panubok.

The village became famous for the craft that women from other mountains traveled for days just to have their clothes embroidered by the Tabon women. Eventually, the craft was learned by other communities and became widespread in Central Panay. Usual designs and patterns of today’s panubok include binunghay (bamboo mat pattern), bulak ka bukinggan (mountain flower), sudlikama (snake scales), matang punay (eye of the punay bird), sikagsikag (fish bones), bulak ka putik (sunflower) and tanum (plants).

Sinumbrahan, blouse.

Also called saypang. Koton refers to a blouse that is usually white. The blouse has puffed sleeves and is embellished with panubok.

Patadyong, wraparound skirt.

It is also used by other Visayan groups such as the Kiniray-a and Hiligaynon. Cloth used for patadyong is still handwoven, using the pedal loom, and weaving centers include Bagtason, Bugasong in Antique, and Miag-ao, Iloilo. Patadyong design patterns are usually in plaids and are in bright colors.

Other Panay Bukidnon accessories include walcos, belt embellished with coins; and polceras, wristband or armband with panubok.

Rolinda A. Gilbaliga Student Calinog, Iloilo /Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 13 Tinubkang pulos, headband with panubok, a more recent addition to the attire

Panyo, hankerchief

PANAY BUKIDNON The Panay Bukidnon is an indigenous ethnic group found in the mountainous central area of the Panay Island of Western Visayas. The name Bukidnon is Visayan for “from the mountains” or “person/people from the mountains.” They are also called Sulod, Bukid, Mundo, Putian, Monteses and Buki.

According to anthropologist Dr. Jesus Peralta, “the Panay Bukidnon population is within the range of 14,000. The adaptation is highland culture and Visayan in features with the subsistence base founded on slashand-burn cultivation. The principal crops are upland rice, corn and roots, supplemented by trapping and food-foraging.

“Clusters of a few houses compose a settlement. It is usually headed by the oldest man called parankuton, assisted by a younger man called timbang in community activities and conflicts. The roles are not hereditary. Traditional religious rites are numerous including 16 major ones celebrated by a baylan.”

The Panay Bukidnon is known for their epics, the most famous of which is the Hinilawod. These epics, among the most extensive in the country, are committed to memory, like those of the Ifugao, and are chanted on occasions. Chanter Federico Caballero of Calinog, Iloilo, was proclaimed Manlilikha ng Bayan (National Living Treasure) in 2000.

(Reference: Glimpses: Peoples of the Philippines by Dr. Jesus T. Peralta, NCCA, 2000)

Tinubkang bayo, men’s top or shirt with panubok designs. The traditional tinubkan is black, usually reserved for elders and/or men of higher standing in a community . Red ones are recent introductions.

Dilargo, pants, which is adopted from modern attire

Jesus Insilada Palanca Award-winning writer and schoolteacher Banban Pequeño, Calinog, Iloilo

14 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

BLAAN The Blaan, one of the indigenous groups of southern Mindanao, can presently be found in the provinces of South Cotabato, Sultan Kudarat, Sarangani, Davao Del Sur and Davao Occidental, and the city of General Santos. Traditionally, they inhabit the hills behind the west coast of Davao Gulf and the watershed of Davao and Cotabato. In very recent times, they have moved toward the coastal areas. There are several subgroups: Tagalagad, Tagcogon, Buluan, Biraan, Vilanes, and Balud.

Anthropologist Dr. Jesus Peralta describes their basic culture as “dry cultivation of a broad range of food plants including rice, supplemented by food gathering and hunting…The same pattern of scattered settlements exists among the group although the houses generally remain within sight of each other near swidden fields…

Each neighborhood is organized under a local datu who has autonomous authority over an area depending on his personal influence. The position is supposedly hereditary and follows a rule of the firstborn assuming the position.”

The Blaan have their own language, classified in a group that includes the Tiruray and Tboli, which are distinct from the central Philippine group.

The Blaan are traditionally animist, believing in a god called Dwata, capable of both good and evil. He is known as Fye Weh (the good one who lives in heaven), Sê Weh (the evil one who lives underneath the earth), and Mèlè (overlord who lives underneath the earth and bringer of death). The Blaans have been Christianized.

They are known for their hand-weaving or mabal tabih using abaca fibers and ikat dyeing technique.

(Reference: Glimpses: Peoples of the Philippines by Dr. Jesus T. Peralta, NCCA, 2000; Blaan by Datu Antonio P. Kinoc, NCCA, 2002; and Sarangani: Peoples and Cultures by Dr. Heidi K. Gloria, with Helen Lumbos, Betty Katug et al, Provincial Government of Sarangani, 2006)

Fulung Calingo Maluma Traditional elder and chieftain of the village of Lamlifew, who died in 2015 Datal Tampal, Malungon, Sarangani /Photo by Cocoy Sexcion

Utob, head cover

Saul, a common term for top or upper garment.

It is made from hand-woven textile of abaca fibers, and embellished with cross-stitched embroidery (ansif).

Upper garment of this embellishment is called saul ansif.

Salwal, a common term for pants or trousers. It is also made from hand-woven textile of abaca fibers, and embellished with crossstitched embroidery. Pants of this embellishment is called salwal ansif.

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 15

Swat, comb and headdress

Ulel, earrings

Slah, bead necklace

Faglung, Blaan boat-shaped lute

Albong or albung, common Blaan term for “blouse.”

Pictured is the albong sanlah (blouse with beaded embroidery) made by Fu Yabing Masalon Dulo and her grandchildren in Amgu-o, Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato.

Gintlo, Blaan term for the plaid skirt. It is commonly known as malong by Christian settlers. Pictured is a gintlo woven by the Maguindanao. The Blaan are known to also use gintlo aside from their own tubular skirt, tabih dafeng.

The tabih is made from hand-woven textile of abaca fibers.

Other Blaan blouse designs are albong/albung ansif (cross-stitched blouse) and albong/albung takmun (mother-of-pearl embroidery)

Arjho Cariño Turner Housewife , mother and advocate for Blaan culture, natural resource management and good governance Landan, Polomolok, South Cotabato /Photo by Vic Romero

16 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

N

othing is more misleading, empty and vague than the cliché that Philippine culture is a blending

of East and West. Worse is the statement that

it is a mixture of Malay, Chinese, Spanish and American influences. The number of times this is invoked by Filipinos often betrays the degree to which they are willing to accommodate further foreign influences or pander to a rhetorical and sentimental internationalism (endemic among those Filipino elites who do not truly feel equal to Westerners).

The Filipinos indigenized the American Willys jeep, transforming it into the festive folk-pop baroque creation that is the jeepney /Illustration by Ryan Arengo

Sum of the Parts What exactly is meant by a blending of East and West? Does it mean mixing Eastern and Western cultural identities so thoroughly that a new identity, neither one nor the other, emerges, as when black or white combine to produce gray? Does it mean a merging of these identities in a way that obscures their original character, as when antique and modern designs on furniture are combined without any clear emphasis on one or the other?

If this is what blending, synthesis or harmony means, then Philippine culture is not a blending of East and West because essentially it has not lost its unique identity or compromised with the West, despite appearances to the contrary. Our people have retained their distinct character and peculiar ways in-spite of centuries of Spanish and American colonization.

Asiatic Underneath This continuity is nowhere more visible than in our kinship patterns, whose character and extent, perhaps wider than in any other country, have hardly changed since ancient times despite modern Western influences. It is almost equally manifest in the resiliency of our animistic faith, which continues to co-exist with Christianity. In Quiapo, amulets and talismans (called anting-anting) are sold side by side with images of the Santo Niño, Virgin Mary or the saints.

Even today, a person who passes by a balete tree seeks permission from its nature spirits by saying “Tabi po. Makikiraan lang po.”

The American writer Beth Day, describing her experiences with Filipinos, confesses: “Filipinos are among the easiest to know of all Asians—they seem deceptively familiar, with their oddly accented but easily understood English, their Western dress, Rotary clubs, Jaycees, and Coca-Cola. Their music, religion, social manners are so comfortable that it often comes as a shock, on closer acquaintance, to find beneath the Westernized facade, the Asian mystique alive and flourishing. Scratch the friendly surface, and you are still dealing with Asiatic values.”

