Agung Vol XIX No. 5 Sep-Oct 2016

Volume XIX • Number 5 • September-October 2016 • For Artists and Cultural Workers • ISSN 0119-5948

Flights of Imagination, Flows of Creativity Official Newsletter of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN To be written...

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he core culture of the Filipinos assumes that we are all one, that all things are interconnected (The concept of kapwa). Our highest values, then, are connectedness, sharing, pakikipagkapwa, kagandahang-loob and pakikiramdam. Realizing these values makes us highly skilled or “geniuses” in genuine connectivity, expressiveness, communicativeness, balancing opposites, flexibility, creativity and wellness.

Our core culture of human connectivity gives us an edge in matters of health and well-being. Medical science has observed that people with close social ties and lots of friends are usually the healthiest in the world. As social ties increase, mortality rates decrease. Social isolation breeds depression, which may lead to lower immunity to disease and even suicide. The way Filipino parents lavish their babies with love and affection is absolutely necessary for their survival and for their healthy growth. For human immune systems function well only when basic emotional needs such as acceptance and love are met. At their best, Filipinos, are a highly nurturing, caring, sharing people, with a strong maternal orientation. Because of our prowess in interpersonal communication, a nurturing, caring attitude, and “malasakit,” we excel in the service professions or industry.

The Philippines is the world’s most emotional country, according to an international study, making us a most expressive people. Being expressive, especially through the performing arts, is an effective way of maintaining a healthy heart. The concept of kapwa presupposes the absolute equality of man and woman. In our culture, this is manifested in a high degree of gender equality, the highest in Asia-Pacific and one of the highest in the world. As a result, gender tension in our culture is almost nil, paving the way for healthy relationships. Filipinos are highly participatory: we demand collective, equal participation in decision-making and self-determination. No one must have a monopoly of the decision-making process. In Filipino society, everybody is a participant or performer, easily seen in being given the choice of what to eat when served food the Filipino way. Being gifted this creative choice is definitely conducive to health and well-being. To sum up then: Filipinos can be proud of their healing culture, where life is a celebration. We are highly relational. Social interconnectedness leads to longevity. We are highly expressive. Expressiveness, especially through music and dance, releases harmful emotions. Our participatory creativity promotes wellbeing. Filipinos touch a lot. Touching as a way of life increases immunity to disease. Our deep belief in God makes us optimistic and provides meaning to life. And our people’s strong sense of humor and joy of life enable us to rebound easily from any tragedy.

FELIPE M. DE LEON, JR.

Vol. XIX, No. 5 September-October 2016 ISSN 0119-5948

About the cover

FELIPE M. DE LEON, JR. chairman

Front cover shows Rara Avis (oil on canvas, 20 by 16 inches, 2016) by Rovi Salegumba, exhibited during the ManilArt 2016

MARICHU G. TELLANO oic-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.

Back cover: Rovi Salegumba’s Out of the Crowd II (oil on canvas, 20 by 16 inches, 2016)

Roel Hoang Manipon managing editor Mervin Concepcion Vergara art director Marvin Alcaraz photographer

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

Facing page: Rovi Salegumba’s Beauty Will Save the World (oil on canvas, 20 by 16 inches, 2016) Above: Rovi Salegumba’s Traveller II (oil on canvas, 20 by 16 inches, 2016)

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 the 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.

4 Agung • Number 5 • 2016 And in my Faith, Lies Eternity (mixed media assembly, 84 by 42 by 39 centimeters) by Daniel dela Cruz

Reachi

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ing new heights ManilArt 2016 Heralds Golden Age for Philippine Visual Arts hilippine art is making its mark on the world more than ever. Works by Filipino artists, both contemporary and the masters, are being noticed abroad, especially at international art expos and auction houses. This phenomenon was acknowledged by ManilArt 2016, held from October 6 to 9, 2016, at SMX Convention Center of SM Aura Premier in Taguig City, which carried the theme “Ushering in a New Golden Age of Filipino Art.”

Held from October 6 to 9, 2016, at SMX Convention Center of SM Aura Premier in Taguig City, ManilArt 2016 opened to enthusiastic crowds. /Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

The opening of ManilArt was graced by NCCA officials including Senator Pia Cayetano, Department of Education Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Alberto T. Muyot, NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon and NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Heritage head Fr. Harold Ll. Rentoria, OSA. They participated in a toast at the lounge with Danny Rayos del Sol’s Retablo dela Divina Miserecordia /Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

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“Young Filipino artists are up-to-date with the global trends in art. They are also very mobile and present in the international exhibition scene. With social media connectivity and our facility for the English language, they are able to join the discourse and exchange with artists from all parts of the globe. The result is the injection of fresh ideas and more experimentation than ever before in terms of style and even medium. Much of emerging art draw from multicultural influences and contemporary issues,” said Tess Rayos del Sol, marketing and public relations director of ManilArt 2016. “The local visual art scene is more vibrant than ever. The continued success of local art fairs, including state-sponsored ManilArt, is proof. New galleries and local auction houses are also mushrooming. This is a positive indicator.”

“Contrary to what others may think, the market for Philippine art is far from being saturated. The demand is growing as awareness spreads. In fact, Filipino galleries and artists should continue to actively vie for a bigger share of the international market.

Singapore and Hong Kong are some areas benefiting from the promotion of Filipino artists,” shared Amy W. Loste, art fair director of ManilArt 2016 and president of ManilArt Foundation, Inc. More than thirty participating galleries and over 600 artworks made evident the inventiveness and imagination of Filipino visual artists and reinforced the notion that the visual arts remain vibrant in the country, which the existence of ManilArt itself has proven. With continuous support of the NCCA, ManilArt has been around for eight years now, becoming the Philippines’ longest-running art fair.

Gathering support from local and international galleries, ManilArt contributes to the dynamism of the art scene through various exhibitions featuring conceptualized artists’ collections while it connects artists and galleries with art communities and institutions here and abroad.

ManilArt has always strived to promote Philippine artistry from the various regions of the country. Ranging from presentations of the up-and-coming to the works of the masters, the all-embracing nature of ManilArt is evident in its consistently broad showcase of Philippine talent, which includes ethnic and regional creative expressions.

In this year’s fair, participating galleries included 1335 Mabini, 371 Art Space, Art for Space, Art Galileia, Arte Pintura,

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Clockwise from top left of facing page: Cycle of Life [front] (22 by 30 centimeters, pen and ink in Fabriano 300gsm paper, 2016) by Gerrico Blanco; Panalangin (oil on canvas, 48 by 36 inches) by Lydia Velasco; Integration of Contrast (carved and frosted optical glass, 33 by 64 by 26 centimeters, 2016) by Ramon Orlina; Tuwang (oil on canvas, 36 by 36 inches, 2010)

by Nunelucio Alvarado; Armour I (wood kinetic sculture) by Cris Eguaras; Jose Rizal (mixed media assemblage, 42.1 by 42.1 inches, 2016) by Glenn Cagandahan; F​ light to Egypt (ballpoint pen on wood, 36 by 48 inches, 2012) by Robert Besana

Artes Orientes, Artologist, Galeria Lienzo, Galerie Anna, Galerie Artes, Galerie Francesca, Galerie Raphael, Galerie Y, Galleria Nicolas, Galleria Quattrocento, Gallery Circa, Gallery CMG, Gallery Nine, Legacy Art Gallery, Reflections Gallery, Renaissance Gallery, Secret Fresh, Vmeme, and Ysobel Gallery.

International exhibitors were also included such as 1st. iKON, which showcased artworks by several Korean abstractionists; the Embassy of Armenia; and Bruno Gallery of the Bruno Art Group, which has offices and galleries in Singapore, Israel, Turks and Caicos and the United States, and which presented works by Argentinian artists Adriana Naveh and Calman Shemi, Azerbaijani artist Slava Ilyayev, and Israeli artists Uri Dushy and David Gerstein.

Aside from the exhibitions, ManilArt continued to boost awareness of and appreciation for Philippine art through art caravans, lectures, workshops, demonstrations, guided tours and other activities.

Art conservator and University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts faculty member Lyn Yusi-Olazo headed this year’s walking tour, a ManilArt tradition.

A special press preview and reception was held on October 6, 2016, hosted by ManilArt 2016’s public and media relations consultant Daphne Oseña-Paez. The restaurant Via Mare opened its Digong’s Café, which offered dishes served during the first State of the Nation Address of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on July 25, 2016.

Returning to ManilArt as lounge designer was sculptor Danny Rayos del Sol with his Retablo dela Divina Miserecordia, a depiction of the Filipinos’ religious journey through art using ostrich eggs as medium. Rayos del Sol last created the look for the ManilArt lounge in 2013. This year, he was also the art fair’s overall curator.

Over the years, ManilArt’s yearly presentations have met with increasing enthusiasm and have grown such they created varied audiences, which include students, seasoned collectors, critics, educators, industry leaders and media practitioners, who are continually joined by budding aesthetes and art investors. With the synergistic rise of both talent and viewership, it can be said that the Philippine art industry is in its new golden age, and ManilArt has been playing a substantial part in this resurgence.

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Philippine Representative to 2017 Venice Art Biennale Revealed

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he curatorial proposal titled “The Spectre of Comparison” by Joselina Cruz was selected as the country’s representative to the 57th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.

