AGUNG No 2 (March-June) 2015_opt

Volume XVIII • Number 2 • 2015 • For Artists and Cultural Workers • ISSN 0119-5948

Official Newsletter of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts

Inscribed for Posterity

Vol. XVIII, No. 2March-June 2015ISSN 0119-5948

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

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

Cover shows the Old Tagalog baybayin documents of University of Santo Tomas Archives declared a National Cultural Treasure

This issue of Agung captures an auspicious and celebratory time in the arts and culture landscape of the country as there are several developments that we can be indeed grateful for.

First, our literatures are given their deserved spotlight, not only this year but in the years to come with the signing of Proclamation No. 968, which declares April as Buwan ng Panitikang Filipino or National Literature Month. With this gesture, the whole nation will bestow on our writers and their works that very much deserved salutation. Literature has been crucial in shaping our personal lives, our communities and the nation.

Not exactly literature, but a system of writing was declared National Cultural Treasure. The baybayin documents of the University of Santo Tomas and their recognition inspire us to take pride in our own culture, which is advanced enough to have its own systems of writing.

Concerning another National Cultural Treasure, the Metropolitan Theater of Manila has finally come under the wings of the NCCA. After many years of sporadic restoration and neglect, this heritage landmark will see a rebirth as a center for the arts as plans are underway for its rehabilitation and conservation.

On the other hand, a part of our intangible cultural heritage, specifically the Christian traditions, is vibrant and well. The Filipino is a very spiritual people, and it is no surprise that some groups, particularly, the lowland ones, had embraced Christianity. Not only that, the Filipino has imbued it with such character and color that the religion becomes effervescent and interesting. It is not enough that rituals are somber and serious; they must include dancing and songs, engaging the whole community. Devotion is not only private but public as well, as people gather and connect to each other in public ceremonies and celebrations. A celebration of a Philippine Christian milestone, Kaplag 450 not only traces the devotion to the Santo Nino and the start of Christianity in the Philippines. It is also a reflection of this devotion made alive with dancing and songs, resulting in the spectacular Sinulog Festival of Cebu as well as other feast day celebrations in honor of the Santo Niño.

Even in the most elegiac of Christian occasions like Lent, Filipinos still gather together and mount colorful commemorations that not only gather the community but draw people from other places to join as well, such as the case of the Lenten rituals and traditions of Paete, Laguna.

And in line with the Yugyugan event, we dance for ourselves, for the community, for heritage and for the spirit that unites us as a nation. We dance to connect, to heal and to inspire.

FELIPE M. DE LEON, JR.

FELIPE M. DE LEON, JR.chairman

ADELINA M. SUEMITHoic-executive director

MARLENE RUTH S. SANCHEZ, MNSAdeputy executive director

Rene Sanchez Napeñaseditor-in-chief

Roel Hoang Maniponmanaging editor

Mervin Concepcion Vergara art director

Marvin Alcarazphotographer

Leihdee Anne CabreraManny AraweAlinor MaquedaMay Corre TuazonRoezielle Joy IglesiaRandolf Claritopaio staff

About the cover

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts

As the government arm for culture and the arts, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) is the overall policy-making, coordinating,

and grants-giving agency for the preservation, development and

promotion of Philippine arts and culture; and executing agency for the policies it formulates; and an agency

tasked to administer the National Endowment Fund for Culture and

the Arts (NEFCA). The NCCA traces its roots to the Presidential Commission

for Culture and the Arts (PCCA), which was created when President Corazon Aquino signed Executive Order No. 118 on January 30, 1987, “mindful of the fact that there is a need for a

national body to articulate a national policy on culture, to conserve and promote national heritage, and to guarantee a climate of freedom, support and dissemination for all forms of artistic and cultural

expression.” On April 3, 1992, President Aquino

signed Republic Act No. 7356 creating the NCCA and establishing the NEFCA, a result of over two years of legislative

consultations among government and private sector representatives. The bill was sponsored by senators Edgardo J. Angara, Leticia Ramos-Shahani, Heherson T. Alvarez and

congressman Carlos Padilla.The NCCA Secretariat, headed by the

executive director and headquartered at the historic district of Intramuros,

provides administrative and technical support to the NCCA and other units, and delivers assistance to the culture and arts community and the public.

Emilie V. Tiongcoeditorial consultant

MESSAGE FROM THE CHAIRMAN2 | Agung March - May 2014

The National Archives of the Philippines (NAP) unveiled a marker for the two Old Tagalog baybayin documents of the Uni-versity of Santo Tomas (UST) Archives, declaring them a National Cultural Treasure (NCT), on November 13, 2014, at the Miguel de Benavides Library. This was the first time NAP has declared a Na-tional Cultural Treasure and the first for a paper document.

The unveiling was graced by NAP executive director Victori-no Mapa Manalo; National Artist for literature and Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino chairman Virgilio Almario; NCCA chairman Fe-lipe de Leon Jr.; UST rector Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy, O.P.; and UST archivist Regalado Trota Jose.

Prior to the unveiling of the marker, the UST baybayin documents were first declared NCT at the Second Baybayin Conference, the An-cient and Tradition Scripts in the Philippines. Hosted by the National Museum of the Philippines (NM), the conference was held at the Ayala Theater, Museum of the Filipino People, on August 22, 2014, in con-junction with the nationwide celebration of Buwan ng Wika.

The First Baybayin Conference was held on December 13, 2013, and presented the discovery of Monreal Stones in Ticao Island, Mas-bate, to the public. For the second conference, the objectives were to present updates on the studies made on Monreal Stones and other artefacts with ancient scripts, to intensify awareness on the cultural importance of the baybayin; to raise awareness of the importance of cultural heritage and the need for its protection; to share knowl-edge; and to provide a forum for researchers and students on how to preserve and protect the Filipino cultural heritage. The conference was participated in by more than sixty representatives from NAP, UST, National Library, KWF, San Beda Ayala, Siliman University, University of the Philippines, Normal University of the Philippines, NCCA, Sanghabi Group, Philippine Daily Inquirer, and the Na-

UST Baybayin Documents Declared National Cultural TreasureInvaluable Imprints

tional Museum personnel from the Archaeology, Anthropology and Chemistry and Conservation Laboratory Divisions.