Like other cultures, Philippine culture has an integrity and wholeness that is more than the sum of its parts. It is highly selective, actively receiving and rejecting external influences. It is not a tabula rasa upon which other peoples can willfully write their own prescriptions for social directions and meaning. Filipinos eventually modify foreign influences according to their own values.

Filipinos, due to a negative self-image, have the compulsive,

Quest The

Ide

of

By Felipe M. de Leon, Jr.

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 17 irrational obsession of tracing every worthy element of their culture to a foreign source, as if a culture can be reduced to its origins.

Thus, we hardly praise ourselves for the creative beauty and elegance of our ancient script, the baybayin (erroneously called alibata), still being used by the Tagbanwa of Palawan and Hanunoo of Mindoro, because some scholars attribute it to Sanskrit origins.

Another supposedly learned Filipino scholar even went so far as to declare that the carabao is not Filipino because it is not native to these islands. He might as well have said the fiesta is not Filipino because its origins are Mexican.

Question of Origins To point to origins as the basis of cultural identity is to deny the creative contributions of many cultures. For instance, the most impressive scientific and technological achievements of the Europeans are in those fields where the West borrowed heavily from Eastern cultures. The compass, paper, gun, cannon, two-staged rocket, seismograph, and silk all came to the West from China. Movable type printing, said to have been invented by Gutenberg of Germany in 1450, is also of Chinese origin. What Gutenberg actually did was to fashion a movable type of the European alphabet using an alloy lead, antimony and tin, modeled on the principle of Chinese movable type, invented by Bi Sheng over four centuries earlier.

Where would Western mathematics be today without the modern system of writing numbers thought up by the Hindus and transmitted to Europe by the Arabs? Using Roman numerals, even addition and subtraction become brain-twisters. What more if we attempt multiplication and division using them.

Asian Influence on the West According to science fiction writer and prolific popularizer of modern scientific knowledge Isaac Asimov, “the lack of a proper system of writing numbers held back the advance of Greek mathematics since the Greek system was no more sensible than the Roman system. It is said that if the greatest of the Greek mathematicians, Archimedes, had only had our (Hindu-Arabic) number system, he would have invented calculus, and it would not have to wait eighteen hundred years for Newton to invent it.”

Many, many more Asian influences on Western culture can be cited but those given suffice to show that the description of Philippine culture as a blending of East and West hardly means anything and

stion

dentity

is not precise enough to differentiate Philippine from other cultures.

The question of Filipino culture identity is not an insoluble problem, if we know how and where to look.

Looking at the contemporary urban Filipino and his material environment can easily dishearten the ardent nationalist who seeks to discover traces of Filipino identity in appearances. The clothes, houses, furniture, appliances, cities and machines the citified Filipino surrounds himself with have forms that are essentially identical to those found in the West. The resemblance extends even to skills such as computer programming, advertising, engineering, cataloguing books, and factory work.

But appearances can deceive. Consider this vignette from everyday Filipino life. A smart-looking teenage girl seated inside a jeepney is comfortable in her mini-skirt. She struggles to twist her tightly clamped knees to one side for modesty’s sake, to the dismay of other passengers who are edged out of their seats. Failing in this she grabs anything—handkerchief, books, bag—to cover her laps down to the knees. Or else, she mightily pulls her skirt to extend it downwards!

If a Filipina has to go through this ritual every time she sits down in her mini, why does she have to wear one at all? Obviously, the answer has very little to do with the reason European and American women wear it: to be more mobile, to enhance sexual allure or to display leggy assets. In our culture, on the other hand, it is more to be socially in, sunod sa uso; to look smart and young—and pretty.

The Western-designed mini-skirt, with its fixed length fits Western sex-obsessed values. But a Filipina has very different values.

If she were to design an ideal mini for herself, it would surely be flexible, variable in length. One that gets shorter when she stands up and gets longer when she sits down!

Cultural Identity The point here is that cultural identity is encountered not only in the level of forms but equally so in their meanings, functions and uses or the values associated with them.

Identical forms across cultures rarely carry the same meanings, functions and uses. A Filipino driver seeing a yellow light steps on the gas to beat it instead of slowing down as in other countries. An image of the Christ Child, Blessed Virgin or a saint is not a mere religious symbol to the Filipino. It is literally a potent source of magic, power and strength, or anting-anting. A Coca-Cola bottle ceases to be the all-American secular symbol it is except in form once it is made part of the atang, a ritual offering to the spirits often performed by the folk Filipino. The throw-away society that is America sanctions the practice by an American fast-food chain of discarding cooked food that is beyond ten minutes old. This is unthinkable in the Filipino tradition not because we have a culture of poverty but because we still regard food as sacred.

Filipinos exist under unique and peculiar material and social conditions. Our needs, perceptions and values inevitably differ from those of other peoples. Thus, we invest borrowed forms with our own meanings and functions, whether we are aware of it or not.

This reinterpretation of borrowed forms is the first step towards Filipinization or indigenization, which we may label functional indigenization.

As the pressure of its new function (in the context of our culture and society) bears upon a borrowed form, it ultimately loses its integrity and changes into something else. Its form is altered to suit (match, correspond to) its new function.

Turn to page 20

PROUD KA

BANG IKAW AY

FILIPINO? 92.2% Pagkasunod-sunod ng mga rehiyon na nagsasabing ipinagmamalaki nilang maging Filipino ayon sa may pinakamataas hanggang sa pinakamababang porsiyento: RANGKO 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

REHIYON 10 (Hilagang Mindanao) 2 (Lambak Cagayan) 4A (CALABARZON) 13 (CARAGA) 1 (Rehiyong Ilocos) 4B (MIMAROPA) CAR (Administratibong Rehiyon ng Cordillera) 9 (Kanlurang Mindanao) 3 (Gitnang Luzon) 5 (Rehiyong Bikol) 12 (SOCCSKSARGEN) 6 (Kanlurang Visayas) 7 (Gitnang Visayas) 11 (Timog Mindanao) NCR (Pambansang Punong Rehiyon) ARMM (Awtonomong Rehiyon ng Muslim Mindanao)

TALA: Hindi kalahok sa datos ang Rehiyon 8 o Silangang Visayas dahil sa pananalanta ng bagyong Yolanda nang isagawa ang survey.

Batay sa Kapasiyahan ng Kalupunan ng mga Komisyoner blg. 2013-19 ng Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino na nagpapanukalang gamitin ang “Filipinas” imbes na “Pilipinas” at nagsusulong ng maugnaying pag-unlad (inclusive growth) sa pamamagitan ng wikang Filipino.

ng populasyon edad 10-64 ang nagsasabing ipinagmamalaki nilang maging Filipino.

ALAM MO BA KUNG ANO ANG DAPAT GAWIN KAPAG NARIRINIG ANG PAGTUGTOG NG PAMBANSANG AWIT NG FILIPINAS?

Ayon sa Seksiyon 21 at 38 ng Batas Republika Blg. 8491 [ang Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines], dapat huminto, humarap sa bandila, magtanggal ng sombrero, at ilagay ang kanang kamay sa dibdib kapag naririnig ang pagtugtog ng Pambansang Awit ng Filipinas.

75.0% ng mga Filipino na nasa edad 10-64 ang alam ang dapat gawin kapag naririnig ang pagtugtog ng Pambansang Awit.

ALAM MO BA KUNG ANO ANG IPINAGDIRIWANG NG ATING BANSA TUWING HUNYO 12?

76.2%

ng mga Filipino na nasa edad 10-64 ay alam kung ano ang ipinagdiriwang tuwing Hunyo 12.

Inihayag ni Heneral Emilio Aguinaldo noong 12 Hunyo 1898 sa Kawit, Cavite ang kalayaan ng Filipinas mula sa kolonisasyon ng España. Sa bisa ng Batas Republika Blg. 4166, itinalaga ang Hunyo 12 bilang pagdiriwang ng Kalayaan ng Filipinas.