Among the 12 curatorial proposals submitted to the Philippine Arts in Venice Biennale (PAVB) Coordinating Committee, which is composed of the NCCA, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) and the Office of Senator Loren Legarda, “The Spectre of Comparison” was chosen by the panel of jurors during deliberations held on August 29, 2016, at the NCCA Building in Intramuros, Manila. The jury was composed of Dr. Eugene Tan, director of the National Gallery Singapore; Florentina P. Colayco, president of Metropolitan Museum of Manila; Luis “Junyee” E. Yee, Jr., one of the pioneers of installation art in the Philippines; Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., NCCA chairperson and Philippine Pavilion commissioner; and Senator Loren Legarda, principal advocate of the project.

An open call for curatorial proposals was launched in April 2016 with a deadline set for July 21, 2016. The call was open to all Filipino curators and contemporary artists residing in the Philippines and abroad.

The curator must have participated in at least one international contemporary art ex-

hibition or related projects/platforms, while the artists must have participated in at least one national exhibition or an equivalent record in related projects/platforms.

In her submitted proposal, Cruz, the director of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design (MCAD) Manila, said: “The exhibition proposes to bring together two artists, Lani Maestro and Manuel Ocampo, for the Philippine Pavilion in the Venice Art Biennale 2017. The exhibition looks at both artists as emblematic of the experience of Rizal’s devil of comparisons.

The exhibition proposes a reading of both the Philippines and the West through their works.”

Cruz’s curatorial concept will be mounted as the Philippine Pavilion in Venice for the 57th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia, which will be held from May 13 to November 26, 2017. The Philippine Pavilion for the 57th Venice Art Biennale will be located in the Arsenale, the historic exhibition space of the Venice Biennale art platform and the largest pre-industrial production center of the world, where national pavilions of countries all over the world are located. It is another historic milestone because it will be the first time that the Philippine Pavilion will be mounted at the significant exhibi-

tion space.

The Philippine Pavilion in the 2017 Venice Art Biennale will be the third consecutive year that the country participates in the Venice Biennale, which features the Art and Architecture Biennales, held in alternating years. In 2015, the Philippines successfully returned to the Venice Art Biennale following a 51-year hiatus with the exhibition “Tie a String around the World.”

This year, “Muhon: Traces of an Adolescent City” is the Philippine exhibition for the 15th Architecture Biennale. But the Philippines first participated in 1964, at the 32nd Venice Art Biennale, which featured the works of National Artists Jose Joya and Napoleon Abueva.

The 2015 and 2016 pavilions were housed at the Palazzo Mora.

“When the Philippines re-entered the Venice Art Biennale in 2015, we were housed at the beautiful Palazzo Mora. Our present pavilion for the Venice Architecture Biennale 2016 is also at the Palazzo Mora.

But in 2017, we will be at the Arsenale, a venue where we can directly converse with other pavilions, and where our artists and curators can freely exchange ideas with other countries,” said Legarda, the visionary behind the Philippines’ return to the Venice Biennale.

For more information, email info@philartvenicebiennale.net or call telephone number (+632) 527-2175. Check out the NCCA Web site www.ncca.gov.ph or PAVB Web site www.philartvenicebiennale.com.

The “solid ground entrance,” constructed between 1692 and 1694, of the Arsenale in Venice. / Photo by Giovanni Dall’Orto

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I thought it was time to create a viable and memorable platform for the world’s ‘marginal artists,’ and that, initially, was the inspiration for the London Biennale, a biennale that would be open to every artist regardless of age, sex, ethnic origin, and artistic language or style.

— David Medalla on the London Biennale

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fter many years of neglect, the Manila Metropolitan Theater became once again alive as home for the arts, before it closes down for major renovations, with the hosting of several events of the first-ever London Biennale Manila Pollination (LBMP), which was held from September 15 to October 17, 2016.

The LBMP was an artist-initiated event featuring exhibitions, performance series, film and video series, and symposiums that took place in several locations around Manila with the theme “Synchronisation – Syncopation” which aimed to explore built, temporary and imagined architecture for sharing culture and inter-connectedness. The iconic heritage structure in Ermita, Manila, served as a key focal point to engage the architectural concepts of adaptive re-use and repurposing to reflect on the various facets of creative practices and hybrid identities.

The London Biennale was founded in 1998 by David Medalla, an internationally-acclaimed Filipino conceptual artist based in London, and Australian artist-curator Adam Nankervis, and it is intended to challenge and transform the notion of the art world’s “biennale” as a large state- or corporate-sponsored event by throwing open borders and encouraging a more intimate and community-based dialogue between artists and audiences.

The Biennale has been “seeded” worldwide in cities such as London, Las Vegas, Rome, Berlin, New York and Rio de Janeiro through efforts called “pollination.” The Manila pollination was participated in by about 90 artists from 20 countries, comprising events in Escolta, Manila (opening day); the Department of Art Studies of the University of the Philippines; Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas; the Manila Metropolitan Theater; Bulwagan ng Dangal of the University of the Philippines; Galleria Duemila; the Promdi Web site; and Project Space Pilipinas.

The Art Peryahan, a traveling, outdoor mini art fair organized by the Windang Aes-

A Prelude to Blossoming The London Biennale Manila Pollination at the Manila Metropolitan Theater

“Dancing Bullets,” a collaborative performance by Agnes Arellano, Billie Bonnevie and Josephine Turalba

thetics Labor Army, jumpstarted the inaugural event in Escolta on September 15, which saw exhibitions, installations and performances including the projection of “ReFramed,” a collection of videos presented at the Transart Triennale 2016 in Berlin, Germany; Derek Tumala and Jose Tong’s “Lucid Abyss of Immanence,” a guerilla mapping projection inside and outside the First United Building; and street performances by WALA. Works

by Tito & Tita, Twinkle Ferraren, Steph Palallos, Julius Redillas and Richard Coronel and Katti Sta Ana were mounted at different areas of the district.

At the University of the Philippines’ Department of Art Studies on September 16, there was a roundtable discussion on “Modes of Engagement in Biennials” while at the Tanghalang Francisco Balagtas, a printmaking and monotype workshop with Benjie Torrado Cabrera and Ambie Abaño, and an exhibition hosted by the Association of Pinoyprintmakers.

On September 17, the Art Peryahan moved to the Manila Metropolitan Theater, where several activities were mounted including “XROADS: Built Heritage and Contemporary Art,” a symposium that brought conservationists, urban planners, architects, artists and curators to reflect on the intersections of contemporary art and built heritage within the realm of architecture. Jose Tence Ruiz talked on heritage anchored on memory and performance art as a mode that cultivates this memory. Twentieth-centuA work by Juha Turalba (above), and “Ang Sayaw ng Liwanag,” a performance by Aze Ong and Charlene Bayani (left)

ry heritage was discussed by the International Council on Monuments and Sites Philippines president Dominic Q. Galicia. Toym Imao explained the alternative imaging of history as an artist engaging in public art. Leandro Y. Locsin Jr., together with Sudarshan Khadka, Jr. and Juan Paolo de la Cruz, delivered a talk on curating the Philippine Pavillon of the Venice Architecture Biennale 2016.

After the symposium, an exhibit was opened with several performances. Greg De Leon and Thea Perez performed traditional Filipino forms such as kundiman and sarsuwela. Other performances included “Ang Sayaw ng Liwanag” by Aze Ong and Charlene Bayani; “Dancing Bullets” by Agnes Arellano, Billie Bonnevie and Josephine Turalba; a light and sound performance by Tengal and HERESY; “Prayer for the Hurt and Broken” by Jef Carnay; and “Knowing Juan” by Billie Bonnevie, Deo Arellano and Datu Arellano.

The exhibit featured works by Azra Aksamija, Leo Abaya, Agnes Arellano, Billie Bonnevie, Deo and Datu Arellano, Jef Carnay, Herve Constant, Tengal and HERESY, Annatha Lilo Gutierrez, Toym Imao, Georgios Katsagelos, Asli Ozok, Denizhan Ozer, Aze Ong, Alwin Reamillo, Joey Reboredo, Josephine Turalba, Angel Velasco-Shaw, Pavitra Wickramasinghe, Eric Zamuco, PARA://SITE, Ged Merino, Willie Magti-

Memory Matrix by Azra Aksamija (top); White Lady by Toym Imao (above, left); and collaborative performance

by Billie Bonnevie, Deo Arellano and Datu Arellano (above, right)

bay and Louie Talents.

On September 30, the forum, “Truth Games: Art as Curated Confessions,” organized by Project Space Pilipinas, was held at the Bulwagan ng Dangal of the University of the Philippines in Diliman, featuring speakers Patrick Flores on curating the Philippine Pavilion in Venice Biennale 2015; Josefina Cruz on curating

the Singapore Biennale; Leslie de Chaves on curating and participating in community-based and other projects; Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan on participating as artists in biennials; and Maria Taniguchi on being an artist amidst all these.

There were also concurrent collateral events occurring during the month of the Biennale such as the exhibitions “There, not

there and on the way” by Tony Twigg (Septemeber 3 to 30) at the Galleria Duemila in Pasay City, and “Barter” by Jason Dy, S.J. (September 10 to October 15) at the Project Space Pilipina in Lucban, Quezon. Artists from Dumaguete, Negros Oriental, and Galeria Duemila hosted an online exhibit at the “Promdi” Facebook page (https://web. facebook.com/promdi6200).

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An Interweaving of traditional Artistry and Contemporary Creativity

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hilippine traditional textiles have been inspiring many artists and designers. Fashion designers have been using them in creating modern apparels.