Distinguished anthropologists and researchers in the field of an-cient and traditional scripts in the Philippines presented their paper including Dr. Bonifacio F. Comandante, Jr of the Siliman University, who gave updates on the Monreal Stones, sulat baybayin of Mind-anao, and present use of baybayin; Dr. Teresita B. Obusan of Bahay Nakpil, who said that there is a need to conduct an extensive and intensive research on ancient and traditional scripts in the Philippines and the baybayin is a medium used by our ancestors in giving mean-ing to things, objects and events; Emmanuel S. Castro, who told the accomplishment of Sanghabi in 15 years of research, presentation and ritual performance; Adelina Villena, who discussed the case of the il-legal extraction of stalagmite in Guri Cave; Melissa May Cardenas, who combined the art of writing ambahan, poetry from of Hanunuo and Buhid, using baybayin; Leo Batoon, who presented the National Museum project on the conservation of Tagbanua/Pala’wan syllabic writing; and Dr. Ramon Guillermo, who attempted to qualify or even refute the notion that texts written in traditional Tagalong baybayin are necessarily difficult or even impossible to read, and made a re-newed assertion of a corollary hypothesis regarding the strong possibil-ity of a relationship between Bugis-Makasar and Philippine syllabaries.

The public declaration of UST baybayin documents served as the highlight of the conference, led by Michael C. Francisco. Jose presented a paper on their significance.

Baybayin is a general Filipino or Tagalog word for “script,” “writ-ing” or “syllabary,” and now refers to the Old Tagalog abugida. The Philippines has several baybayins, including the Palaw’an, Tagbanua, Hanunuo Mangyan and Buhid Mangyan.

The UST baybayin documents are two deeds of sale of land,

UST archivist Regalado Trota Jose guides NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon Jr., and KWF chairman Virgilio Almario in

viewing the baybayin documents. /Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

transacted in 1613 (labelled as Document A) and 1625 (labelled as Document B).

According to Academia, the UST international bulletin (Octo-ber 2014), “Document A documents the sale of tubigan (irrigated land) by Doña Catalina Baycan, a maginoo or principal of Tondo, to Don Andres Capiit of Dilao, a district in the vicinity of today’s Manila City Hall. Document B documents the sale of irrigable land in the area of Mayhaligue, most possibly the area around the De-partment of Health in Santa Cruz, Manila, by Doña Maria Silang, a maginoo of Tondo, to Doña Francisca Longgad, a maginoo of Dilao.

“Document A is dated February 15, 1613, while Document B is dated December 4, 1625. The second paper was previously dated to 1635, until further research showed that in Old Tagalog, according to Fr. Blancas and Tomas Pinpin, expressing a number from twenty onward to another number was achieved by counting the next high-er decade and affixing the lower number. For example, 42 would be written ‘micalimandalawa’ (two towards the fifth decade), and so forth. Thus, ‘micatlong lima’ was then correctly read as 25, not 35.

“Don Andres Capiit, who bought the land in Document A, married Doña Francisca Longgad, who bought the land in Docu-ment B. Capiit must have died between 1613 and 1625, at which time Francisca married Don Luis Castilla. In 1629 Luis Castilla sold

some land to UST, which occasioned some contestation. Castilla therefore showed as proof of ownership Documents A and B.

“When UST acquired this land, the proper documents passed on to form a hefty volume of 17th century papers in the UST Ar-chives. They were both summarized in Spanish in 1629, which pro-vided us with a baybayin Rosetta Stone,’ an invaluable tool to read-ing these documents.

“A pioneering study on baybayin in UST was made by Ig-nacio Villamor and Norberto Romualdez, both Thomasians, in 1918, which was revised in 1922. Villamor became the first Fili-pino president of the University of the Philippines (1915 to 1918), while Romualdez was eventually made chairman of the Philippine Commonwealth’s Committee on National Language. The study was deepened by the work of Fr. Alberto Santamaria, O.P., archivist of UST, who published his work in 1938 in the UST journal Unitas.

“The UST baybayin documents provide us with an insight on how much more prevalent was the use of baybayin. Previously, it was generally thought that baybayin was limited to writing love poems, accounting, and signing papers. The documents give us a glimpse of life and commerce in early 17th century Manila, at a time when UST was still a fledgling school. Significantly, they also demonstrate the involvement of women in business, selling and buying land in this instance.”

The UST baybayin documents are considered the “longest and most complete documents completely handwritten in baybayin,” part of a compilation of baybayin documents regarded as the “big-gest collection of extant ancient baybayin scripts in the world.” They are also the oldest known deeds of sale for land in the Philippines.

A National Cultural Treasure is described as “a unique object found locally, possessing outstanding historical, cultural, artistic and/or scien-tific value which is significant and important to this country and nation” (Republic Act 4846 as amended by Presidential Decree 374).

The documents are the fifth objects found in the UST campus to be declared NCTs. The four others include the UST Main Building, the Arch of the Centuries, the Central Seminary building, and UST’s open spaces. The UST is the only school in the country to have NCTs.

Due to their fragility, the documents are stored at the UST archives and are unavailable for public viewing. Replicas, however, may be viewed at the archives’ office on the fifth floor of the UST Miguel de Benavides Library. The baybayin documents were first shown in public during the tricentennary of the university in 1911. That same year, the documents were first published in Libertas, a daily newspaper published by the university.

Senator Loren Legarda renewed her call for the promotion of baybayin by using it in government logos, public signage and even in local product labels, during the fourth Baybayin Festival Rizal, which was organized by Taklobo Baybayin Inc., Baybayin Buhayin, the Department of Education (DepEd) and the province of Rizal, on November 22, 2014, at the Ynares Center, Antipolo City.