Isinalin sa Filipino ng:

Pangkulturang Estadistika ng Filipinas

Ang Pambansang Komisyon para sa Kultura at mga Sining (National Commission for Culture and the Arts) ang pangkalahatang ahensiyang lumilikha ng mga patakaran at pakikipag-ugnayan hinggil sa sining at kultura at may mandato sa pagsasagawa ng sistematikong pagtitipon ng datos estadistika at iba pang uri nito na sumasalamin sa estado ng kultura ng bansa.

Ang Pangkulturang Estadistika ng Filipinas (Philippine Cultural Statistics) ang pánukatán na sistematiko ang pagtitipon, pag-aaral, at pagpapahayag ng kapuwa kantitatibo at kalitatibong aspekto ng kultura na pawang nakatutulong sa pag-unlad ng bansa. Inihahandog ng publikasyong ito ang susing estadistika at impormasyong kaugnay ng sining at kultura ng Filipinas.

KOMISYON SA WIKANG FILIPINO Gusaling Watson, 1610 Kalye J.P. Laurel, Malacañan Palace Complex, San Miguel, 1005 Maynila Telepono: (02) 736.25/25/24; 736.2519 Website: www.kwf.gov.ph Batayan:

2013 Functional Literacy, Education and Mass Media Survey (FLEMMS)

PHILIPPINE STATISTICS AUTHORITY

Gusaling CVEA, East Avenue, Diliman, Lungsod Quezon Telepono: (02) 376-2026; 376-1995 website: www.psa.gov.ph

20 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

The Question...

From page 17

Indigenous-looking Spectacle This is what happened to the drab, dark olive green, squarish war utility vehicle called Willys jeep, which we transformed into the festive folk-pop baroque creation that is the jeepney. When the jeepney was exhibited at the New York World’s Fair in 1964 and 1965, it was such an indigenous-looking spectacle “the U.S. public hardly recognize the Original out of which the jeepney metamorphosed,” reports poet, writer, art critic Emmanuel Torres.

What we did to the Willys jeep we did to the Hispanic tango, which emerged as the Filipino dansa (ex. Maalaala Mo Kaya), the German polka becomes the maglalatik, and American English is fast mutating into Taglish or Engalog.

This second and deeper level of indigenization (involving change of form) we may label structural indigenization (instead of the term syncretic, which does not connote a direction or urge toward unity).

It is difficult, if not impossible, to recognize the original borrowed form when it is extensively or fully indigenized (structurally, that is). An American may not recognize at all the English in Yoyoy Villame’s “Magellan.” But this English is what is understood, meaningful and functional to the majority of Filipinos, a fact which explains Yoyo’s immense popularity. It is a question of who we are serving that decides the kind of English (or language) to use.

A Western observer who sees the forms of his culture here in our country expecting the meanings, functions and uses he is familiar with will be bewildered no end.

It is quite clear, then, that in searching for what is Filipino, we do not stop at the level of influences. We have to find out what we did to these influences, how we transformed them to make them our own, or how we Filipinized them.

From this perspective, the acid test of identity is to look at our history and realize how we became even more Filipino after each wave of influences, beginning with our indigenization of Austronesian lan-

guages from the time our ancestors settled in this archipelago until about 500 A.D. The second wave was the way Islam was transformed by the datu system and, ultimately, by the sultanate in Mindanao.

The third wave was the coming of Spanish influences, where each new idea introduced later was tamed to suit our needs and values. And the fourth, of course, was the current wave of American influences which we continue to change into our own as soon as they come.

We also must not forget the constant entry since prehistoric times of Chinese influences, especially in the culinary arts, that inevitably became Filipino.

Not only have we always asserted our unique identity each time we transformed influences. What is important to note is that with each entry of foreign ideas and things, we have become culturally enriched and distinct. As each wave became part of our lives, we became more different from our Asian neighbors, and thus more distinctly Filipino. For after all, identity means being different, distinct and unique. We are the only Southeast Asian culture with a strong Spanish and American heritage.

Delaying the Inevitable The obstacles to Filipinization are many, including being bombarded with foreign influences through the media and our persistent colonial mentality. But the process of indigenization is inevitable and can only be delayed. For a culture is, in the last analysis, only and wholly itself. Moreover, because indigenization ultimately benefits the Filipino masses, social and historical forces will push it forward.

Observe that we tend to reject forms that cannot be reconciled with our needs and values, like the crumpled look several years back that foreign fashion designers tried to sell us. Filipinos, being highly sociable, like their clothes to appear neat, not gusgusin. As an Indian professor noted, a Filipino, no matter how poor, are fashionable dressers.

We tend to retain forms that we can invest with our own meanings and functions, and indigenize them, sooner or later. A study of the forms we reject and those we select, and ultimately indigenize (functionally and structurally) may provide significant clues to the Filipino character.

Felipe M. De Leon, Jr. is the chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts. He is a professor of Art Studies at the University of the Philippines where he teaches humanities, aesthetics, music theory and Philippine art and culture, and a lecturer on social transformation courses at the Asian Social Institute. His experience as a cultural administrator/manager is extensive and widely recognized. De Leon, Jr. is the son of National Artist for music Felipe Padilla de Leon, Sr. and the father of musician Diwa De Leon and multi-awarded triathlon athlete Ani De Leon.

Philippine Statistics Authority Adopts the Philippine Cultural Statistics Framework

T

he Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Board approved the adoption of the Philippine Cultural Statistics Framework (PCSF), developed by the NCCA on March 16, 2016.

A localized version of the 2009 UNESCO Framework for Cultural Statistics, the PCSF is also tool for organizing cultural statistics, providing conceptual foundation which enables the production and dissemination of cultural data, supporting research component in policymaking, and measuring the impact of culture and arts in Philippine development.

The development of the PCSF involved the participation of culture and arts sector such as cultural workers, cultural agencies, artists and experts in the various art disciplines. Technical working group meetings, focused group discussions, consultation workshops

and validation conferences were conducted to create a framework that is locally sensitive and reflective of Philippine culture and arts.

With the adoption of the PCSF, the NCCA will be able to address one of the major challenges in the Philippine Development Plan which is to formulate a widely acceptable set of cultural indicators that would help systematize cultural development planning. It will likewise pave the way for the systematic generation of cultural statistics.

The Philippine Cultural Statistics Framework was endorsed by the NCCA Board of Commissioners, headed by chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., for adoption to the PSA through its Inter-agency Committee on Educational Statistics, headed by Assistant Secretary Jesus Lorenzo R. Mateo.

Bridging Cultures from North to South Katutubo Exchange 4 held in Maitum, Sarangani

O

n its fourth year, Katutubo Exchange Philippines, a volunteer organization of youth and cultural workers headed by its founder and president Dr. Edwin Antonio, brought its annual program Katutubo Exchange (KX) for the first time in the island of Mindanao to celebrate National Heritage Month with its theme, “Ipagdiwang ang mga sagisag kultura, mga dunong katutubo at mga pamana ng lahi.” The municipality of Maitum of the province of Sarangani hosted the event from May 2 to 6, 2016.

The delegates from northern Philippines were flown in to the south by its official airline partner Cebu Pacific Air. From the airport, they went straight for a courtesy visit at the capitol in Alabel and later were given briefing and orientation about the Katutubo Exchange program at their homestay places. They were warmly received by their respective host parents Linda Narte for boys and Jennifer Poncardas for the girls. It was everyone’s first time to meet each other.

The 27 participating youth and their adult leaders were Mia Tamundong, Renz Decino and Rosalee Joy Reyes Maaño of the Ayta group from Bataan; Aliah Lee Calube, Gibryl Brin Cacayorin of Itneg group; Jessa Galandez and Joshua Juan of Ilocano group from Ilocos Norte; Jackielene Doguil of Ibaloy from Benguet; Clifford Osingat of Bugkalot from Nueva Vizcaya; Dean Zeus Galotia, Lyka Joebhelle Pagaddut, Kvaq Creol Ananayo, Fatima Tugunen and Roxanne Bogbog of Ifugao from the province of Ifugao; Wilson Lastrilla of Panay Bukidnon from Iloilo; and from the province of Sarangani, Reizel Mae Fado, Cecel Gaton, Pinalyn Camat, Angelica Guiang, Wednalyn Sukal, Mylene Adam, Vilma Adon, Melanie Lugan, Arlex Narte of Tiboli group, Kimberly Singcala of Blaan, and Honeyrah Marohombsar of Maguindanao group.