Interior designers have been incorporating them into living spaces. Visual artists are

The exhibit at the Negros Museum /Photo by Paolo Estacion

The Antidote (2016, 48 by 36 inches, mixed media on canvas)

also featuring these hand-woven textiles, either being inspired by their designs and meanings or using actual textiles, in their works. Artist and designer Olive Cuadra Gloria from Bacolod City, Negros Occidental, is one of them. Her latest exhibit, “Panahi: New Works on Visayan Contemporary Textile Art,” which ran from August 29 to September 30, 2016, at the Negros Museum in Bacolod City, spotlighted traditional textiles, particularly the Visayan ones, as used in contemporary artworks.

“Panahi” was one of the fruitions of Gloria’s active collaboration with the Grupo Letras Y Figuras, art group of University of St. La Salle-Bacolod (USLS-B), and engagement with traditional textile weavers of the town of Valladolid since 2015. It is also part of her continuing effort in experimentation of textile as medium of contemporary artistic expression as well as in promoting and preserving traditional textile.

The exhibit aimed to show the imporTurn to page 14

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Fostering Creativity Literary Works in Kankana-ey, Kinaray-a and Rinconada Clinch NCCA Writers’ Prize; Piece for Solo Guitar Wins in First NCCA Composers’ Prize

Gawani Domogo Gaongen receives the NCCA Writers’ Prize in the category of poetry in the Kankana-ey language. With her are NCCA National Committee on Literary Arts head Christine Godinez-Ortega and NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr.

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he NCCA revealed three writers and one music composer as winners in its writers’ and composers’ prizes during an awarding ceremony held at Barbara’s Heritage Restaurant in Intramuros, Manila, on August 16, 2016. These competitions aimed to “encourage the continuing development of a pluralistic culture by the people themselves.” It is also NCCA’s way of having a direct hand in the development and enrichment of Philippine music and literature.

Winners of the NCCA Writers’ Prize are Gawani Domogo Gaongen in the category of poetry in the Kankana-ey language; Ritchie D. Pagunsan in drama in the Kinaray-a language; and Estelito B. Jacob in novel in the Rinconada language.

Thirty-three-year-old Gaongen, whose poetry collection is called “Sukat,” finished a degree in Community Development at the University of the Philippines in Diliman and currently manages Gaia Café and Crafts in Sagada, Mountain Province. Pagunsan, whose submitted play is titled Moradaang Duag Kang Kalipay, is an accountant who hails from the province of Antique and is

Alann Timothy Pacpaco is the sole winner in first NCCA Composers’ Prize for his piece for solo guitar, titled “Pagtangis ng Kahapon,” submitted in the solo instrument category.

now based in New York City. Jacob is a writer for the community paper Bicol Standard in Naga City. His novel Kamrang is about a character who experiences mysterious bruises, abrasions and scratches on his body and discovers more mysteries about the places and people around him.

The biennial award was established in 2001. With the NCCA Writers’ Prize, writers will be freed from the demands of their work and shall be able to focus on the writing of the project for one year. Open to all Filipino writers, the NCCA Writers’ Prize has different genre categories such as the novel, short story, essay, poetry and drama. Since 2007, it has opened to other vernacular languages. The NCCA announces what categories and languages are open for the year.

On the other hand, the NCCA Composers’ Prize 2016 was launched in March 2016, under the auspices of the NCCA National Committee on Music. Aimed to be annually held, it awards winning composers cash grants to assist them during the writing stage with a final public premiere of the composition. The award is good for one

year, after which a manuscript of the composition will be submitted to the NCCA for a public world premiere and possible publication. With the cash award, the NCCA Composers’ Prize winners shall be able to focus on the composing of the complete manuscript and public premiere for one year. It has four categories: song cycle, solo for any instrument, chamber music, and rondalla ensemble.

Alann Timothy Pacpaco’s piece for solo guitar, titled “Pagtangis ng Kahapon,” which won in the solo instrument category, was the lone winner in first NCCA Composers’ Prize.

The Competition Secretariat received over twenty entries. Competition director Jed Balsamo of the NCCA National Committee on Music assembled the jury to evaluate the submitted compositions. The jury was composed of Dr. Alfredo Buenaventura, former dean of the Centro Escolar University’s (CEU) Conservatory of Music; Josefino Toledo, a multi-awarded composer and conductor; and Dr. Ramon Santos, NaTurn to page 14

14 Agung • Number 5 • 2016 AN INTERWEAVING...

FOSTERING CREATIVITY...

From page 12

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tance of the influence of local traditional textile in the development of a community; to encourage a deeper understanding and appreciation of local traditional textile, particularly that of Negros Island; and to explore the possibility of merging it with contemporary multiple media, methods and techniques to create new works.

“Panahi” showcased thirteen handstitched, machine-embroidered, tie-dyed and painted contemporary artworks, creatMama, A Tribute (2016, 49 by 33 inches, mixed media on Valladolid hablon) ed in 2015 and 2016, using canvas, silk from Bago City, hand-woven textile or hablon from Valladolid, found objects and previous works of the artist.

A component of the exhibit, a lecture-workshop was conducted on August 5 and 6, 2016, at the Museo de La Salle of USLS-B and featured traditional arts expert Norma Respicio’s “Overview of Philippine Textile and Its Sustainability as a Cultural Tradition;” Maria Sharon Mapa Arriola’s “Contemporary Approaches to Traditional/ Indigenous Textiles;” architect Gerry Torres’s “Design Ideation from Traditional to Contemporary;” and Virgilia Almarez’s “Incorporation of Traditional Textile Design in Contemporary Form.”

The 35 participants discussed histories, materials used, colors, designs and their meanings, production techniques, past and present functions, and prevailing issues concerning local textile traditions. They also learned about basic tie-dye process of traditional fabrics and collaborated on textile artworks.

The workshop as well as the exhibit provided venue for people to discuss about the continuance of Philippine traditional textiles in contemporary times and situations, including their usage in contemporary creative expressions, which contribute to the promotion and preservation of Visayan cultural heritage.—With reports

tional Artist for music. The adjudication was held on June 20, 2016 at the Executive Board Room of CEU in Manila.

According to Balsamo, the winning composition “uses a great deal of improvisation as well as explores a number of extended playing techniques for the guitar such as sul ponticello (near the bridge), Bartok pizzicato (deliberate placing of the string, and mute, among others, to amplify the intensity and emotion to the listeners. There are only few original Filipino works written for solo guitar so, this piece shall be a worthy addition to the literature of Philippine guitar music.”

The composer explained that the piece is a “lamentation” on the apathy to our history and eventually to our national identity of the Filipino youth of today, brought in part of how history is being taught to students. He said he “hopes to bring reconciliation between himself (as part of today’s youth) and his “mis-education” of the past, paying homage to our national history as it is the only way that we recognize ourselves more as a Filipino in the truest sense.”

The second NCCA Composers’ Prize guidelines and mechanics is currently being laid out and shall be released through the NCCA Web site (http://www.ncca.gov.ph) and Facebook page (https:// www.facebook.com/NCCAOfficial/).

The Final Warning (2015, flyer title of the USA to Japan in WWII portrait composition and OISCA tie-dyed silk)

from and photos by Mark Gregor dela Cruz, NCCA Project Monitoring and Evaluation Division

Ritchie D. Pagunsan (top) clinches the NCCA Writers’ Prize in drama in the Kinaray-a language; while Estelito B. Jacob (above) in novel in the Rinconada language. Bestowing them the awards are NCCA National Committee on Literary Arts head Christine Godinez-Ortega and NCCA Secretariat’s Plan/Policy Formulation and Programming Division chief Bernan Corpuz.

Indigenous Flair

Manila Fashion Festival

AT THE

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mong the avant-garde designs, innovative takes on the denim, and edgy street wear, Philippine indigenous textiles used in contemporary creations also graced the catwalk at the Marquee of the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel in Mandaluyong City for the 2006 edition of the bi-annual Manila Fashion Festival.

Held from October 18 to 22, 2016, the Manila Fashion Festival returned with a bigger vision of the “now,” intending to emphasize the contemporary but enriched with traditions and overall celebrating Filipino vision and craftsmanship.

“Manila Fashion Festival is here to highlight the

16 Agung • Number 5 • 2016

changing landscape of Philippine fashion, and hopefully all our fashion talents will be recognized by people outside the country and highlight them locally,” said Ronnie Cruz, founder and chief executive officer of Art Personas, the organizer of Manila Fashion Festival.

Manila Fashion Festival featured new talents in fashion as well as established ones, exhibiting diverse persuasions and sensibilities.

On October 20, 2016, the NCCA capsule collections put the spotlight on indigenous textiles, showing the richness of Philippine weaving traditions as well as the creativity of Filipino fashion designers. The featured designers are winners of its readyto-wear contest that required the use of any Philippine native textiles for everyday wear designs—AJ Bernabe, Jinggay Serag, Daryl Maat, Eva Rosales, Harvic Dominguez and Kim Baylo.

Their winning works were also showcased along with new ones.

Bernabe’s capsule collection for women presented modern permutations of the barong Tagalog embellished with embroidery but infused with a casual vibe. Serag’s four ensembles made use of Ilocano hand-woven textile particularly with traditional kusikos or whirlwind pattern, while Maat’s capsule collection was bold with Cordilleran traditional fabrics. Rosales also tackled the barong Tagalog and the piña fabric, coming up with a collection that is both elegant and laid-back, while Dominguez accented his charming ensembles with Cordillera textiles.