The event was attended by teachers and students from public and private elementary and high schools in the DepEd Division of Rizal and Antipolo. Legarda also shared that she has filed measures in the Senate that aim to promote and preserve baybayin.

Senate Bill No. 1899 mandates all government agencies, departments and offices to incorporate Baybayin in their official logos.

“All government agencies and offices must take the lead to further promote Filipino culture and traditions, strengthen Filipino identity, and instill the same in everyday life. The logos and seals of government agencies and offices should not only reflect the emblems of their functions and duties but also pride in Filipino heritage and traditions,” said Legarda.

Some of the government offices and agencies that have already incorporated baybayin in their official logos include the National Museum of the Philippines, Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino, the National Library, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the National Archives of the Philippines, the National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP), and the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).

Meanwhile, Senate Bill No. 2440 aims to declare baybayin as the National Writing Script of the Philippines and mandates the NCCA to lead the promotion, protection, preservation and conservation of the baybayin.

The measure also mandates local food manufacturers to inscribe baybayin and their translation on containers or labels; local government units (LGUs) to use baybayin in their signage for street names, public facilities, among others; and newspaper and magazine publishers to include baybayin translation of their official name.

Moreover, reading materials about baybayin will be distributed to all public and private educational institutions and all government and private agencies and offices to instill awareness of the declaration of baybayin as the national writing system.

OTHER GOVERNMENT EFFORTS

The unveiling of the marker declaring the baybayin documents of UST as National Cultural Treasure was led by NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon Jr., National Archives of the Philippines executive director Victorino Mapa Manalo, UST rector Rev. Fr. Herminio V. Dagohoy and UST archivist Regalado Trota Jose. /Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

4 Agung • Number 2 • 2015

The new bronze statue of 19th-century Tagalog poet Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar was unveiled in Orion, Bataan, made by sculptor Julie Lluch. /Photo by Roel Hoang Manipon

Intensifying the Light of LiteratureThe Commemoration of Balagtas and the Launch of National Literature Month

Manila Bay, from the vantage point of Roxas Boulevard and the districts of Ma-late and Ermita, is where the sun sets most beautifully in the sprawling metropolis. But in the town of Orion in Bataan, a province northwest of the Philippine capital and which hugs the northern portion of the bay, the sun disperses its first light. It lightly gilds the shore of Wawa, a coastal barangay of Orion, where the neighborhood children play among the ashen sand; the families and lovers watch the sun rise on the breakwater; and the fishermen cast their nets out in the sea.

On the early morning of March 30, 2015, the most beautiful monument to Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar first saw golden light here, as it was unveiled in the presence of cultural and local government officials including National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr.; National Artist for lit-erature and chairman of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF) Virgilio Almario; Antonio Raymundo, Jr., mayor of Orion; and Albert S. Garcia, Bataan governor, stir-ring up the usually quiet neighbourhood and indicating the importance of the event.

The 19th century poet is widely consid-ered the greatest of poets in Filipino and one of the greatest writers in the Philip-pines, whose metrical romance or awit Flo-rante at Laura is included in the high school curriculum. While regarded a hero, he was perhaps the least commemorated and there was no decent monument of him.

The recently unveiled monument was “para tunay na mailuklok natin sa tumpak na

Text and photos by Roel Hoang Manipon

dambana ng karangalan ang ating bayaning manunulat” (to truly place our writer-hero in his right shrine of honor), according to Almario.

KWF commissioned Julie Lluch to do the monument. The prominent sculptor did the monuments of Apolinario Mabini for the 150th birth anniversary celebration, which is now in Tanauan, Batangas; Carlos P. Romulo along United Nations Avenue, Manila; Jose Abad-Santos and Cayetano Arellano on Padre Faura Street, Manila; and President Manuel L. Quezon in the province of Quezon. For Balagtas, she took inspira-tion, upon the suggestion of Almario, from the depiction of Balagtas by National Art-ist for visual arts Carlos “Botong” Francisco in his mural that was originally installed at the Manila City and now owned by the Na-tional Museum of the Philippines. The new bronze monument portrays the poet seated beside a table, a quill in one hand and look-ing at the sea, seemingly in deep thought.

Surrounding the monument, a park was under construction, including part of the bay still to be reclaimed. The Hardin ni Balagtas, or the Garden of Balagtas is en-visioned to serve as a “cultural park” with native plants and trees. When the reclama-tion and landscaping are finished, Almario wished it to be national park, a destination for tourists and literature lovers. A library is envisioned so that the park is “hindi lang hardin ng pagmamahalan kundi hardin din ng karunungan” (not only a garden of love but also a garden of knowledge) and those who will visit “‘di lang mamasyal, para rin mag-aral and magbasa.” (not only lounge

around but also to study and read) A big plan of the KWF and the municipal gov-ernment are finding the remains of Balagtas and their re-internment at the park. It is a popular belief in Orion that the Balagtas re-mains are buried at the Saint Michael the Arcangel Parish Church, near the altar.

“Gusto naming itangi ng buong Filipi-nas ang ating manunulat,” (We wish that the whole Philippines will distinguish our writer) Almario said. “Kung mapapansin mo kasi, ang halos lahat ng deklaradong national heroes ng Filipinas ay puro mga patriots, mga martir, mga heneral, mga napatay para sa bayan. Ang gusto natin ngayon ay magkaroon din tayo ng isang modelo sa ating mga ka-bataan na isang bayani na kahahangaan da-hil sa kanyang malikhaing talino, hindi nag-pakamatay sa bayan, hindi naghirap sa kung anuman para sa bayan, ngunit inihandog ang kanyang talino, ang kanyang dakilang talino, para sa pagsulong ng kamulatan ng ating mga kababayan. At nais naming na si Balagtas ang maging modelo ng gayong uri ng bayani.” (Because you would notice, almost all of the declared national heroes of the Philip-pines were patriots, martyrs, generals, those killed for the country. What we want now is to also have a model for our youth, a hero admired because of his creative genius, not because he died or suffered for the country, but he offered his talent, his great talent, for the advancement of our countrymen’s consciousness. We wish Balagtas to be the model for that kind of hero.)