The delegation started with a community outreach activity conducted for the underprivileged children of the Perrett Tiboli Village in the barangay of Kalaong. There were about a hundred kids who benefited from the feeding program, read-along session, story-telling session, indigenous games, action songs, traditional performances and donation of reading materials. The Ayta leader became emotional about the experience of helping, herself coming from a community

that benefited the same program.

To instill a deeper environmental consciousness among the delegates, they were taken to the pawikan hatchery and learning center in the barangay of Kiambing for a talk on the life cyle and protection of endangered marine turtles. The katutubo kids had the chance to see and touch hatchlings for themselves, and they simultaneously released them to the sea. They visited Old Poblacion’s fish port for the catch of flying fish locally called bangsi and witnessed its processing. Lamlunay Reseach Center was another stop where the Luzon delegates had the chance to see for the first time yellow bamboo, durian, rambutan and other plant species. During a visit to the town’s museum, they saw a very important artifact found in Southeast Asia, the Maitum anthropomorphic jars.

Gimong: A Summit on Indigenous Cultures, one of the main components of the program, was held at the JLC Hall. Part of the program was to educate the locals, composed of chieftains, elders, teachers and local government officials. Resource persons came from each ethnic group of the KX delegation and they talked on indigenous knowledge systems and practices.

During the town’s Binuyugan Festival, an indigenous pride parade was held around town. A show of indigenous culture and heritage called “Talugading” was also staged, and it included the chanting of the hudhud of the Ifugao, tadek dance of the Itneg, the kadal taho dance of the Tiboli and many others.

Capping off the program, the delegates trekked to Tabilang Falls, where they were treated to white-water tubing at the Pangi River in New La Union.

Dr. Antonio shared that “it was indeed an exciting adventure for all of the participants this year because they were given the best opportunity to learn our country’s rich heritage from tangible, intangible to its natural heritage, and they too shared what they have, creating a better sense of pride of being katutubo.”

This program was made possible with the invaluable support of the NCCA, mayor Pepito Catimbang, Arlex Narte, Dr. Isaias Alipio Jr., Carlos Fariñas, Dr. Miramar Bumanglag, vice mayor Anastacia Viola, governor Albert Garcia and congressman Teddy Baguilat.

The Katutubo Exchange 4 delegates at a farm in the sitio of Tabilang in Maitum, Sarangani

22 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

T

he Philippines celebrated the 118th anniversary of the declaration of its independence on June 12, 2016, with a slew of activities in different provinces and regions of the country and the theme “Kalayaan 2016: Pagkakaisa, Pag-aambagan, Pagsulong.”

President Benigno S. Aquino led the Araw ng Kalayaan celebration, serving as a flag-bearer during the flag-raising rites at the Rizal Park in Manila in the morning of June 12. Joining him were outgoing Vice President Jejormar Binay and incumbent Manila mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada. A wreath-laying ceremony at the Rizal Monument followed. The President then proceeded to the Rizal Hall of Malacañan Palace for the annual Vin d’Honneur, welcoming the cabinet members, senators and representatives, as well as ambassadors and members of the diplomatic corps.

In his last toast as the country’s chief executive, President Aquino said: “To the Filipino people: May we never lose our patience with the ways of democracy, and may we never take it for granted or be passive in its defense. To the friends of the Philippines: As we collectively face the challenges of an ever-shrinking world, may our solidarity continue to bear fruit in the cooperation that improves the lives of our respective peoples. To our hard won Filipino freedom: Earned by the blood and sacrifice of martyrs, nurtured by the vigilance of an empowered people, may it never again be challenged, diminished, or negated.”

There were also simultaneous flag-raising ceremonies at the dif-

ferent historical landmarks all over the country. Ombudsman Conchita Carpio-Morales led the celebration at the Aguinaldo Shrine in Kawit, Cavite. Mayor Guia Gomez and senator-elect Sherwin Gatchalian raised the flag at Pinaglabanan Shrine in San Juan City, while National Defense Undersecretary Ernesto Carolina led the ceremonies at the Veteran’s Shrine at the Manila North Cemetery. Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno led the celebration at the Quezon City Hall, and senator Cynthia Villar at the Barasoain Church in Bulacan.

Independence Day events on June 11 and 12 included the Balik Tanaw: A Pasig River Tour; the Parada ng Pag-anyaya, where fire trucks paraded around Metro Manila to invite the public to join the celebration; “Musikalayaan” concert; a guided tour for the “Martyrdom of Dr. Jose Rizal: Light and Sound Presentation” at the Light and Sound Complex of the Rizal Park; and the “Mga Pampamahalaang Programa at Serbisyo,” a two-day serbisyong publiko at the Burnham Green, Rizal Park, featuring different exhibits, skill demonstrations, trade fairs and government services.

The Pahiyas Festival-inspired booth by the NCCA won second place at the booth design competition. Inside the booth, the spectators learned about the various festivals that are rooted on Philippine cultures and traditions, as well as sampled the various delicacies such as pancit habhab and Lucban longganisa. The NCCA also co-organized a cultural show for the a culminating program capped by a fireworks display.

The Pahiyas Festival-inspired booth by the NCCA won second place at the booth design competition /Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

NCCA Joins Independence Day Celebration

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 23

Dr. Raul Sunico performs at Studio 105 of Maison de la Radio France on June 7, 2016, in Paris, France /Photo courtesy of the Philippine Embassy in Paris

Dr. Raul Sunico Captivates Audiences in France

D

r. Raul Sunico, president of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), dean of the Conservatory of Music of the University of Sto. Tomas (UST), NCCA Board member and acclaimed pianist, enthralled audiences in France in several performances to celebrate the 118th anniversary of the declaration of Philippine independence.

An audience of about 250 guests enjoyed his exquisite interpretations of French, European and Philippine classical favorites during a concert at the prestigious Studio 105 of Maison de la Radio France on June 7, 2016, in Paris, organized by the Philippine Embassy in Paris.

Distinguished guests for the evening event, which started off with a cocktail reception, were ambassadors and other members of the diplomatic corps in France, including UNESCO and OECD officials of the French government, CEOs and representatives of French companies doing business in the Philippines, and leaders of the Filipino community. The embassy was honored by the presence of Brigitte Ayrault, wife of the French Foreign Minister Jean-Marc Ayrault, both long-standing friends of the Philippines.

In her speech, Philippine ambassador to France, Maria Theresa P. Lazaro, shared that Filipino free-thinkers and great Filipino artists such as Jose Rizal and painters Juan Luna and Felix Resurreccion Hidalgo had been further inspired by ideals of democracy and love of the arts during their stays in France in the 1800s. She remarked that “we, Filipinos, are great appreciators not only of the visual arts but also of performing arts, especially music. And tonight, Dr. Raul Sunico—one of the finest Filipino pianists of all-time—is here to celebrate with us two things that the Philippines and France hold dear: freedom and the arts.”

Lazaro also noted the Philippines’ and France’s “continuously flourishing relations on the political front and economic front” and expressed the Philippines’ “fervent desire to establish a truly meaningful people-to-people exchange among our citizens in the fields of culture, higher education, health cooperation, defense cooperation, among others.”

Juilliard-trained and holder of degrees in Music, Mathematics

and Statistics, Dr. Sunico played fourteen compositions, including Filipino classics “Bato sa Buhangin” and “Hanggang sa Dulo ng Walang Hanggan” by George Canseco as well as Philippine folk songs “Bahay Kubo” and “Leron, Leron Sinta.” The 90-minute concert ended in a standing ovation followed by a brief encore featuring a famous French song.

Following the concert at Maison de la Radio France, Dr. Sunico made his way south of Paris to perform in Lyon on June 9.

The concert, held at the French historical monument Temple du Change, was organized by the Filipino community based in Lyon as a way of sharing Philippine cultural heritage and showcasing Filipino talent to their professional and personal circles, as well as to the general public in Lyon.

“One can see in some Philippine masterpieces how our artists have been able to take these Western influences and infuse it magically into original Filipino artwork, and the other way around. Other times, Filipino artists celebrate the contrast and similarities by presenting Western art side-by-side with our own,” remarked Lazaro.