The NCCA segment proved that traditional fabrics can be utilized in modern fashion, a merging of tradition and innovation.

Rosalie Mendiola Daryl Maat

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Eva Rosales

AJ Bernabe

Harvic Dominguez

AJ Bernabe

Eva Rosales

Jinggay Serag (leftmost and second from left) and Eva Rosales

MINDAN WRITI Taboan 2016:

Jude Ortega from Sultan Kudarat reading a poem

NAO WRITING, ING MINDANAO Literary and Cultural Festival in Maramag, Bukidnon Text and Photos by Roel Hoang Manipon

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here is such bounty in Mindanao, both of the land and of the spirit. But the southern island of the Philippines has seen conflicts and violence in some areas, contemporary news of which have informed many people outside of Mindanao, and these scenarios tend to retain in absence of or because of the

dearth of other images they have of Mindanao. But the area is diverse, geographically and culturally, a land of towering mountains and seas, of great rivers and undulating fields, of burgeoning cities and dense forests. It is home to many indigenous groups, Christian settlers and Muslim groups, the highest concentration in the country, each with its own traditions and cultures.

Sama writer Adawia Jamasali from Sulu reads her poem to students of Central Mindanao University and guests

Poems by Mindanao writers performed by Integrated Performing Arts Guild of Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology in “SugaTula,” directed by Steven Patrick C. Fernandez

However, conflicts and violence still remain an important issue that needs addressing, especially among writers in Mindanao. They write about it because it is not the only thing in Mindanao, but because it is one of the realities that should be documented, questioned, analyzed, challenged and protested against. Many writers in Mindanao have been affected by it, one way or the other, such as young nurse and writer Gracielle Deanne Tubera, who remembered a childhood indirectly formed by the presence of crises.

“I grew up Cotabato City, a city where no parent wants any of their kids to ever go outside. Or at least that was how I saw it,” she said. “When I was a kid, going out of our house was always a matter of negotiation with my parents. Anything that wasn’t school-related was out of the question. The Cotabato that my parents and I knew was dangerous. Growing up, there wasn’t a day where I didn’t hear news about someone getting killed, or someone being robbed, or someone getting killed in the process of being robbed. My parents also heard these news. And to prevent us from being featured as victims on the news, my parents barely allowed us to go outside on our own.”

Being cooped inside the house, books, toys and cable television became fodder to young minds.

“My sister and I never needed to go outside back then because inside our house our imaginations roamed free,” she related.

The situation, however, created a path to becoming a writer. Tubera was first inspired by children’s television shows and then mined her own imagination and memories. She also found a group in high school which was into writing, but eventually most of her friends have neglected writing. Tubera kept on writing despite taking up nursing in college, and it was writing that kept her through the rigors of nursing studies. It was writing that enriched her as a nurse. Literature has been crucial in developing empathy, she said, something vital for a nurse.

Mohammad Nassefh R. Macla, a Kaagan writer and teacher from Panabo City, Davao del Norte, also talked about conflicts, how news of them etched in his mind as a child.

“Mula nung aking kabataan, hindi lingid sa akin ang kumplikasyon ng pamumuhay ng isang Moro o Muslim sa kanyang sariling lugar lalo na sa mga panahong mainit ang digmaan (Since childhood, I was aware of the complicated nature of living as a Moro or Muslim in his own land, especially during the height of war),” he related. “Buwan ng Mayo taong 2000, ako’y pitong taong gulang pa lamang nang magdeklara ang administrasyong Estrada ng todong-digma o all-out war laban sa Moro Islamic Liberation Front o MILF. Sa mga panahong iyon, bagama’t hindi pa gaanong malinaw sa akin ang krisis, tandang-tanda ko naman ang mga gabing habang ako’y nag-aabang sa paborito kong palabas na pampbata na ang laman ng mga balita sa telebisyon ay mga sundalong nakikipagdigma (In May 2000, I was only seven years old when the Estrada administration declared an all-out war against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front or MILF. In those days, although the crisis was not clear to me, I vividly remember nights while I was waiting for my favorite children show to start, I saw soldiers at war in the news on television.)”

These early experiences have become influential in shaping Macla’s writings as well as the contemporary spoken-word trend, which became one of his arsenals in bringing to fore his ideas and emotions, particularly on the Moro struggle.

Floraime Q. Pantaleta, an Iligan City-based teacher and writer who traces her roots to Basilan and Zamboanga City, remembered a childhood in Basilan: “My experience of the violence have always been indirect, which means I only felt the consequences. But this doesn’t mean the consequences were any less punishing than the very acts that brought them. Which means I have never known all these places in Basilan because I was never really allowed to travel around the province. I was never really allowed to do anything alone outside our house. I was brought to school and brought home from school by my parents…because the place we lived in did not allow us to take chances.”

She also spoke of writing about the truth and about choosing a language to write in, particular her native Chavacano.

John Bengan, born from Hiligaynon parents who moved to Mindanao from the province of Capiz in the Visayas, has lived mostly in

Davao City, and writes about things that disturbs him, particularly the summary killings and death squads of Davao City. He asked why it is happening and why it doesn’t bother people anymore.

Tubera, Macla, Pantaleta and Bengan were among several Mindanao writers, most of them under forty, who took part in a forum on Mindanao writing and being a writer in Mindanao at the Taboan 2016: Literary and Cultural Festival, held from September 14 to 16, 2016, in Maramag, Bukidnon, in central Mindanao.

The event was organized by the National Committee on Literary Arts (NCLA) of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and traces its roots to the Taboan: Philippine Writers Festival, first held in 2009 as part of the Philippine Arts Festival. Its name is from the Visayan word for “market,” and it is intended to be a gathering of writers, as well as scholars and lovers of Philippine literature, from all over the country to trade ideas about culture, history and the literary arts.

Taboan is meant to be held in different part of the country every year. In 2016, it was hosted by the Central Mindanao University (CMU) in its leafy and sprawling campus in the barangay of Musuan, and it became part of its foundation anniversary celebration. While Bukidnon was the venue of the main event, it served as jumpstart for Taboan’s satellite events in other parts of the country such as Laoag City in Ilocos Norte, Manila and Quezon City in the National Capital Region, Nabua in Camarines Sur, Iloilo City in Iloilo, Cebu City in Cebu and Tacloban City in Leyte.

The impetus for Taboan to be held in Mindanao and spotlighting Mindanao writings came from poet, teacher and NCLA head Christine Godinez Ortega, who is based in Iligan City in northern Mindanao. This year, Taboan, which carried the theme “Pagbinayloay,” Cebuano for “exchange,” consisted of literary readings and spoken-word performances including an open-mike session, photography and poetry writing contests, forums, a musical performance and a book exhibit.

A musical performance served as prelude to Taboan 2016. In the afternoon of September 14, CMU students and faculty witnessed performances at the CMU Administration grounds of Mindanao musicians—Joey Ayala from Davao City, whose folk-pop songs are infused with ethnic influences and social commentary; and the indigenous bands of southern Bukidnon, Talahari, led by Datu Briggs Lacaran, of the Manobo and Kahika, led by Maydskie Pandian, of the Matigsalog Manobo. This ushered in the performance aspect of the festival.

Tubera, Macla, Pantaleta and Bengan read their poems and excerpts from fiction and essays together with other Mindanao writers—Diandra-Ditma Aguam Macarambon from Marawi City, Rene Louis Bonifacio from Bukidnon, Kim Ashley Escalona from Iligan City, German V. Gervacio from Iligan City, Aminah Fernando Kunting from Zamboanga City, Conrad Salappudin from Tawi-Tawi, Mark Anthony Daposala from Cagayan de Oro City, Diana Ross Francisco Gamil from Iligan City and Adawia Jamasali from Sulu.

The CMU students, particularly members of the spoken-word organization of the school called Words’ Worth, also read and perform poems and monologues, mostly on love, popularly called “hugot,” from the Filipino expression “may pinaghuhugutan,” which refers to emotions drawn out or extracted from past experiences, something bottled up and then let loose. Spoken-word performances have become popular in the country and mostly these focus on “hugot” that often the two—the form or format and subject—are almost one and the same.

Spoken word, of course, has always been part of Philippine literature since the beginning, and it includes the chanting of epics, the balagtasan or “poetic joust,” dramatic monologues and poetry readings and performances. “Hugot” is a contemporary variant with its exclusive subject matter and its own developing rhythm, as gleaned from the CMU student performances.

Another way of performing poetry was presented by the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) Integrated Performing Arts Guild (IPAG) in “SugaTula (Crossing Poetry)” mounted on September 15 and 16. Directed by IPAG artistic director Steven Patrick Fernandez, “SugaTula” showcased dramatic interpreta-

Poetry performance by Diana Ross Gamil and Aminah Kunting

Manobo bands Kahika, led by Datu Briggs Lacaran, and Talahari, led by Datu Maydskie Pandian, perform on campus as prelude to Taboan 2016

John Bengan from Davao City reads his poem (above) and student members of Word’s Worth, spoken-word organization of the Central Mindanao University, perform “hugot” poem (below)

22 Agung • Number 5 • 2016 tions or dramatizations of eight poems by souther Philippine poets, which Fernandez calls “transcreation, the process of transplanting poetry to the stage.” “SugaTula” debuted in 2010 and has been frequently restaged. It includes Godinez-Ortega’s “Pamahra,” “Camp Bushra’s Mosque on Inquirer Page One,” and “The Legend of Maria Cristina Falls;” Ralph Semino Galan’s “Southern Cross;” German Gervacio’s “Kung Paano Maging Makata,” and “Pampambo Tusok-tusok;” Anthony Tan’s “Crossing the River;” and Marjorie Evasco’s “Origami.”