Almario said these to hundreds of young participants of the youth camp Kampo Balagtas, which immediately began at the


Intensifying the Light of LiteratureOrion Elementary School after the unveil-ing of the statue. These two events were held in commemoration of the 227th birth anni-versary of Balagtas or the Araw ni Balagtas (Balagtas Day), which falls on April 2. Since becoming KWF chairman, Almario made it a point to pay tribute to Balagtas in a sig-nificant way. Last year, he spearheaded com-memorative events in three places closely as-sociated to Balagtas, including Orion. The town, then called Udyong, is said to be close to Balagtas’s heart. Here, he wrote some of his masterpieces and died on February 20, 1862.

“Ito pa lamang ang ikalawang pagkakata-on ng paglalakbay ng KWF dito sa Bataan,” (This is just the second time KWF trav-eled to Bataan) he related. “Naisip namin ito noong nakaraang taon upang kilalanin ang pangyayari na kung tutuusin kahit ipi-nanganak sa Bulakan, kahit sa Pandacan si-nasabing sinulat niya ang kanyang Florante at Laura, ang mahigit na mahabang pana-hon sa buhay ni Balagtas ay dito naganap sa Udyong, sa Balanga at saka sa Udyong. Dito niya nakatagpo ang kanyang naging kabiyak na si Juana Tiambeng.” (We thought of this last year to give recognition to the fact that even though he was born in Bulacan, even though it is said that he wrote Florante at Laura in Pandacan, it was here in Udyong, in Balanga and Udyong, Balagtas lived a large part of his life. He met his wife Juana Tiambeng here.)

Almario expressed many big plans for the commemoration of Balagtas as well as in the efforts of promoting Philippine lit-erature in general. One is to make Araw ni Balagtas a national non-working holiday, and he hopes that by the third time they will celebrate Araw ni Balagtas it comes to frui-tion. A resolution has been sent to Malacan-an Palace. He was glad though that Bataan

had declared Araw ni Balagtas a provincial holiday.

He was much pleased that another dream was realized this year—the declara-tion of April as National Literature Month.

“Tinaon naming Abril dahil gusto naming magsimula ang pagdiriwang ng National Lit-erature Month sa Araw ni Balagtas. Simula sa araw na ito, ang pagdiriwang ng Araw ni Balagtas ay pambungad na ng National Literature Month,” (We timed it in April because we want to start the celebration of National Literature Month with Araw ni Balagtas. Beginning today, the celebration of Araw ni Balagtas is already the introduc-tion of National Literature Month) Almario explained.

Aside from Araw ni Balagtas, many liter-ature-related events fall under April such as the birth and death anniversaries of literary icons Emilio Jacinto, Paciano Rizal, Nick Joaquin, Edith Tiempo and Bienvenido Lumbera, and international literary cel-ebrations including International Children’s Book Day, International Day of the Book or World Book Day, and World Intellectual Property Rights Day. Also, during this sum-mer month, several writers’ workshops are being held.

The uses and roles of literature are multi-tudinous and multifarious. One universally accepted attribute of literature is its ability to provide elevating and edifying experienc-es which enlarge our horizons and enhance us as a people. In the Philippines, as in nu-merous countries in the world, literature also has a vital role in turning the course of history and shaping society. These liter-ary works are not necessarily revolutionary and patriotic, but also works even by sheer beauty and deepness of thought that came to define us as a people, as human.

According to poet and officer in charge

of the Sangay ng Edukasyon at Networking of KWF John Enrico Torralba: “Sa kasay-sayan, naging kasangkapan ang panitikan sa pagsulong at pagpapalaganap ng mga ad-hikain ng mga dakilang tao at karaniwang masa, lalo na ang dalumat ng pagkabansa. Mula noon hanggang kasalukuyan, ang pa-nitikan ang isa sa mga pangunahing sang-gunian ng pagkatao ng mga Filipino, ng pa-giging tao ng mga Filipino. Sumasalamin at naglalatag ang panitikan ng kung ano tayo at kung saan ang maaari nating kahantungan.” (In history, literature has been instrumen-tal in the flourishing and promulgation of the goals of great persons as well as of the ordinary masses, especially on the concept of nationhood. From the olden times until now, literature is one of the primary guides in shaping Filipino identity and humanity. Literature mirrors and illustrates what we are and where we are going.)

“Malawak at malayo na din ang naabot ng ating panitikan. May pagtanggap at pagkilala na sa iba’t ibang antas ang lipunan—mula sa mga internasyonal na larang hanggang sa mga karaniwang sulok ng mga tahanan, mula sa maseselang panlasa hanggang sa sim-pleng pagkalibang,” (Our literature has gone a long way. It has garnered reception and recognition in different levels of society—from the international field to the ordinary corners of the home, from critics with the most discerning tastes to the ones who just want diversion) he further explained. “Ang kapangyarihan at kabuluhang ito ng paniti-kan ng mga Filipino ang siyang dahilan, sa tingin ko, kung bakit may Buwan ng Paniti-kang Filipino. Dagdag pa, may sakit na pag-kalito at pagkalimot ang maraming Filipino kung kaya’t kailangang ipaalam at ipaalala sa kanila ang kapangyarihan at kabuluhang ito, na tayo ay may panitikan, na tayo ay Fili-pinong may maipagmamalaking panitikan.”

2015 • Number 2 • Agung 7

(The power and significance of Philippine literature are reasons, in my opinion, why there is a Philippine Literature Month. Ad-ditionally, many Filipinos are afflicted with confusion and forgetfulness, and there is need to remind them of literature’s power and significance, that we have a literature we can be proud of.)

Now, the whole nation can highlight the importance of literature every year. Presi-dent Benigno Aquino III signed Proclama-tion No. 968 on February 10, 2015, which declares the month of April as Buwan ng Panitikang Filipino or National Literature Month.