Dr. Sunico at the Temple du Change in Lyon, France /Photo courtesy of the Philippine Embassy in Paris

24 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

Festivities Around the World The 118th anniversary of the declaration of independence on June 12, 2016, was celebrated not only in the Philippines but also by Filipino communities and Philippine embassies in different parts of the world. The NCCA, through its International Affairs Office (IAO), supported some of these celebrations to make these activities culturally-rooted and meaningful.

A Concert and a Ceremony in New Delhi, India

Music and Magic in Xiamen, China

Nightingales in Toronto, CANADA

The Philippine Embassy in New Delhi celebrated Independence Day in India with a cultural performance featuring Chennai-based pianist Alexandra Minosa and Manila-based soprano Anna Migallos, and Filipino community members in Chennai. The event was organized with the support of the Philippine Honorary Consulate General in Chennai led by Philippine Honorary Consul General Ashwin C. Muthiah, on June 8, 2016, at the ITC Grand Chola Hotel.

On June 12, the embassy, together with the members of the Filipino community, held a flag-raising ceremony at the embassy grounds followed by a traditional Filipino breakfast. The guests included Filipino community members in New Delhi, Filipino expatriates working for international organizations and Indian friends of the embassy.

The participation of featured performers was made possible through the support of the NCCA.

Dr. Raul M. Sunico successfully held his debut concert, “An Enchanting Evening of Music and Magic,” in Xiamen City as one of the highlights of the commemoration of the 118th Anniversary of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence.

It was held at the Kempinski Hotel on June 22, 2016. Fujian Foreign Affairs Office (FAO) deputy director general Wang Tianming led more than 400 guests which included the Fujian Foreign Affairs Office employees; Xiamen, Jinjiang, Quanzhou and Shishi Cities Foreign and Overseas Chinese Affairs Office (FOCAO) officials; members of the Fujian diplomatic corps; Filipino-Chinese businessmen in Fujian province; Filipino community leaders; students from Xiamen University; the media; and Post’s official contacts.

The concert offered a mixed repertoire of classics (Russian, German, Polish and Filipino) as well as contemporary pieces (Filipino, Chinese and American) to the great delight of the audience.

As part of the commemorative activities, Dr. Sunico, accompanied

by Philippine consul general to Xiamen Julius Caesar A. Flores and Consulate General’s officers, visited the Arts College of Xiamen University on June 20. They turned-over a kudyapi to university officials for its museum of musical instruments.

Dr. Sunico also visited the Piano Museum in Gulangyu Island.

The Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, Canada, presented “Double! Double!: The Nightingales in Concert” on June 10, 2016 at the Spadina Theatre Alliance Francaise. It featured classical singers Bianca Camille Lopez and Aizel Izza Prietos-Livioco with a repertoire consisting of opera arias, Broadway classics and popular standards.

A series of mini concerts were held on June 12 at the Muti-purpose Hall of the PCG Toronto for the Filipino community; on June 16 at the Sens House, for the Filipino community, federal government officials, diplomatic corps and business community; on June 17 for the Filipino community and Canadian nationals at the Centurion Conference and Event Centre; and on June 18 at the St. Michael the Archangel Parish Hall.

Soprano Anna Migallos and pianist Alexandra Minoza

Classical singers Bianca Camille Lopez and Aizel Izza Prietos-Livioco

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 25

The Bayanihan in Canberra and Sydney, Australia

A Filipino Fiesta in Athens, greece

FIlipino CUiSINE in Toronto, Canada

The Bayanihan National Folk Dance Company of the Philippines presented goodwill performances and conducted dance workshops in Australia through the efforts of the Philippine Embassy in Canberra and the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney in collaboration with the NCCA, the Department of Tourism (DOT) and Philippine Airlines (PAL).

The Philippine Consulate General in Sydney hosted a reception and a performance of the Bayanihan at the Science Theatre of the University of New South Wales (NSW), Kensington, to commemorate Philippine Independence Day and the 70th anniversary of the establishment of Philippines-Australia Diplomatic Relations on June 14, 2016. It was attended by about 380 guests, including Australian federal and state government officials; members of the consular corps; representatives from the academe, the private sector, art institutions; and the Filipino community in NSW. David Clarke, member of the NSW Legislative Council and Parliamentary Secretary for Justice, represented NSW Premier Mark Baird at the event.

On June 11, the Bayanihan performed at the Philippine National Day Ball organized by the Filipino community umbrella organization, Philippine Community Council of New South Wales (PCC-NSW), in cooperation with the Philippine Consulate General in Sydney, at the Rosehill Gardens in Rosehill, NSW. The event was attended by around 400 guests, including Kevin Connolly, member for Riverstone, representing Premier Baird. He noted the vibrant and active participation of the Filipino community in activities that enrich the multicultural fabric of Australian society.

The Philippine Embassy in Athens, Greece, held the “Meet My Country (MMC): The Philippines” at the Philippine ambassador’s official residence on June 13. It is a major activity of the Women’s International Club (WIC) of Athens, in which they invite an embassy to present its country and its cultures. The WIC is led by its president Cristina Butler, and its membership is composed of ambassadors’ spouses, spouses of Greek government officials and business people, as well as key personalities in Greek culture and society. The theme of the MMC was the Filipino fiesta, and the venue was decorated with bamboo arches and buntings. Performers from the Philippines, brought by the NCCA, serenaded guests with popular kundimans and pop songs.

The Tingguians of Abra in Greece (TAG), an Athens-based organization of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) from Abra, also provided entertainment by performing a traditional Tingguian dance.

As dovetail activity and to celebrate Philippine Independence, the Philippine Embassy in Athens hosted a diplomatic reception at the Hotel Grand Bretagne in Athens on June 14.

To entertain guests, four Filipino performers—Cherry Garlan Caballero, soprano; Jemuel Rei Palon Victorino, tenor; Maria Belen Jawili Bautista, pianist; and Persival Sengson Bautista, bass—were flown in from Metro Manila, courtesy of the NCCA.

Chef Myrna Dizon Segismundo was in Toronto, Canada, through the joint efforts of the Philippine Consulate General in Toronto, the NCCA and Philippine Airlines.

On June 25, 2016, she had a lively exchange with attendees of “Pagkain: A Philippine Food Exhibit” held at the Culinaria Research Center Kitchen, Science Wing of the University of Toronto in its Scarborough Campus. On June 27, she presided at a chef demo and reception at George Brown College’s Center for Hospitality and Culinary Arts.

On June 28, she prepared the dishes at a formal dinner called “A Dinner to Remember” at the Chef ’s House Restaurant on 215 King Street East.

“Pagkain: A Philippine Food Exhibit” is an adaptation of the book Kulinarya: A Guidebook to Philippine Cuisine, with annotations by writer Michaela Fenix and photographs by Neal Oshima. The exhibit, an offshoot of the DFA (ASPAC)–NCCA collaborative project on modular exhibits on Filipino culture, introduces the audience to Filipino food, tracing its influences and celebrating quintessential Filipino cooking.

Chef Myrna Dizon Segismundo, along with chef Jill Sandique and chef Li, prepares a ticketed full-course Filipino dinner at the Chef’s House

The NCCA fulfills its mandate to promote cultural relations with the international community through its Culture and Diplomacy Program under the IAO. Among the activities of the IAO include policy consultations with various line agencies towards the formulation, signing and implementation of bilateral and multilateral cultural agreements with counterpart foreign agencies, regional/intergovernmental organizations (IGOs) and their affiliate parties; participation of Filipino artists and cultural workers in international festivals, competitions, fora and people-to-people exchanges; and linkages and networking with foreign institutions and various regional and intergovernmental organizations. Also, various cultural activities and events initiated by Philippine embassies and missions abroad are given support.