These performances were complemented by a fiction and poetry forum, which tackled topics such as writing techniques and theories, writing processes, how to read and interpret a work, advice for beginning writers and being a writer. The panel mostly consisted of members of the NCLA including Godinez-Ortega, Fernandez and Gervacio from Iligan City, poet and journalist Frank Peñones from Naga City, fictionist and professor Isidoro Cruz from Iloilo City and fictionist Menchu Aquino-Sarmenta from Metro Manila.

The second literary forum was an attempt on defining Mindanao writing, and Tubera, Macla, Pantaleta, Bengan, Daposala, Ortega and Macarambon started with themselves—how they began, what affected them and what they thought and felt—most likely seeing that with the individual experiences and voices one can weave a tapestry of Mindanao writing. Those who grew up and live in and near areas of conflict naturally spoke about it.

Ortega, currently based in the province of Sultan Kudarat, is a child of Kiniray-a and Hiligaynon migrants, who read potboilers as a child that inspired him to become a writer, frequently writes about Mindanao indigenous cultures, and questions if a settler like himself has the “right” to write about Mindanao indigenous cultures.

Daposala, who initially learned and wrote in English and then switched to Cebuano, spoke about the struggles of relearning Cebuano and finding a home in the language. Pantaleta also tackled language— on writing in her mother tongue, Chavacano—and thought it is part

of truth that writers aspire for.

On the other hand, Macarambon, teacher and writer from Marawi City, tried to break preconceptions and stereotypes on what a Mindanao writer supposed to do or should be.

“Being a Meranaw writer is being a Mindanawon writer. And being a Mindanawon writer is being a world writer, a global writer.

We may find ourselves in different situations; we write different storylines largely based on the culture we come from. We can localize or culturally contextualize certain experiences, make our stories very Mindanawon. But the experiences in general, the stories that we have are not exactly unique throughout the world. We are all champions of humanity,” she said. “What a simple Meranaw girl or any young Mindanawon experiences as she tries to find herself and her place in the sun can be exactly the same as what a young Manileña experiences as she goes through the same self-discovery. The two may deal with some situations differently, but the experience and the emotions are the same. So, what I am saying is being Mindanawon makes us unique as writers but it shouldn’t necessarily separate us from writers from different places.”

“I write as a Meranaw, as a Mindanawon, based on my culture and the ways of the place I grew up in. But, there is always that urge in me to show that we, here in Mindanao, are no different as writers and our stories no different from any other’s. We live through the same life stages. We are subjected to the same life conditions. We deal with the same personal struggles and problems. We are as unique as the next writer, as it should be, but we are also the same as the next writer,” she added. “I talk about this because sometimes I encounter people who have certain expectations of the type of writing we are capable of.

There are some people who limit the type of stories that we can write.

Of course, this shouldn’t be the case. But, this does happen.”

Macarambon further explained: “To give a good example, we, Moro writers. Though not all, but most people somehow expect us to

Actors of the Integrated Performing Arts Guild of Mindanao State University–Iligan Institute of Technology with their artistic director Steven Patrick Fernandez (rightmost) and members of ther NCLA including head Dr. Christine Godinez-Ortega, secretary Dr. Isidoro M. Cruz, assistant secretary Jhoanna Lyn Cruz, and members Menchu Aquino-Sarmenta and Frank Penones

2016 • Number 5 • Agung 23 write solely about certain topics that to them serve as ‘default’ topics for Muslim Filipino writers, for example, the armed conflict, the quest for freedom, the struggle for our homeland, being a member of the Bangsamoro in this Christian-dominated country, and other special topics that are considered to be very ‘Muslim’ or ‘Islamic.’ Also, some people assume that we are or we should be angry all the time.

“I want to write about issues concerning human beings generally, not just in the Mindanao setting. I want readers to realize that we, in Mindanao, especially us in Muslim Mindanao, are neither limited to certain issues, experiences and struggles nor only concerned about ourselves and our welfare. We have advocacies other than the struggle for self-determination.

There’s the violence against women and children issue, the child labor issue, gender equality issue, culture preservation advocacy, environment and nature preservation advocacy, etc. There’s even the LGBT issue, which may come as a surprise to some people. And, there are also our personal struggles with love, betrayal, friendship, loyalty, self-discovery, family, etc. We, Mindanawons, are unique, yes. But not exactly different from others.”

The role of writing and literature was also touched upon. For Macla, literature is important for its powers to purge emotions, give comfort and heal: “Marapat nating intindihin na ang panitikan ng Mindanao ay hindi makapagbibigay ng kagyat na kalutasan sa anumang suliranin ng Mindanao o ng buong bansa. Hindi ito makapipigil sa pagdanak ng dugo sa tuwing may pambobomba o digmaang nagaganap sa kagubatan. Ngunit maari itong magsilbing lunas na maghihilom sa sugat ng puso. Hindi man ito ang direktang magbibigay ng kapayapaang matagal nang hinahangad, ngunit sapat na ito upang makapagbigay ng kaginhawahan sa damdaming puno na ng hapis (We must understand that Mindanao literature cannot offer even a slight solution to any problem of Mindanao or of the whole country. It cannot stop the shedding of blood every time there is a bombing or a war happening in the jungles. But it can serve as a balm which will heal the wound of the heart. It may not directly offer a longed-for peace but it is just enough to provide comfort to a heart filled with grief).”

The roles and purposes of literature and writing, however, are manifold, as with its forms and subjects. Some may not be immediately evident, like a flower that blossoms in the night, touching one by one those who desire to see, and its power is deep and lasting.

The nurse Tubera offered a glimpse: “Writing about my patients helped me understand them better, helped me see things from their perspective, and writing about my experiences helped me become a more self-aware healthcare provider and a more effective and caring nurse.”

That power that enabled her to see and understand, and shaped her is also the power that can stop a war.

TABOAN 2016 SATELLITE EVENTS Manila, October 5, 2016 Taboan 2016’s Manila leg was held in cooperation with the University of Santo Tomas Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies (UST CCWLS) with a forum, “The Literary Muse in Manila,” at the Thomas Aquinas Research Complex Auditorium at the UST campus on España Avenue, featuring fictionist Jun Cruz Reyes of Polytechnic University of the Philippines, Shirley Lua of De La Salle University, Ferdinand Jarin of Philippine Normal University, Diego Abad of Far Eastern University and Ralph Galan of UST. The conference tackled the state of literature and creative writing in different universities in the city of Manila.

Iloilo City, Iloilo, October 21 to 22, 2016 The University of San Agustin (USA) and Hubon Manunulat hosted Iloilo Taboan 2016: West Visayan Literary Festival from October 21 to 22, 2016, at the University of San Agustin, Casa Real Iloilo and Cinematheque Iloilo, featuring lectures and forums on West Visayan Literature, a book fair, short film screenings, theater performances, poetry readings, book launchings and presentations, a Hiligaynon flash fiction and “hugot” awarding ceremony, and a spoken word open mic session.

The first day opened with a book fair at the Dr. Josefa Castro Audio-Visual Hall of USA, and two lectures, “Traditional and Contemporary Forms in West Visayan Literature” by University of the Philippines in the Visayas professor emeritus Dr. Leoncio P. Deriada, and “Publication History of Contemporary West Visayan Literature” by award-winning writer and De La Salle University professor Dr. John Iremil E. Teodoro. This was followed by the launching of Dr. Ma. Cecilia Locsin-Nava’s English translation of Shri-Bishaya, a historical novel by Hiligaynon writer Ramon Muzones. In the afternoon, the short films of Elvert Bañares were shown at the FDCP Cinematheque Iloilo.

The second day was held at the Casa Real of the old Iloilo Provincial Capitol with a book fair and a cultural show including performances from the University of San Agustin Little Theater, a poetry reading session by poets including Dr. Erwin S. Sustento, Dr. Jesus C. Insilada and Teodoro. This was followed by book presentations by Dr. Alice Tan Gonzales, Melchor F. Cichon and Alain Russ Dimzon and a book launching by Kasingkasing Press. The winners of the inaugural Hiligaynon Flash Fiction and Hugot Hiligaynon competitions were announced and a spoken word open mic session with writers Melecio F. Turao, Norman T. Darap, Early Sol A. Gadong and Karla Quimsing culminated the event.

Quezon City, November 11 , 2016 The Ateneo de Manila University hosted the Quezon City leg of Taboan 2016 called “Pagbinayloay sa Katipunan,” celebrating campus literary writing and its potential to impact communities outside of the university. The morning session at the Faber Hall Function Room) consisted of a series of talks from writers who have developed writing-centered community projects including Glecy Atienza, who discussed the work of the Philippine Education Theater Association, and Conchitina Cruz (with Cecille Pauline Montenegro-Florentino) who spoke on a project they endeavored with Batis AWARE. The afternoon session was a workshop on developing social/development projects related to the literary arts, during which the participants presented the project proposals they construct to the morning speakers for feedback and critique. The evening program revisited the writings from the Ateneo de Manila campus and/or by Ateneo graduates during Martial Law, examples of campus or university-based writings that were responsive to the conditions of the times.