The proclamation states that “Philippine literature, written in different Philippine languages, is associated with the history and cultural legacy of the State, and must be promoted among Filipinos,” and that “national literature plays an important role in preserving and inspiring the literature of today and in introducing to future genera-tions the Filipino values that we have inher-ited from our ancestors.”

Right after the establishment of Na-tional Literature Month, the government agency on the national language and other

sa pamamagitan ng tuloy-tuloy na produksi-yon at promosyon.” (Another objective is to encourage Filipinos, the professionals, the non-professionals, students, teachers and others to take part in sustaining, popular-izing and disseminating Filipino creativity through continuous production and pro-motion.)

He concluded: “Ay lab panitikan. Sa ka-buuan, ang nais na maabot ng selebrasyon ay mas malalim na pagpapahalaga sa ating pa-nitikan, at higit sa lahat, ipakita na mahal natin ang ating panitikan.” (I love literature. Overall, the celebration hopes to foment a deeper appreciation for our literature and to show that we love our literature.)

The line-up of activities and events con-sisted of established regular endeavors as well as new ones. Even though the preparation for the celebration was rushed, KWF was able to draw a calendar of activities. Foremost were the monument unveiling and the Kampo Balagtas from March 30 to 31, which gath-ered around 500 Grade 8 students in the Central Luzon region and delegations from different indigenous groups of the country. With the theme “Si Balagtas at ang Kabata-an” (Balagtas and the youth), the camp gave

Philippine languages, with support from the NCCA, the government’s overall agency on arts and culture, rushed through its first-ever celebration.

First, KWF chose the theme “Alab Pani-tikan,” literally “fire of literature,” which is also a play on the phrase “I love panitikan.” The theme also encapsulated the goals of the celebration this year.

“Nag-aalab ang panitikang Filipino,” (Philippine literature is burning) Torralba said. “Isang layunin ng pagdiriwang ay ipaa-lala na may mahabang kasaysayan, kung kaya’t may malalim at malawak na lawas ng mga akda ang Filipinas; at ipakilala na patuloy na nabubuhay ang ating panitikan.” (One objective of the celebration is to re-mind people of the long history of Philip-pine literature—thus, it has a deep and wide body of works— and that it continues to be alive.)

“Pag-alabin ang panitikang Filipino,” (To kindle Philippine literature further) he con-tinued. “Isa pang layunin ay hikayatin ang mga Filipino, mga propesyonal , di-propesyo-nal, mag-aaral, guro, at iba pa na makibahagi sa pagpapanatili, pagpapalaganap, at pagpa-palawak ng pagkamalikhain ng mga Filipino

A new monument of Francisco “Balagtas” Baltazar was unveiled on March 30, 2015, in Orion, Bataan, led by NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr.; National Artist for literature and chairman of the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino Virgilio Almario; Antonio Raymundo, Jr., mayor of Orion; and Albert S. Garcia, Bataan governor, among others.


Francsico “Balagtas” Baltazar is widely considered as the Prince of Tagalog Poets because of his masterpiece, the metrical romance Florante at Laura. He is also considered to have changed the course of literature during the Spanish colonial period. He was admired by both Jose Rizal and Andres Bonifacio for the outstanding craftsmanship of Florante at Laura. Balagtas’ revolutionary political and social ideas were admired also by them as well as by poets of today.

It is very unfortunate that many of Balagtas’ awit and komedya were destroyed when his home in Bataan burned down, save for one saynete, La india elegante y el negrito amante. The manuscript of the komedya Orosman at Zafira was recently discovered, attesting to his immense talent as poet-playwright and showing his advanced political leanings.

Balagtas was born on April 2, 1788, in Panginay, Bigaa (now Balagtas), Bulacan, to Juan Balagtas and Juana Cruz. He was sent to relatives in Tondo, Manila, to serve as house help in exchange for education. He attended Colegio de San Jose and Colegio de San Juan de Letran. In Colegio de San Jose, he was listed as “Francisco Baltazar.” This is also the name used in the marriage document when he married Juana Tiambeng in July 22, 1842. There is no clear explanation on the change of surname.

In 1835, he fell in love with Maria Asuncion Rivera of a wealthy clan in Pandacan, but the affair did not prosper. “Kay Celia,” the introductory poem of Florante at Laura, was dedicated to her. In Pandacan, Balagtas was incarcerated, the reason of which is still unknown. He was freed on 1838, the year Florante at Laura is said to have been published. Balagtas moved to Udyong (now Orion) in Bataan, where he married Juana Tiambeng and raised eleven children. He was again imprisoned in 1856, following a complaint by a house help whose hair was cut off by Balagtas for unknown reason. The case impoverished the Balagtas family. He was imprisoned in Balanga, Bataan, and was transferred to Tondo, where he wrote many komedyas for Teatro de Tondo from 1857 to 1860. After the imprisonment, he went back Udyong, where he wrote many poems and komedyas until his death in February 20, 1862.

lessons on first aid and martial arts, among other things, and featured cultural presenta-tions and discussions on the importance of Balagtas’s life and legacy. During its open-ing, the winners of Talaang Ginto: Makata ng Taon and Gawad Dangal ni Balagtas were declared. Freelance writer Christian Ray Pilares was honored as Makata ng Taon in the poetry contest in Filipino for his poem “Pingkian,” while Michael Jude Cagumbay Tumamac placed second for “Pananaginip kay Tud Bulul” and Francisco Arias Monte-sena third for “Bahagdan, Walang Sukat ang Bayaning Kabataan.” Rogelio Mangahas, known as part of a triumvirate that ushered in the second movement in Modernism in poetry in Filipino, was given the lifetime achievement award.

