NATIONAL ART MONTH

“ALAB-SINING,ALAY-SIGLA”: IN CELEBRATION OF NATIONAL ARTS MONTH

February is a special month in the Philippines as the country annually celebrates artistic excellence and pays tribute to the uniqueness and diversity of the Filipino heritage and culture. Promulgated by then President Corazon Aquino in 1991, Presidential Proclamation No. 683 declares February as National Arts Month (NAM). Under the mandate of National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and spearheaded by Subcommission on the Arts (SCA), it highlighted the importance of acknowledging exceptional artistic contribution and promoting artistic movement and expressions as embodied in the field of Visual Arts, Architecture, Allied Arts, Music, Dance, Cinema, Dramatic Arts, and Literary Arts. This year’s theme of Alab-Sining, Alay-Sigla intends “ to provide opportunities for artists to harvest creative energies in uplifting the nation’s spirit.” This is in response to the on-going worldwide pandemic that has affected all aspects of everyday life. As a product of human endeavour, Art has the capacity to inspire and empower a nation and its people. With this in mind, NAM “aims to conserve, promote and popularize Filipino artistic creations; integrate the arts in the community life; and harness the arts as catalyst for values education.”

In line with this, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) tapped private institutions and government agencies alike to participate in the month-long festivity by hosting events and activities throughout the archipelago. Cultural programs and art-related undertakings such as free art workshops, art exhibitions, music-dance-theatre performances, film showing, heritagerelated campaigns, etc. are all explored on both the national and local level. Given the constraints brought about by the pandemic, this year’s program line-up are mostly held online via live streaming on the internet on social media platforms, though limited physical gatherings are still allowed. Particularly showcased are the exceptional artistic talents asserting the distinctiveness of vernacular communities across the country. 50 NATIONAL ARTS MONTH | FILIPINO ARTISTS MAGAZINE

Roy Espinosa, a visual artist, art event organizer and cultural and art advocate is a staunch supporter of the National Arts Month (NAM). As the founding president of the Filipinas Institute for the Advancement of Arts and Culture (FILARTS) - a “non-profit cultural institution that advances the rights and welfare of the Filipino artists and the preservation of the indigenous arts and culture in the Philippines”, publisher of the Filipino Artists Magazine and Southeast Asian Artists Magazine, and Country President for International Arts Act and The Author’s Club Worldwide, heconsistently adheres to his advocacy of promoting Filipino artistic excellence. He firmly believes that the National Arts Month is instrumental in enlivening Filipino arts and culture even to the ordinary people. Through the various activities held in celebration of the event, Filipino arts and culture are brought and made accessible to a wider audience. Roy hopes that through the joint efforts of fellow art advocates and with the generous support from both the government and private institutions, appreciation of Filipino arts and culture will soar to new heights.

The National Arts Month’s yearly celebration serves as an agent of change promulgating unity amidst diversity and is effectual in consolidating the manifold characteristics epitomizing The Filipino heritage and culture.