The readers of “Sa Mata ng Sigwa: Readings and Performances” included National Artist Bienvenido Lumbera, Fr. Albert Alejo, SJ, Edgar Calabia Samar, Jam Pascual and Benilda S. Santos. It also featured performances by the Ateneo Musicians’ Pool and Ateneo Entablado.

Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, November 12 , 2016 The 5th Daniw Ilokandia: Ilokano Poetry Reading Competition and Literary Seminar was held as a Taboan satellite event at the College of Teacher Education of Mariano Marcos State University in Laoag City, Ilocos Norte, on November 12, 2016. The guest speakers at the lecture were Clesencio Rambaud, Aileen Rambaud, Saverino Pablo and Mario Tejada. A workshop was also conducted where participants wrote poems for children and presented a poem. Contests on choral recitation of poems and on the writing of poems were also held, participated in by students.

Nabua, Camarines Sur, November 15, 2016 “Litgit-Paghinanyog sa Pulang Tingog,” Taboan 2016’s Bicol leg, was hosted by the Camarines Sur Polytechnic Colleges (CSPC) in Nabua, Camarines Sur. A forum tackled the experiences of Bicol writers and the use of the Rinconada language featuring Estelito Jacob, Elbert Baeta, Ben Escoto, Dr. Paz Verdades “Doods” Santos and Carlos A. Arejola. The Pintakasi Media Arts also launched five books for children by Arejola.

Cebu, December 8, 2016 Taboan 2016 Cebu was held at the Robinson’s Galleria Cebu from 1 to 5 P.M., organized by the Cebuano Studies Center of the University of San Carlos, in cooperation with Robinson’s Galleria Cebu and Mga Anak sa Dagang (MAD).

It paid tribute to Dr. Erlinda K. Alburo for her contribution to Cebuano arts, letters and culture. The event featured a conversation on writing Cebuano in the 21st century with Lorenzo “Insoy” Niñal, Jona Baranzuela Bering and Januar E. Yap to be moderated by Joanalyn Gabales as well as poetry performances from members of creative writing groups MAD, the Women in Literary Arts-Cebu Inc. (Wila), Bathalan-ong Halad sa Dagang (Bathalad), and University of the Philippines Cebu’s Tinta. Two books from Bomba Press were also launched—Sugilimbong by Ceedee Borden and Komiks Writing by Edgar Godin.

Tacloban City, Leyte, November 16, 2016 “Siday nga Linoluwa” was held on November 16, 2016, at the KBOX Art Gallery Cafe in Tacloban City, Leyte.

24 Agung • Number 5 • 2016

National Museum Unveils National Cultural Treasure Marker for San Joaquin Parish Church

The unveiling of the National Cultural Treasure marker for San Joaquin Church

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cting Assistant Director Angel P. Bautista of the National Museum (NM), together with Most Rev. Angel N. Lagdameo, D.D..

Archbishop of Jaro and Mayor Nimfa S. Garin unveiled the National Cultural Treasure marker for the parish church of San Joaquin in the province of Iloilo on August 16, 2016, in conjunction with the celebration of the foundation day of the municipality of San Joaquin.

The unveiling was also graced by congressman Richard Garin, former mayor Eduardo S. Servidad, former vice mayor Marcelo Valentine S. Serag, Rev. Fr. Joenick Territorio, vice mayor Marvigrace Getuya Lago, Erlyn Alunan, Virgilio Nacion and other officials of the local government of San Joaquin; and Fr. Harold Ll. Rentoria, OSA, head of the NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Heritage and the staff and members of the NCCA National Committee on Monuments and Sites.

In his message, Bautista emphasized that the NM is one of the lead government cultural agencies which is tasked to achieve the goals of instilling cultural consciousness and a sense of pride and nationalism among Filipino citizens through its activities covering the sciences, education and culture. He

also said that to ensure the preservation and protection of cultural properties in the Philippines, the NM is mandated to declare significant cultural properties as National Cultural Treasure or Important Cultural Property.

Since 1972, the National Museum has facilitated the declaration of more than 160 National Cultural Treasures (NCTs) and Important Cultural Properties in the different cities and provinces of the country.

Bautista said that the province of Iloilo is blessed with remarkably well-preserved churches and one of these is the parish church of San Joaquin, the most outstanding church complex in the province that include the campo santo. Magnificently located on a plain overlooking the sea in the southwest part of Iloilo, the Roman Catholic parish church was built in 1869 and was declared a National Cultural Treasure on July 31, 2001, by the NM. The most outstanding feature of the church is its façade with an intricate sculptural relief/carved pediment depicting the Spanish victory over Moroccan forces or the Moors in the Battle of Tetouan.

The façade of the church is different from other churches in the Philippines because of its militaristic subject. Carved on a large pediment, the sculptural relief shows the victory where cavalry and infantry are tearing down Moorish defense system. Intricately carved, the sculpture shows the expression of agony by wounded soldiers. The title of the composition Rendicion de Tetouan is carved at the base of the relief.

Bautista stressed that this church has outstanding social and spiritual significance to the community of faith. This is demonstrated by cultural, social and spiritual expressions that provide evidence of a community’s strong affection for the church that contributes to the community’s identity and social unity.

Furthermore, he said the NM has a commitment to preserve and protect this significant cultural property for the present and future generations of the Philippines.

VIETNAM VIGNETTES Photos by Marvin Alcaraz

The village of Tam Thanh, Tam Ky City, in the province of Quang Nam, is a simple Vietnamese fishing community, where lives revolve around the rhythms of the sea and rooted to the earth. It is also known for Ha Thanh Beach and the production of traditional sauces. Recently, many travelers are going to the village for its colorful murals. In 2016, artists went there for a project to bring art to the community as well as to improve the villagers’ living environment. Here are glimpses of Tam Thanh.

Marvin Alcaraz, photographer of the NCCA Public Affairs and Information Office, was chosen to join the “Photographs and Sustainable Development Goals” project of the Global Public Diplomacy Network (GPDNet) held from June 12 to 19, 2016, in Vietnam. The project aims to raise peoples’ awareness of United Nation’s Social Development Goals (UN SDG) as well as to support photographers who wish to deepen their socio-cultural experience through cultural immersion, documentation and photo exhibition. These photos were taken during the cultural immersion of four visiting photographers who joined Vietnamese and Korean volunteers in the village of Tam Thanh, Tam Ky City, Vietnam, documenting the village improvement project through mural painting, spearheaded by Korea Foundation. Outputs from this project will be exhibited at the KF Global Center, Seoul, South Korea, in December.

26 Agung • Number 5 • 2016

Volunteer at work on the mural in the village of Tam Thanh

An old woman at the Hoi An Full Moon Lantern Festival

Fishermen cut poetic sihouettes against the sunset while fishing at the Truong Giang River

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28 Agung • Number 5 • 2016

Vietnamese farmers lead a herd of cows across a bridge in Tam Ky City

A slice of life and beauty at the Truong Giang River

A portion of the mural in the village of Tam Thanh. Most likely, the artist is a dog lover.

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Dolls wearing traditional attires of Vietnam in an exhibit at the NCCA Gallery in Manila

The Philippines and Vietnam

Strengthen Ties through Culture and the Arts

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he Philippines and Vietnam celebrated and further strengthened ties through cultural exchanges with the endeavors Viet Nam Cultural Days in the Philippines, held in July 2016 in Manila and in the province of Bulacan, and Philippine Cultural Days in Viet Nam in August 2016 in the city of Hanoi and the province of Thanh Hoa. The events, which included performances and exhibitions of traditional arts and crafts, commemorated the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the diplomatic relations between Vietnam and the Philippines. They were under the auspices of the NCCA and the Ministry of Culture and Sports and Tourism (MOSCT) of Viet Nam. The Viet Nam Cultural Days in the Philippines was held from July 12 to 16, 2016, highlighted by a gala presentation of the Youth Theatre of Viet Nam on July 13 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino. The group also performed in an outreach presentation on July 14 at the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church in San Jose del Monte City, Bulacan.

With nearly 40 years of active engagement in artistic activities and many accomplishments, the Youth Theatre of Viet Nam showcased their country’s performing arts traditions. It is composed of program director Trong Thuy; young artists Ton Son, Kien Trung, Anh Tuan; dancers Minh Ly, Mai Lan, Truong Son, Thanh Cong, Giang An, Thu Hien, Hoang Hien Huyen Luong and Kim Tuyen; and a traditional music band.

The accompanying exhibit, “Vietnamese Lacquer and Brocades,” was mounted from July 13 to 15 at the NCCA Gallery in Intramuros, Manila, featuring a collection of traditional lacquer products; ao dai, the Vietnamese traditional attire; traditional attires of Vietnam’s other ethnic groups such as Red Dao, Hmong, E De and Lo Lo; a collection of dolls in traditional attire; and different kinds of brocades. This exhibit aimed to introduce to the Filipino public a facet of Vietnam’s rich textile tradition and cultural heritage.

The Vietnamese delegation was headed by the Deputy Minister of Culture Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien, and the Viet

The exhibit on Vietnamese lacquerware and brocades at the NCCA Gallery

Deputy Minister of Culture Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien at NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon Jr. graced the exhibit on Philippine traditional crafts at the Viet Nam Exhibition Center for Culture and Arts in Hanoi City

30 Agung • Number 5 • 2016 Nam Cultural Days in the Philippines was presented in cooperation with the CCP, the Embassy of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam in the Philippines, the Malolos local government and the San Isidro Labrador Parish Church in Bulacan.