Literary events for the rest of the month included Tertulya sa Tula: Isang Hapon ng mga Makata ng Taon every Monday at the KWF headquarters, where audiences had the opportunity to interact with the Makata ng Taon winners. Meanwhile, the Filipino poets’ group Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, at Anyo (LIRA) conducted the Lakbay-Pa-nitik para kay Emilio Jacinto in Majayjay, Laguna, in celebration of the hero’s death anniversary. On the other hand, Gumil Fili-pinas (Gunglo dagiti Mannurat nga Ilokano iti Filipinas) or Ilokano Writers Association of the Philippines held its 47th national conference at the Cubao Expo in Quezon City with the theme “Ang Papel ng Gumilia-no sa Lipunang Ilokano.” (The role of a Gu-mil member in Ilocano society). LIRA also had a poetry reading program at the Con-spiracy Bar in Quezon City, while in Davao City, the Davao Writers’ Guild and Young Davao Writers held Kumbira! which includ-ed a poetry reading, an exhibit and a book sale. A poetry reading by the Katig Writers Network was mounted at University of the Philippines Tacloban in Leyte and at the Northwestern State University in Calbayog City, Samar. A Cebuano version of the play The Vagina Monologues by Eve Ensler, called V-Latanay, was staged at the University of the Philippines in Mindanao.

Some of the activities were educational such as “Tradisyon at Modernidad: Isang Simposyum” of the University of Santo Tomas’s Center for Creative Writing and Literary Studies, and a translation seminar for teachers at the Western Mindanao State University in Zamboanga City. The Old Tagalog abugida or baybayin was the focus of a summit in Lingayen, Pangasinan, from April 9 to 11, participated in by teachers, scholars, researchers and students, tackling the issue of introducing the abugida into the school curriculum. On the other hand, the Ortograpiyang Pambansa, KWF Manwal sa

FRANCISCO “BALAGTAS” BALTAZAR

Masinop na Pagsulat, and Korespondensiya Opisyal was tackled at the Uswag Filipino!, an annual seminar-workshop on language and literature for teachers, at the Bulacan State University. The Klasrum Adarna ses-sion for teachers tackled “Pagtuturo ng Noli at Fili/Ibong Adarna” in Makati City while the “Folk on Badiw: Ibaloy Legacy to Poetry and Music” was held at the University of the Philippines in Baguio City with National Artist for music Ramon Santos as guest of honor. Also in Baguio City, the Kapisanan ng mga Superbisor at Guro sa Filipino (Ka-sugufil) mounted the Pambansang Kongreso sa Wikang Filipino.

The Pambansang Araw ng Gawad sa KWF Timpalak Uswag Darepdep , a contest of the KWF for 12 to 17-year-old aspiring writ-ers writing in different Philippine languages was opened. This year, language categories open for competition are Ilocano, Cebuano, Bicol and Mëranaw.

The month also abounded in writing workshops. Ateneo de Manila Univer-sity’s Ateneo Institute of Literary Arts and Practices held the High Fantasy and Young Adult Writing Workshop every Saturday of the month while the Bienvenido Santos Creative Writing Center of the De La Salle University held the Young Writers Work-shop for very young children with literary inclinations. The Manila Times College in Intramuros, Manila conducted a literary journalism workshop with veterans that included critic and playwright Dr. Isagani Cruz. From April 26 to 28, the Iyas Nation-al Writers Workshop of the University of St. La Salle-Bacolod was held in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental.

On April 23, the National Book Devel-opment Board spearheaded the celebration of the National Book and Copyright Day.

The Holy Week is not the only occa-sion that provides spirituality, reflection and meaningfulness during this season popu-larly known for excursions and beaches. With the newly declared Buwan ng Paniti-kang Filipino or National Literature Month, April in the Philippines will be a more en-riching and soulful time.

“Mas malalaki at bonggang uri ng mga gawain,” (Bigger and spectacular activities) promised Torralba on future celebrations. “Noong huling meeting sa NCCA, nakaiisip na ng ilang malalaking gawain para sa susu-nod na taong pagdiriwang. Nariyan ang mga pagkakaroon ng mga pambansang timpalak sa mga tradisyonal na anyo ng panitikan ng bansa gaya ng timpalak sa balagtasan, tigsik, ambahan, balitao, etc. Isa ding mungkahi ay ang pagkakaroon ng Gawad Alab Panitikan. Siyempre, ninanais na buong bansa o karami-han ng mga sektor, institusyon, o organ-

The Komisyón sa Wikàng Filipíno (KWF) or the National Language Commission, established by virtue of Republic Act. 7104, signed on August 14, 1991, is the government agency tasked in conducting researches, developing, propagating and promoting the Filipino language and other Philippine languages. An important goal is to develop the Filipino language for national development and unity and at the same time to preserve and propagate other indigenous and regional languages. It is the mission of the KWF to formulate, coordinate and implement research programs and projects to further the development and enrichment of Filipino as a medium of general communication as well as for intellectual pursuits. Visit www.kwf.gov.ph, or e-mail [email protected]. Call telephone number 736-2519 for more information.

THE KOMISYÓN SA WIKÀNG FILIPÍNO

ORION, BATAANisasyong may direkta o di-direktang may kinalaman sa panitikan ay magiging ba-hagi ng mga susunod pang pagdiriwang. Sa madaling salita, asahang paganda nang paganda at palaki nang palaki ang mga pagdiriwang sa hinaharap. Ano pa ba ang maaasahan natin sa mga taong puro paglikha ang nasa isip at puso?” (In the last meeting at the NCCA, several big events were suggested for the sub-sequent celebrations. One is a national contest on traditional literary forms such as the balagtasan, tigsik, ambahan, balitao, etc. Another suggestion is hav-ing an Alab Panitikan Award. Of course, it is hoped that the whole country or most of the sectors, institutions or orga-nizations directly or indirectly connect-ed with literature will take part in the coming celebrations. In other words, expect that the future celebrations will be bigger and more beautiful. What can we expect from people whose hearts and minds are into creating?”)

As the sun shines bright that season, so will the immortal words come alive and become dazzling, illuminating the path for and make luminous the na-tion’s soul.

Orion in Bataan, 132 kilometers from Manila, was formerly called Udyong. Records show that the municipality was founded by a Dominican priest on April 30, 1667, but this cannot be ascertained.