26 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

Culturing a More Meaningful Education Philippine Cultural Education Program Conducts Kaguruang Makabayan: National Teachers’ Training on Culture-Based Teaching

Kaguma participants were encouraged to create culturebased instruction plans during the workshops /Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 27

C

ulture is the core and foundation of education, governance, and sustainable development. Cognizant of this, the NCCA’s Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP), currently headed by Joseph “Sonny” Cristobal, constantly strives to develop among Filipinos, a greater awareness, understanding, and appreciation of their culture and arts, towards the evolution of a consciousness that will improve the quality of their lives. It was designed to make cultural education accessible to all sectors of Philippine society, particularly the youth, teachers, artists and cultural workers, officials and employees of the government, members of the media, and civil society.

One of PCEP’s main projects is the Kaguruang Makabayan: National Training on Culture-Based Basic Education Curriculum and Lesson Exemplar Competition (Kaguma), which is conducted every year.

Kaguma aims to provide public school teachers and officials with comprehensive training in developing lesson exemplars and applied classrooms teaching methodologies that explore Multiple Intelligences and Mother Tongue-Based Multilingual Education (MTB-MLE) through culture-based, integrative and interactive teaching approaches and strategies across the K to 12 Curriculum.

Hundreds of teachers from all over the country attended the 2016 Kaguma conferences held in the three island clusters—Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao—in cooperation with Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation, Department of Education (DepED), National Association of Cultural Educators and Scholars and several universities.

The Luzon leg was held from April 8 to 10, 2016, at the Bicol University in Legazpi City, Albay, where 237 participants attended.

The Visayas leg was held from April 15 to 17 at Aklan State University in Banga, Aklan, with 111 attendees, while the Mindanao leg was held from April 22 to 24 at St. Paul University in Surigao City, Surigao del Norte, with 325 participants.

Training comprised of lectures on such topics as mother tonguebased multilingual education as an essential platform for culture-based education; cultural heritage; cultural education, specifically in the light of ASEAN integration; indigenization and contextualization; and integration of K to 12 curriculum content, standards and cultural knowledge, conducted by professor and head of the NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Dissemination Dr. Orlando Magno, professor Ferdinand Lopez, Ricamela Palis, and Aruin Villalon.

Another part of the training was the workshop wherein participants were able to use lessons, tips and the learning from the lectures and talks. They were tasked to create culture-based instrucThe Kaguma participants of Mindanao /Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

Professor and head of the NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Dissemination Dr. Orlando Magno talks about integration of K to 12 curriculum content, standards and cultural knowledge to teacher-participants /Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

tional plans that will include learning objectives, learning outcomes and teaching tools. The plans were then critiqued by the resource persons and fellow participants.

The participants were also encouraged to keep working and improving their instruction plans and to participate in the Lesson Exemplar Competition, another PCEP project which is being conducted from July to August.

THE PHILIPPINE CULTURAL EDUCATION PROGRAM

The Philippine Cultural Education Program (PCEP) is a comprehensive medium-term plan that outlines goals, policies, programs and projects on cultural education through formal, nonformal and informal systems. The NCCA Board of Commissioners created the PCEP Task Force in March 2007. With the enactment of the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 on March 26, 2010, PCEP established a major gain by its designation as the body, together with the Department of Education, tasked to “formulate the cultural heritage education programs both for local and overseas Filipinos to be incorporated into the formal, alternative and informal education, with emphasis on the protection, conservation and preservation of cultural heritage property.” It has carried out several projects including national consultative meetings, conferences, workshops, training-writeshops, arts camps and festivals on culture-based teaching and good governance.

28 Agung • Number 3 • 2016 Room 2.2 (“Modernity”) of “Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City” /Photo by Elvert Bañares

Marking its Place

The Philippines Debuts at the Venice Architecture Biennale

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any may not realize it, but buildings have a way to change the relationship among people. The structure and layout of buildings have a profound influence on mental states and moods and shape a corresponding way of life.

In rural areas, for example, the buildings stand closer, with open spaces where people can gather and play together, hence, neighbours know and communicate with each other well. In an urban setting, the buildings are usually self-contained and independent of each other. The relationships between people in high-rise, vertical buildings have undergone a dramatic change, since the occupants become isolated, rarely communicating to each other and minding their own business.

While preserving building heritage is important, creating new structures is also necessary. It can also mean looking at existing structures and contemplating on how they give people an understanding of or sense of belonging to a place.

“A dismal future for a city is when there will be no more public spaces where people can develop a strong sense of community, civic sense or sense of belonging.

Well-designed forms and spaces of sacred national shrines and monuments can be effective instruments for unifying our people and enhancing their sense of nationhood,” said NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon Jr. This is the dialogue that the Philippine participation at the 15th International Architecture Biennale in Venice, Italy, wants to initiate. Following the country’s successful return to the Venice Biennale in 2015, the Philippines debuted with “Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City.”A vernissage opened on May 27, 2016, graced by Senator Loren Legarda; Leandro Y. Locsin, Jr., representing the curators and participating artists and architects; Philippine ambassador to Italy Domingo Nolasco, representing the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA); and Adelina Suemith, NCCA OIC-executive director. The exhibit runs until November 27.

The historic first participation of the Philippines at the Venice Architecture Biennale is a joint undertaking of the NCCA, the DFA, and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda. With the theme “Reporting from the Front,” the 15th International Architecture Biennale is organized by La Biennale di

Venizia, presided over by Paolo Baratta and curated by Alejandro Aravena.

For the first conversation about the nation’s built heritage with the world, curator Leandro V. Locsin Partners (LVLP) has invited six foremost architects and three contemporary visual artists to create an exhibit that showcases the rapid creation and destruction of Metro Manila’s built heritage, tackling whether such conditions preclude the formation of the city’s cultural identity.

The curatorial team is composed of Leandro Locsin, Jr., Sudarshan Khadka Jr., and Juan Pablo de la Cruz. Meanwhile, the participating individual architects and firms are Eduardo Calma, Jorge Yuloo, 8X8 Design Studio Co., C/S Design Consultancy, Lima Architecture and Manosa & Co. Inc. Completing the team are artists Poklong Anading, Tad Ermitano and Mark Salvatus, all represented by 1335 Mabini.

In “Muhon,” a Filipino word which roughly translates as “monument” or “place marker,” the artist-participants selected and surveyed buildings, structures, landmarks, boroughs and urban landscapes, evaluating their cultural merits and analyzing their potential within national heritage. The subject

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 29 buildings and urban elements included in the exhibition are Kilometer Zero marker at the Rizal Park, the Pandacan Bridge, Chinatown, the Philippine International Convention Center, the Mandarin Hotel, the Magsaysay Center, the Pasig River, the Makati Stock Exchange, and the Coconut Palace.

Through these, they created three sets of abstracted models built for each of the subjects corresponding to their original state, their current condition, and conjectures regarding their projected future.

Hence, the Philippine Pavilion has three rooms, categorized as “Imprints,” “Markers” and “Projections,” where the three abstractions of each subject created by the artists are placed accordingly.

With the main impetus being the destruction of post-war Brutalist buildings and important urban features, the LVLP aims to underscore the urgency of inclusive public conversations about the relationship of the built environment and the identity of the city. As it stands today, Metro Manila is described as “an adolescent city in flux.”

The exhibit tackles the struggle of a city for identity, as well as shows the implications of the careless destruction of the Filipino built heritage and address the lack of consciousness on this problem. For Kilometer Zero, Anading continues his investigation of the social condition through three video installations. He focuses on the relationships of citizen to citizen, citizen to space, and citizen to its history. Meanwhile, Ermitaño tackles how the notion of iconic architecture becomes paradoxical in a Philippine context where informal settlements abound in his Pandacan Bridge.

Salvatus draws inspiration from Chinatown in Manila, the oldest settlement of Chinese emigrants in the world. Here, he looks into the cyclical course that the city chartered for itself, initiating a potential discourse on the balance between economic, cultural and humanitarian development.

Yulo, on the other hand, internalizes the 40-year-old Mandarin Hotel which has been chipped down to rubble. For the architect, the hotel stood as a pivotal urban element sitting in the cradle of Makati’s urbanization. He hopes to explore National Artist Leandro Locsin’s Brutalist expressions and interpretation of that junction’s urban significance prior to the development of the central business district.