On the other hand, Philippine Cultural Days in Viet Nam was held from August 16 to 20, in coordination with the Philippine Embassy in Viet Nam. NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon, Jr. headed the Philippine delegation.

The event included the exhibit “Tradition and Contemporary: Masterpieces from the Schools of Living Traditions of the Philippines” at the Viet Nam Exhibition Center for Culture and Arts at Hoa Lu Street in Hanoi City. It presented an overview of five traditional Philippine crafts: mat weaving, basketry, beadworks, textile weaving and garment making.

On the evening of August 17 at Hanoi Opera House, audience was treated to performances by NAMCYA winners including Stephanie Aguilar, soprano; Sara Maria Gonzales, violinist; Arnold Josue, cellist; Carlo Antonio B. Juan, guitarist; Renato B. Lucas, cellist; Luci Abakán Magalit, pianist; Antonio Ruiz Maigue, flutist; Kim Carl Mirandilla Ng, viola player; Gabriel Allan

NAMCYA winners performed at the Hanoi Opera House

Paguirigan, pianist; and Christian D. Tan, violinist.

“During the past 40 years, the relations between Viet Nam and the Philippines has been continued to be strengthened and developed with outstanding achievements in bilateral relations. The year of 2015 marked an important milestone when Viet Nam and the Philippines became strategic partners, creating a new framework for a highly reliable bilateral cooperation and dynamic development in the fields of culture and arts,” Deputy Minister of Culture, Sports and Tourism Vuong Duy Bien said in his opening remarks. “In the framework of activities held by both countries in celebration of the 40th anniversary of diplomatic relations, the Philippine Cultural Days in Viet Nam 2016 with the art performances and cultural and art exhibition will provide an opportunity for cultural exchange and help Vietnamese people to have a deeper understanding about the Philippines and its people.”

Russian soprano Natalia Dmitrievskaia

Experiencing

RUSSIAN CULTURE

in the Philippines

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ussian artists and performers flew in the Philippines to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Philippines- Russia Diplomatic Relations, and to provide Filipinos a glimpse of Russian culture. The event, called The Days of Russian Culture in the Philippines, was held from October 20 to 23, 2016, by the NCCA and the Ministry of Culture of Russia, in cooperation with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and the Embassy of the Russian Federation.

A gala performance was held at the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Little Theater on October 21 and another performance on October 23 at the Rizal Park Open-Air Auditorium in Manila, featuring Russian music performed by the Lyudmila G. Zykina State Academic Russian Folk Ensemble (Rossiya), pianist Nikolay Medvedev, soprano Natalia Dmitrievskaia, and bass singer Dmitry Grigoriev.

Aside from these, a master class on piano was conducted at the UST Conservatory of Music, and a master class on voice at the CCP on October 20.

In line with the Executive Protocol on Cooperation between the NCCA and the Ministry of Culture of the Russian Federation for 2014-2016, the Days of Russian Culture in the Philippine featured various activities to promote awareness and appreciation of Russian culture among Filipinos.

The Lyudmila G. Zykina State Academic Russian Folk Ensemble (Rossiya), pianist Nikolay Medvedev, soprano Natalia Dmitrievskaia, and bass singer Dmitry Grigoriev at the Cultural Center of the Philippines

NCCA GALLERY 2016 • Number 5 • Agung 31

Not from the Center

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he works of a team from the Fine Arts Department of the Silliman University in Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, were featured in “Promdi: A Survey of Contemporary Visual Arts in Dumaguete” from June 9 to 30, 2016. The works of three Fine Arts faculty members, Ramon del Prado, Irma Lacrote and W. Don Flores, and senior Fine Arts student Ramsid Labe were among those by thirteen local artists and local artist groups showcasing “works not from the center” of the country or Metro Manila. The other local artists/groups were Alma Zosan Alcoran,

Hersley-Ven Casero, Elle Divine, Lumago Designs, Jana Jumalon- Alano, Pisong La Libertad Women Livelihood, Sharon Rose Dadang Rafols, Razcel Jan Salvarita and Kitty Taniguchi.

Organized in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines and Silliman University, through the Cultural Affairs Committee and the College of Performing and Visual Arts, Galleria Duemila and Mariyah Gallery, “Promdi” was also mounted at the CCP’s Pasilyo Guillermo Tolentino from June 8 to August 30, with an artists’ talk held on June 8 at the MKP Hall.

Falsified Flesh of Illusion (repurposed linen fabric sewn on canvas, 48 by 36 inches, 2012) by Rzacel Jan Salvarita (above); Infidel (discarded ballpoint pens, 14 by 19 by 11.5 inches, 2016) by Ramsid Labe; Dula Ta! (pandan leaves and dye, 2016) by Sharon Rose Dadang Rafols

Disquiet on the Digital

Bisperas (digital print, 1997)

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y the early 1990s, the Internet had come to the Philippines.

Photoshop, software that would move picture building into the realm of pixelized fluidity suitable for the Worldwide Web, had moved onto the visual palette of many graphic designers. Advertising and commercial arts seized upon its versatility, and visual artists were opening up to its uses for personal statement. It was a magic wand

for commercial art but personal expression faced a speed bump.

What objects could be generated by this electronic sorcery? Would they hold up as proper, durable art, like paintings in oil and acrylic? Twenty years later, we still teeter on this speed bump.

The jury is still out on whether CSI: Chimoy si Imbisibol: Banyo (digital digital outputs, printouts and print, 2007) tarps and Giclee hard copies will last and merit being called art. In a market economy, permanence has become a sought-after guarantee of value. Twenty years is just not enough time to prove that digital works will, as the cliché goes, stand the test of time.

“Takwil: Pixelated Anxiety” was an inventory of twenty years of artist Jose Tence Ruiz’s attempts at printed digital imagery; from 1996 to 2016, mounted at the NCCA Gallery, in collaboration with Art Informal, from August 4 to 26, 2016, with an artist’s talk on August 18.

Fresh from representing the Philippines at the 2015 Venice Biennial, he rides this new wave even if a commercial wipeout might be lurking. Digital art, strangely in the age of the digital, seems a displaced practice whose final products have yet to prove their durability. And, as this has yet to come, the genre rests in a state of abeyance, of qualified rejection, of takwil, as we say in Filipino. The anxiety of the practice covers not only its survival as form but the neuroses of these decades— the collapse of religious orthodoxy, the subjugation of overseas Filipino workers, the rise of arms sales to guarantee peace, the reduction of public service to private conspiracy and the ironic inability to authentically reach out our oversupplied age of communication.

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.

32 Agung • Number 5 • 2016

NCCA Deputy Executive Director Marichu G. Tellano is OIC–Executive Director

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CCA deputy executive director Marichu G. Tellano has been designated OIC–executive director of the leading government arts and culture agency and serve as such beginning September 8, 2016. Her posting was approved per Board Resolution No. 2016-391 by the NCCA Board of Commissioners during the NCCA board meeting on last August 31, 2016.

Tellano has been the chief of the Plan/ Policy Formulation and Programming Division (PPFPD), a position she held for many years. On March 2, 2016, she took her oath of office as the NCCA’s new deputy executive director.

Tellano is a licensed chemical engineer who started her career as researcher at the National Institute for Science and Mathematics

Education Development, then as Chemistry, Physics, and Mathematics teacher in St. Pedro Poveda College, Holy Family School, Ateneo de Davao University and as instructor at the College of Arts and Sciences of Far Eastern University. She completed her Master’s Degree in Educational Management at the University of the Philippines, Quezon City. Tellano also completed a six–month arts management course in South Korea in 2006.

Tellano first worked at the NCCA as a Project Development Officer in charge of the National Committee on Cultural Education before she was designated as the head of the Planning and Policy Office. Years after, she was appointed as the chief of the Project Management Division which eventually became PPFPD.

The Philippines Joins Workshop on the Fight Against Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property

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he Philippines, led by Angel P. Bautista, acting assistant director of National Museum (NM), and supported

by Rose Beatrix Angeles, legal counsel of the NCCA and Jefferson M. Chua, representative from the Philippine National Commission for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), participated in the UNESCO Sub-Regional Workshop for the Fight Against Illicit Trafficking of Cultural Property in Southeast Asia in Jakarta, Indonesia, August 11 to 12, 2016.

Organized by the UNESCO Jakarta, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Culture of Indonesia, the workshop was participated in by representatives from Afghanistan, Brunei Darussalam, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Timor Leste; and was a part of series organized by UNESCO to marshal efforts to combat the illicit trade of cultural heritage in Southeast Asia. The aim of the workshop was to promote the ratification and implementation of the two major international legal frameworks aimed at preventing and combating the trade of stolen and illicitly exported cultural material, namely, the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Properties; and the 1995 UNIDROIT Convention on Stolen or

Illegally Exported Cultural Objects.

The workshop was structured within the framework of UNESCO’s project titled “Promoting Inter-Cultural Dialogue through Capacity Building Training for Museum Development at UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Indonesia and Afghanistan,” funded by the Indonesian government through the Indonesian Funds-In-Trust. It highlighted the issues faced

by Afghanistan and Indonesia as well as by other Southeast Asian countries in combating illicit trafficking of cultural materials. Indonesia and the Philippines are currently considering ratifying the 1970 and 1995 Conventions, whereas Afghanistan has been a State Party to the 1970 Convention since 2005 and to the UNIDROIT Convention since 2006 and faces a number of challenges due the destruction of heritage by the Taliban and loss and theft of cultural material in conflict situations. The primary aim of the workshop was to provide a forum for sharing experience on the implementation of the 1970 Convention.