There is a folklore on how the town got its name. Udyong is said to be derived from lu-ad and uryong, meaning “muddy.” Some Spanish soldiers, another story goes, passed by the town and asked for the name of the place, pointing to the ground. The locals, not understanding their query and seeing a worm on the ground, said “Uod ‘yon.” Udyong later became Orion, a mispronunciation.

The most important heritage structure of the town is the Parish Church of Saint Michael the Archangel. The present structure was built by Father Jose Campomanes, O.P. after an earthquake in 1852 destroyed a previous structure. Its façade is described as of barn-style Baroque, featuring side pillars capped by urn-like finials, pilasters that divide the façade into five segments and cornices that divide the expanse of the wall into two levels. The pediment is semi-arched and ends into two small volutes before tapering down to the sides. A concrete porte cochere has been added later into the structure. There is a four-level belfry.

Orion is proud of producing Don Cayetano Arellano, the first Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, who was born here on March 2, 1847.

The Saint Michael the Archangel Church (top), Manila Bay from the shore of Wawa (above) and the town proper of Orion (below)


VIRGILIO S. ALMARIO (born March 9, 1944), also known for his penname Rio Alma, is a poet, literary historian and critic as well as a professor, translator, editor, lexicographer and cultural administrator. He revived and

reinvented traditional Filipino poetic forms, even as he champi-oned modernist po-etics. His first book of poetry, Makinasyon at Ilang Tula, was pub-lished in 1967, and it was followed by many more, including Peregrinasyon, the tril-ogy Doktrinang Anak-

pawis, Mga Retrato at Rekwerdo and Muli, Sa Kandungan ng Lupa. His poetry was col-lected in two volumes, Una Kong Milenyum. In these works, his poetic voice soared from the lyrical to the satirical to the epic, from the dramatic to the incantatory, in his often se-vere examination of the self, and the society. He has also redefined how Filipino poetry is viewed and paved the way for the discussion of the same in his books of criticisms and an-thologies. He founded the Galian sa Arte at Tula and the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo, which nurtured and mentored many writers. He has also long been involved with children’s literature. He has been a constant presence as well in national writing work-shops and galvanizes member writers as chairman emeritus of the Unyon ng mga Manunulat sa Pilipinas. He headed the NCCA as executive director from 1998 to 2001, and is currently KWF chairman. He was declared National Artist in 2003.

FRANCISCO ARCELLANA (September 6, 1916-August 1, 2002), fictionist, poet, es-sayist, critic, journalist and teacher, was one

of the most impor-tant progenitors of the modern Filipino short story in English. He pioneered the development of the short story as a lyrical prose-poetic form. Ar-cellana kept alive the experimental tradi-tion in fiction and was

Our Writers, Our National Artists

most daring in exploring new literary forms to express the sensibility of the Filipino peo-ple. His books include Selected Stories (1962), Poetry and Politics: The State of Original Writ-ing in English in the Philippines Today (1977) and The Francisco Arcellana Sampler (1990). He was declared National Artist in 1990.

CIRILO F. BAUTISTA (born July 9, 1941) is a poet, fictionist and essayist. Throughout his career that spans more than four decades, he has established a reputation for fine and profound artistry. His books, lectures, poetry

readings and creative writing workshops continue to influence his peers and genera-tions of young writers. In De La Salle Universi-ty, he was instrumen-tal in the formation of the Bienvenido Santos Creative Writing Cen-ter. He was also the moving spirit behind

the founding of the Philippine Literary Arts Council in 1981, the Iligan National Writers Workshop in 1993, and the Baguio Writers Group. Bautista continues to contribute to the development of Philippine literature: as a writer, through his significant body of works; as a teacher, through his discovery and en-couragement of young writers in workshops and lectures; and as a critic, through his essays that provide insights into the craft of writing and correctives to misconceptions about art. His major works include the poetry Summer Suns (1963), Words and Battlefields (1998), The Trilogy of Saint Lazarus (2001) and Galaw ng Asoge (2003). He was declared National Artist in 2014.

LAZARO FRANCISCO (February 22, 1898–June 17, 1980) developed the so-cial realist tradition in Philippine fiction. His eleven novels, now ac-knowledged classics of Philippine literature, embody the author’s commitment to na-tionalism. Francisco gained prominence as

a writer not only for his social conscience but also for his “masterful handling of the Tagalog language” and “supple prose style.” With his literary output in Tagalog, he con-tributed to the enrichment of the Filipino language and literature for which he is a staunch advocate. He put up an arm to his advocacy of Tagalog as a national language by establishing the Kapatiran ng mga Al-agad ng Wikang Pilipino (Kawika) in 1958. He is widely considered the “Master of the Tagalog Novel” and his novels include Ama, Bayang Nagpatiwakal, Maganda Pa Ang Daigdig and Daluyong. He was declared National Artist in 2009.

N. V. M. GONZALES (September 8, 1915–November 28, 1999), whose N.V.M. stands for Nestor Vicente Ma-dali, was a fictionist, essayist, poet and teacher known for appropriating the English language to express, reflect and shape Philip-pine culture and Philippine sensibility. He became University of the Philippines’ International Writer-in-Residence and a member of the Board of Advisers of the UP Creative Writing Center. In 1987, U.P. conferred on him the Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa, its highest academic recognition. Major works include The Winds of April, Seven Hills Away, Children of the Ash-Covered Loam and Other Stories, The Bamboo Dancers, Look Stranger, on this Island Now, Mindoro and Beyond: Twenty -One Stories, The Bread of Salt and Other Stories, Work on the Mountain, The Novel of Justice: Selected Essays 1968-1994, and A Grammar of Dreams and Other Stories. He was declared National Artist in 1997.