The Ramon Magsaysay Center is the 8X8 Design Studio’s selected muhon, studying its design, history and structure correlating it to economics and trade. The Makati Stock Exchange is the chosen marker for Lima Architecture, which deconstructs it to discover if it merits preservation

Room 2.3 (“Conjecture”)/Photo by Elvert Bañares

Senator Loren Legarda with the curators, artists and architects (from left) Adrian Alfonso (8x8 Design Studio Co.), Pearl Robles (8x8 Design Studio Co.), Mark Salvatus, Nina Gonzalez (C|S Design Consultancy, Inc.), Bambi Mañosa, Leandro Locsin Jr., Senator Legarda, Tad Ermitaño, Juan Paolo dela Cruz, Poklong Anading, and Sudarshan Khadka, Jr.

without hindering new developments.

C/S Design takes on the Pasig River, one of the most important environmental features in Manila, its historical importance in the past and its fading significance in modern days. The sculpture reflects on the relationship of the Filipinos with the Pasig River, perceiving it as “not just an element that bisects a landform but also connects the urban fabric and the landmarks surrounding it.”

Manosa & Co explores the Coconut Palace as a statement of Filipino ingenuity, design and art. Valued for its unique and

locally-sourced construction, the building utilizes the coconut tree for its architectural and design components. Calma, meanwhile, chose the PICC, one of the few remaining National Artist Leandro Locsin buildings that survive times and neglect. “‘Muhon’ reminds us that our appreciation of the past and the current actions we take will determine our future. These nine muhons are but a few of the symbols of our built heritage in our midst that we often neglect but are likely part of our everyday living and of who we are,” concluded Senator Loren Legarda.

30 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

Harvesting the Riches of the Plain Central Luzon Visual Artists Gather at the Fifth Mandalá Art Festival in Pulilan, Bulacan Diego Demetrio’s Kalesa (1984), included in the exhibit “5 Diego: Grupong Eksibisyon ng Angkang Diego”

2016 • Number 3 • Agung 31

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he importance of the rice fields and agriculture was highlighted by visual artists from all over Central Luzon at the fifth Mandalá Art Festival in Pulilan, Bulacan, held on May 12, 2016.

The Mandalá Art Festival celebrates the different visual artistic expressions and visual artists of Central Luzon, which has been held in the town of Pulilan for the past four years. The name mandalá comes from a local term meaning “to gather the very best of the harvest,” and the festival gathers artists of Central Luzon to celebrate the best in visual arts as well as share creative energies to encourage a more close-knit and understanding arts community.

Supported by the NCCA, the municipal government of Pulilan, the Museo de Pulilan and Robinson’s Townville, the First Mandalá Art Festival in 2012 included a competition on the making of painted, miniature, papier-mache carabaos. The carabao, which is integral in traditional Central Luzon agriculture, became an important icon for the festival. It is also a cultural icon of the municipality of Pulilan, which annually holds the Pulilan Carabao Festival. The Second Mandalá Art Festival focused on larger papier-mache heads of carabaos. The third one had a sculpture competition on the theme of the carabao. In 2015, the theme focused on the Rio de Quingua (or Angat River, as it is often called), which traverses several towns in Bulacan and has been traditionally a place of recreation and source of sustenance but has been threatened with pollution.

For 2016, the Fifth Mandalá Art Festival had an art competition as well as a commemorative exhibition.

The art competition reiterated Central Luzon’s reputation as the rice bowl of the Philippines and as an agricultural society whose economic, social and cultural life centers around farming.

With the theme “Kabukiran, Kayamanan ng Bayan” (Rice fields,

Top, left: Raymund Libiran’s Dambana sa Bawat Dulo ng Pangarap, first prize winner of the Mandala Art Festival’s art competition. Top, right: Rex Tatlonghari’s Kadluan ng Yaman, third prize. Above: Eliseo Perreras Jr.’s Mirangle, second prize.

32 Agung • Number 3 • 2016 treasure of the nation), the competition gathered eighty works from artists based in Bulacan, Pampanga, Tarlac, Bataan, Nueva Ecija and Aurora on April 28. These were deliberated upon by a veteran panel of jurors composed of former University of the Philippines Fine Arts dean Leonilo Doloricon, current NCCA National Committee on Visual Arts (NCVA) head Jose Alberto Tañedo, and Dr. Reuben Ramas Cañete.

They chose three winners and six finalists.

The winners were Raymond Libiran for his work Dambana sa Bawat Dulong Pangarap, first prize; Eliseo Perreras, Jr. for his work Mirangle, second prize; and Rex Tatlonghari for his Kadluan ng Yaman, third prize. The six finalists who each received a special citiation were Maria Lourdes Inosanto for Pagbabalik sa Bukid; Reynaldo Bautista for The Farm Keepers; Leo Robles for Gintong Butil; Sherwin Paul Gonzales for Sa Lupang Hinirang; Edgardo Santiago for Hitik sa Bunga; and Maesie de la Pena for Katoto.

They were honored during the opening of an exhibit of all the entries at the Robinson’s Townville Pulilan on May 12.

The special guests for the opening included NCVA Central Luzon representative and Mandala proponent Andrew Alto de Guzman, Pulilan mayor Maritz Ochoa-Montejo, Pulilan vice mayor Ricardo Candido, former commissioner Estelita Aguirre, Sheila Marie de la Pena, and Bulacan provincial head for arts and culture Dr. Eliseo de la Cruz. A performance art project led by festival participant Hermie Pineda, titled Libut, was also a highlight of the opening.

On the same day, the commemora-

An artists interaction session at the Casa San Francisco

The exhibit “5 Diego: Grupong Eksibisyon ng Angkang Diego” at the newly restored Casa San Francisco gives tribute to a respected family of visual artists in Pulilan, Bulacan

tive exhibition of the famed Diego family of Pulilan was also inaugurated. Titled “5 Diego: Grupong Eksibisyon ng Angkang Diego,” the exhibit was held at the newly-restored, American-period 1929 house, Casa San Francisco, featuring fifty paintings, thirty drawings and memorabilia of family members, including the Thirteen Modernist Demetrio Diego (1909-1988), his brother and renowned portraitist Nemesio Diego, and three of Nemesio’s children (Nemesio Jr. or Boy, a former artist for the National Museum; Teresita, who was a London-based artist, and Lydia, who is a

contemporary artist in Pulilan).

The opening was graced by De Guzman, former National Museum curator Nick Legaspi, Tañedo, Lydia Diego and Casa San Francisco owner Emma Castillo Bajet. This was followed by a lecture at the Casa San Francisco and an interactive painting session by the festival participants. The resulting works would be donated to the Museo de Pulilan.

The festival concluded with a fellowship night at Virgoni Resort featuring Central Luzon-based bands Audio Crime and Ice Cream Crank.

The opening of the Mandala Art Festival at the Robinsons Pulilan mall

NCCA GALLERY 2016 • Number 3 • Agung 33 Debbie Ann Sacres with her works /Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

Looking Inwards “Dear Me, Yours Truly,” a thesis exhibition of the BFA Visual Arts and Design students of 2016 of St. Scholastica’s College Manila was mounted at the NCCA Gallery from March 3 to 31, 2016, with an artists’ talk on March 8.

Featuring the works of Anya Acevedo, Danica Callejo, Mary Cuenca, Giselle Lee and Debbie Ann Sacres, the exhibit showed how the artists used personal experiences to

explore the ideas of identity and validation.

The creation of visual representations of the self served as cathartic and self-explorative exercises similar to writing a letter to one’s self. The process of personal introspection enabled the artists to create extensions of their individuality, understand and express emotions by reliving memories and communicate to console through painting, photography and installation.

On Czech Architectural Cubism

Diamond House in Prague-New Town, 19121913, by Emil Kralicek

Mounted from April 7 to 30, 2016, “Czech Architectural Cubism: A Remarkable Trend That Was Born in Prague” exhibit explored one of the significant movements in the development of arts and architecture in Central Europe in the early 20th century—the Czech cubism.

Cubism has influenced many European painters and graphic artists. Around 1910, cubism caught up in the Czech Republic. It didn’t stay on the visual arts fields only but crossed over to architecture.

The exhibit explored the birth of architectural cubism, showed its architects, as well as the different structures, interiors, pieces of furniture and craft objects that they designed in this style from 1911 to 1914, and then shortly after the First World War.