Bautista presented the national system of protecting cultural heritage in the Philippines, discussing topics on initiatives of government agencies in the protection and preservation of cultural heritage (intangible and tangible, immovable and movable); status of illicit traffic in the Philippines; national legislation focusing on registration, declaration, licensing (dealers

of cultural property), issuance of permits (export, treasure hunting, archaeological exploration and excavation), authorization, certificates and clearances, surveillance and monitoring, designation of cultural deputies, capacity buildings and information dissemination campaign that were conducted by the NM, NCCA, National Agencies Law Enforcing Coordinating Committee (NALECC) and Interpol; information exchange with NALECC, Philippine Center for Transnational Crime (PCTC) and Interpol; and international cooperation and participation in Interpol activities and sharing of information on data base of stolen cultural properties from around the world. He mentioned national and international conferences and workshops on the prevention of illicit traffic in cultural property that were organized by the NM in collaboration with NCCA, law enforcing agencies, Office of Special Envoy on Transnational Crime (OSETC), PCTC and international organizations.

Angeles presented the Republic Act No. 10066 or the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 and emphasized that the provisions in the aforementioned law are in conformity with the 1970 UNESCO Convention, while Chua presented the country’s recommendations on immediate actions, capacity building and outreach activities for the protection of cultural heritage properties and fight against illicit trafficking.

2016 • Number 5 • Agung 33

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CCA chairperson Felipe M. De Leon Jr. led the inaugurations of Sentro Rizal branches at the Philippine embassies in Doha, Qatar, and Cairo, Egypt, in September, and in Guam in October.

Sentro Rizal Doha was inaugurated on September 20, 2016, at the Philippine Embassy, St. No. 860, Jelaiah Area. The inauguration was followed by a lecture to senior high school students of the Philippine School Doha and a visit to Qatar’s prime cultural hub, Katara Village.

Sentro Rizal Cairo at 28 Street 200, Al Maadi, Cairo, Egypt, was unveiled on September 25, 2016, in time for the celebration of the 70th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Philippines and the Arab Republic of Egypt.

The launch of the first Philippine cultural center in the African continent was followed by a presentation by De Leon on Dr. Jose Rizal’s connections to Egypt. On his first trip abroad, the Filipino hero spent five days in Egypt, passing the Suez Canal from

Philippine ambassador to Egypt Leslie J. Baja receives the Certificate of Establishment of the Sentro Rizal in Cairo from NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon

Sentro Rizal in Qatar, Egypt and Guam June 2 to 7, 1882 en route to Spain. The waterway, which drastically reduced travel time between Asia and Europe upon opening in 1869, also hastened the influx of liberal ideals to the Philippines. In diary entries and letters to his mother, Rizal, ever the prolific writer, described the desert environs in Egypt with great detail. Of the Suez Canal itself, he wrote that it was “the work which immortal-

izes [canal developer Ferdinand de] Lesseps and yields incalculable benefits.”

While in Cairo, De Leon also met with Helmy El Namnam, Minister of Culture of Egypt, and Iman El Farr, Assistant Foreign Minister for Cultural Relations. The meetings reaffirmed the desire of both the Philippines and Egypt to further strengthen cultural cooperation and increase cultural

NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon and Philippine ambassador to Qatar Wilfredo C. Santos lead in the opening of Sentro Rizal Doha in Qatar

THE SENTRO RIZAL

exchanges.

On the other hand, the 21st Sentro Rizal branch was opened at the newly-expanded Philippine Consulate General in Agana, Guam, on October 11, 2016. Joining De Leon in the inauguration was consul general Marciano de Borja of the Philippine Consulate in Guam along with other guests and dignitaries.

There was a ceremonial signing of the memorandum of understanding between the Philippine Consulate General and the NCCA on arts and culture promotion through the establishment of the Sentro Rizal Agana.

The following day, De Leon conducted a lecture titled “Strengthening the Philippine-Guamanian Relations through Cultural Understanding” at the College of Liberal Arts and Social Sciences of the University of Guam for its 8th Philippine Studies Lecture, coinciding with the celebration of Filipino-American Heritage Month. His lecture focused on the cultural commonalities between Filipinos and Chamorros, providing a foundation of cultural awareness and understanding for closer cooperation and exchanges.

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.

34 Agung • Number 5 • 2016

IN MEMORIAM

Dr. Antoon Postma Anthropologist and Linguist

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utch anthropologist and linguist Antoon Postma passed away on October 22, 2016, at the Maria Estrella General Hospital in Calapan City, Oriental Mindoro. He was 87 years old. He was laid to rest on October 25 in the mountains of Panaytayan, Mansalay, where he lived for more than 50 years.

Born on March 28, 1929, in the Netherlands, Postma first arrived in the island of Mindoro as a missionary of the Society of the Divine Word in 1958. He left priesthood in 1989; married a Hanunuo Mangyan, Yam-ay Insik; and lived among the indigenous group, where he was fondly called “bapa” (uncle).

They had four children: Anya, Sagamsang, Yangan and Ambay.

Postma has extensively researched and written about different aspects of Mangyan culture and life including the traditional poetic form called ambahan, folklore, the writing system and time reckoning, paving ways for their preservation. He was a cofounder and board member of Mangyan Heritage Center in Calapan City, which was built upon his substantial collection.

He studied the ambahan extensively, translating 261 ambahans into English and published them in the book Treasure of a Minority in 1981. Another book on the ambahan, Mga Ambahan Mangyan (Mangyan Treasures) was published in 1989. He is said to have documented over 20,000 ambahans.

Postma worked to revive the Hanunoo Mangyan script and established a school for this purpose.

He also endeavored to collect written materials on Mangyan life and culture by conducting surveys at libraries and archives in the Philippines, Europe, the United States and Japan, resulting in The Annotated Mangyan Bibliography 1570-1988 (1988) with its 1,720 bibliographic entries covering all Mangyan subgroups.

In 1990, he deciphered for the National Museum the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, which was unearthed in 1989, considered to be the oldest Philippine document.

IN MEMORIAM

Dr. Serafin D. Quiason, Jr.

Scholar, Cultural Administrator and Historian

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r. Serafin D. Quiason Jr., scholar, cultural administrator and historian, passed away on August 13, 2016, in Plainsboro, New Jersey, at the age of 86.

Dr. Quiason was acting chairman of the Presidential Commission for Culture and the Arts (PCCA) from June to August 1992, becoming one of the key figures of the agency’s transition to NCCA. His work with the PCCA started with his designation as the first commissioner for Cultural Heritage during its establishment in 1987. He was instrumental in organizing the National Committee on Monuments and Site in 1987 and was also among those who lobbied for the creation of the National Committee on Historical Research in 1992 as the sixth national committee under the Subcommission on Cultural Heritage.

Dr. Quiason studied History at the University of the Philippines, graduating cum laude in 1952. He finished his masteral degree in History in 1954 and his doctorate, also in History in 1962, both at the University of Pennsylvania.

From 1965 to 1970, Dr. Quiason was an associate professor of History in the Department of History of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of the Philippines, Diliman. Later on, he became assistant chairman. He also became director of The National Library from 1966 to 1986.

His work for the library sector did not

stop with the NLP. His contribution extended to organizing groups and organizations to further the influence and importance of library and information services. He was among the founding members of the Philippine Library Scholarship Council, Inc., in 1971 and served as president of the Philippine Library Association, Inc., from 1980 to 1981. After his retirement, he still served as an executive committee member of the NCCA’s National Committee on Libraries and Information Services from 2001 to 2004.

In 1981, while the director of the National Library, Dr. Quiason was named acting chairman of the National Historical Institute, now National Historical Commission of the Philippines. He focused on strengthening NHI programs on cultural and historical education. His term as NHI chairman marked a significant build up in the field of historical research. He also spearheaded publication of new titles on Philippines history, and translation projects of Spanish and French publications on Philippine history into Filipino. He likewise intensified the study of history through the popular quiz show called “Paligsahan sa Kasaysayan.” He continued his service as NHI chairman from 1986 until his retirement in 1996. He was instrumental in the construction and completion of the Museum of Philippine History and the National Historical Building at the Rizal Park.

Besides his work for the two institutions, Dr. Quiason was the secretary general of the Southeast Asian Regional Branch of the International Council of Archives from 1971 to 1975; an elected member of the Rome-based Advisory Council of the International Center of the Study of the Conservation and Restoration of Cultural Property; a member of the Ad-Hoc Numismatic Committee of the Central Bank of the Philippines; a member of the UNESCO Advisory Committee for the Study of Malay and Southeast Asian Cultures in 1978; a trustee of the Museo ng Malacanan Foundation from 1986 to 1990; a member of the Silk Road Expedition Across Central Asia, sponsored by UNESCO Paris in 1990; a member of the National Centennial Commission from 1993 to 1998; a regent of the Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila from January to June 1998; a project director of the Museo ng Maynila from 1997 to 1998; and a consultant to the Lopez Museum and Library starting in 1998.

Dr. Quiason is among the key people who pushed forward the drafting and passing of Republic Act 8491 or the Flag and Heraldic Code of the Philippines in 1998.

He had also published works on history, economics and the social sciences including The English “Country Trade” with the Philippines: 1644-1765 (1966), and Ang Kasaysayan ng Asya. He was also a recipient of numerous fellowships and awards.

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