Exhibit Proposals for 2017 Now Being Accepted The NCCA Gallery is now open for exhibition proposals from individual artists or artist groups for its exhibition calendar from February to December 2017. Interested parties are required to submit their proposal with a cover page, which must contain the name/s of the applicant/s and the proposed exhibit and information presented in the following format: Exhibit Title : Name of Applicant (Individual or Group) : Type of Exhibition (Solo or Group) : Contact Person (for artist groups) : Address : Contact Number(s) (Landline and Mobile) : E-mail Address : The proposal must also have a curatorial brief, which shall contain the description and summary of the exhibition, and how the space will be utilized. The gallery requires that each exhibition will have a minimum duration of 15 days to a maximum of 30 days. Any changes shall be subject to approval provided that they are filed by the artist/s with the gallery prior to or within the screening period.

The NCCA Gallery, with the authority of NCAG and NCVA, has the right to make exhibit schedule adjustments which shall be communicated to exhibiting artist/s as soon as such changes are finalized.

Artist/s portfolio is also required and it must have an updated resume of artist/s; ten or more digital photographs of sample artworks, each properly labeled with details such as artist/s name/s, artwork title, medium, dimensions/measurements, year of completion, and a brief description if possible; any previous write-up/s about the artist/s such as newspaper or magazine articles, video clips, and other media. Both soft (e.g. CD, USB memory stick) and hard (e.g., printed reproductions, clippings) copies are acceptable.

There must be an artist’s or artists’ statement about the proposed exhibition.

Exhibition proposals will be screened for approval and scheduling by the NCCA Gallery Exhibition Screening Team (EST). Applicants whose proposals are approved will receive a confirmation letter from the NCCA Gallery EST through the secretariat of the Subcommission on Cultural Heritage. An exhibition agreement between the NCCA Gallery Exhibition Screening Team and the chosen applicant/s will be furnished by the Exhibition Program Secretariat. The exhibition is finalized upon signing of the said agreement and the artist/s or artist group/s shall henceforth be referred to as exhibitor.

Subject to the NCCA Gallery Exhibit guidelines and availability of funds for the program, exhibit proposals are considered based on relevance to the NCCA Gallery’s thrust; concept of exhibit (conceptual, fine arts, installation, others); broadness of appeal; subject, technique and style; relevance to coinciding special and/or national events, if any; relation to other events or exhibits in the community; representation of an influential culture, movement, genre, or trend; objectivity in presentations of controversial topics; impartiality in partisan politics, religious and social doctrines; creative vitality and originality in artistic expression and experimentation; non-promotion of financial profit of any individual, organization, or commercial enterprise; and ease and cost of installation.

The NCCA Gallery EST, through the Exhibition Program Secretariat, reserves the right to approve or disapprove all exhibit requests, to have final approval for the layout of the exhibit, and to make all decisions regarding exhibit duration, placement of the exhibit within the gallery, and content of publicity.

Deadline of submission is October 29, 2016. Letter of intent should be addressed to: Ms. Marichu G. Tellano OIC-Executive Director National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) 633 General Luna Street, Intramuros 1002 Manila, Philippines Attention: NCCA Gallery and Exhibitions Program Secretariat, Cultural Heritage Section, Room 3B, Third Floor, NCCA

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. Visits on weekends and holidays are by appointment. For details, contact 527-2192 loc. 512 and look for Bryan Llapitan or Mimi Santos; or email nccagallery09@gmail.com.

34 Agung • Number 3 • 2016

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he NCCA, the Embassy of the Philippines in Jakarta, Indonesia, through the Sentro Rizal Jakarta, and Adarna House Incorporated recently conducted story-telling workshops for Indonesian and Filipino teachers from April 29 until May 5, 2016 Around sixty Indonesian teachers at the Fajar Hidaya Islamic School in Cibubur in East Jakarta joined the activity.

In Jakarta, forty-five Filipino teachers participated in the workshop, while twenty-five teachers, both Indonesian and Filipino, joined in the workshop conducted in Bali. The aim of the workshop was to develop and instill among children the habit of reading and also to introduce

Story-telling workshop at Fajar Hidayah Islamic School in Kota Wisata, Cibubur

Sentro Rizal Jakarta Conducts Story-Telling Workshops for Filipino Teachers Philippine literature to Indonesian audiences.

Adarna House, a renowned publisher of children’s books in the Philippine, donated sets of books used in the three venues.

The Filipino workshop participants are currently being tapped to conduct

story-telling sessions for Filipino children and other nationalities on a regular basis.

Through these trainings, SR aims to equip Filipino teachers with the necessary skills to teach Filipino literature and language to communities abroad, while developing modules on Philippine history, culture

and the arts. The main thrust of SR is to instill pride through cultural education among Filipino immigrant children.

Aside from conducting trainings for teachers, Dyali Justo also conducted a storytelling session for children at the Philippine Embassy on May 5, 2016.

NCCA Signs Program for Cultural Cooperation and Opens 18th Sentro Rizal in Myanmar

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Ambassador of the Philippines to Myanmar Alex G. Chua and NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. sign memorandum of agreement on the establishment of Sentro Rizal in Yangon, Myanmar

THE SENTRO RIZAL

CCA chairman Felipe M. De Leon Jr. led the inauguration of Sentro Rizal in Yangon and the signing of an Executive Program on Cultural Cooperation between Philippines and Myanmar.

Dr. Nanda Hmun, Permanent Secretary of Myanmar’s Ministry of Religious Affairs and Culture, represented Myanmar in the bilateral meeting and signing on May 13, 2016, in Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar. This was followed by the inauguration of the 18th Sentro Rizal on May 14 at the Embassy of the Philippines in Yangon. De Leon conducted a lecture titled “The Connectivity of the Filipino: A Culture of Well-Being” after the inauguration.

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 Maria Shaina Santiago through number (+632) 527-2192 local 605 or email info@ncca.gov.ph or sentrorizal@gmail.com.

IN MEMORIAM

Eduardo Castrillo

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oted sculptor Eduardo Castrillo passed away on May 18, 2016, at the age of 73 due to complications from cancer.

Born in Santa Ana, Manila, on October 31, 1942, Castrillo had created some of the country’s most iconic monuments and had been credited, next to National Artist Napoleon Abueva, for contributing to the revitalizing of the art of sculpture in the Philippines.

Castrillo studied at the Don Bosco Technical College and Ateneo de Manila University. At the University of Santo Tomas, he finished with a degree of Bachelor of Arts in Advertising in 1962. He made his mark in the 1960s with his public sculptures.

“Described in the ‘60s and ‘70s as ‘avant garde,’ Castrillo was known as the country’s forerunner in all-metal (bronze and brass) sculpture mixed with non-traditional media such as plexiglass, neon

lights, ivory and wood. He experimented and produced works in various art modes he called the hammer-out reliefs, movables, environmental works, religious monuments and ritual functional pieces, gallery pieces, functional pieces, sculpture couture, commemorative medallions all done in dazzling ranges of metal finishes: oxidized bronze, polished brass, chrome-plated steel, rusty iron, polymer coat, etc.,” his Web site describes.

He had numerous exhibitions here and abroad. His many awards include the Thirteen Artists Awards from the Cultural Center of the Philippines in 1970; Republic Cultural Heritage Award in Art in 1971; Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award from the City of Manila in 1971; and the Ten Outstanding Young Men Award in 1971.

Castrillo’s prolific output of more than four decades includes not just nationalist

Photo by George Tapan

Sculptor

and historical monuments but environmental art, abstract pieces in the round (soft and hard-edged), functional art pieces, art jewelry and body sculptures, liturgical arts, and hammered-out relief murals.

Among his major works are the People Power Monument along EDSA, the Spirit of Pinaglabanan in San Juan City, the Redemption monument at the Loyola Memorial Park in Marikina City, and the Cry of Tondo at the Plaza Moriones in Tondo, Manila.

“Art will always contribute to the progress of any nation. Today there are no more bounderies...all fuse—product design, popular music, serious theater, graphic arts, textile design, industrial design, cars, objects....A new industry is developing called the creative industries and these all help the economy. For the progress of a nation, I believe we need more creative minds,” Castrillo once said.

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