WILFRIDO MA. GUERRERO (Janu-ary 22, 1911 - April 28, 1995) was a teacher and theater artist whose 35 years of devot-ed professorship had produced the most sterling luminaries in Philippine perform-ing arts today. In 1947, he was appointed as UP Dramatic Club director and served for 16 years. As founder and artistic direc-


tor of the UP Mobile Theater, he pioneered the concept of the-ater campus tour and delivered no less than 2,500 performances in a span of 19 commit-ted years of service. By bringing theatre to countryside, Guerrero made it possible for

students and audiences in general to experi-ence the basic grammar of staging and act-ing in familiar and friendly ways through his plays that humorously reflect the behavior of the Filipino. His plays include Half an Hour in a Convent, Wanted: A Chaperon, Forever, Con-demned, Perhaps, In Unity, Deep in My Heart, Three Rats, Our Strange Ways, The Forsaken House, and Frustrations. He was declared Na-tional Artist in 1997.

NICK JOAQUIN (May 4, 1917-April 29, 2004) is regarded by many as the most distin-guished Filipino writer in English, writing so variedly and so well about so many aspects of the Filipino. Joaquin has also enriched the English language with critics coining “Joaquinesque” to describe his baroque S p a n i s h - f l a v o r e d English or his reinven-tions of English based on Filipinisms. Aside from his handling of language, Bienvenido Lumbera writes that Nick Joaquin’s signifi-cance in Philippine literature involves his ex-ploration of the Philippine colonial past un-der Spain and his probing into the psychol-ogy of social changes as seen by the young, exemplified in stories such as “Doña Jeroni-ma,” “Candido’s Apocalypse” and “The Order of Melchizedek.” He has written plays, novels, poetry, short stories and essays including reportage and journalism. As a journalist, he used the nome de guerre Quijano de Manila. Among his works are The Woman Who Had Two Navels, A Portrait of the Artist as Filipino, Manila, My Manila: A History for the Young, The Ballad of the Five Battles, Rizal in Saga, Alma-nac for Manileños, and Cave and Shadows. He was declared National Artist in 1976.

F. SIONIL JOSE (born December 3, 1924) is well-known as a novelist, the most published outside the country. His writings since the late 1960s, when taken collectively, can best be de-scribed as epic. Its sheer volume puts him on the forefront of Philippine writing in English. But ultimately, it is the consistent espousal of the aspirations of the Filipino—for national sovereignty and social justice—that guaran-

tees the value of his oeuvre. In the five-novel masterpiece, the Rosales saga, con-sisting of The Pretend-ers, Tree, My Brother, My Executioner, Mass, and Po-on, is a sweeping work that captures Philippine history while simulta-

neously narrating the lives of generations of the Samsons whose personal lives intertwine with the social struggles of the nation. He was declared National Artist in 2001.

AMADO V. HERNANDEZ (September 13, 1903–March 24, 1970) was a poet, play-wright and novelist, who practiced “com-mitted art.” In his view, the function of the writer is to act as the conscience of society and to affirm the greatness of the human spirit in the face of inequity and oppression. Hernan-dez’s contribution to the development of Tagalog prose is considerable. He stripped Tagalog of its ornate character and wrote in prose closer to the colloquial than the “official” style permitted. His novel Mga Ibong Manda-ragit, first written while in prison, is the first Filipino socio-political novel that exposes the ills of the society as evident in the agrarian problems of the 1950s. Other works include Bayang Malaya, Isang Dipang Langit, Luha ng Buwaya, Amado V. Hernandez: Tudla at Tudling: Katipunan ng mga Nalathalang Tula 1921-1970, Langaw sa Isang Basong Gatas at Iba Pang Kuwento ni Amado V. Hernandez, and Magkabilang Mukha ng Isang Bagol at Iba Pang Akda ni Amado V. Hernandez. He was declared National Artist in 1973.

BIENVENIDO LUMBERA (born April 11, 1932), poet, professor, librettist and schol-ar, introduced to Tagalog literature what is now known as Bagay poetry, a landmark aes-thetic tendency that has helped to change the vernacular poetic tradition. His works include Likhang Dila, Likhang Diwa (poetry in Filipino and Eng-lish, 1993); Balaybay: Mga Tulang Lunot at Manibalang (2002); Sa Sariling Bayan: Apat na Dulang may Musika (2004); and Agunyas sa Hacienda Luisita, Pakikiramay

(2004). He wrote the libretto for The Tales of the Manuvu and Rama Hari, pioneering the creative fusion of fine arts and popular imag-ination. As a scholar, his major books include Tagalog Poetry, 1570-1898: Tradition and Influ-ences in its Development; Philippine Literature: A History and Anthology; and Revaluation: Essays on Philippine Literature, Writing the Na-tion/Pag-akda ng Bansa. He was declared Na-tional Artist in 2006.

SEVERINO MONTANO (1915-Decem-ber 12, 1980) was a playwright, director, actor and theater organizer. He is the forerunner in institutionalizing “legitimate theater” in the Philippines. Taking up courses and gradu-ate degrees abroad, he honed and shared his expertise with his countrymen. As dean of instruction of the Philippine Normal College, Montano organized the Arena Theater to bring dra-ma to the masses. He trained and directed the new generations of dramatists including Rolando S. Tinio, Em-manuel Borlaza, Joonee Gamboa, and Behn Cervantes. He established a graduate pro-gram at the Philippine Normal College for the training of playwrights, directors, tech-nicians, actors and designers. He also estab-lished the Arena Theater Playwriting Contest that led to the discovery of Wilfrido Nolledo, Jesus T. Peralta and Estrella Alfon. He was de-clared National Artist in 2001.

CARLOS P. ROMULO (January 14, 1898–December 15, 1985) is well known for a career that spanned about 50 years in public service as educator, soldier, university president, jour-nalist and diplomat. It is commonly regard-ed that he is the first Asian president of the United Nations Gen-eral Assembly, then Philippine ambassador to Washington, D.C., and later minister of foreign affairs. He was a reporter at the age of sixteen, a newspa-per editor by the age of 20, and a publisher at 32. He was the only Asian to win the United States’ prestigious Pulitzer Prize in journalism for a series of articles predicting the outbreak of World War II. Romulo wrote and published 18 books, including The United (novel), I Walked with Heroes (autobiography), I Saw the Fall of the Philippines, Mother America, and I See the Philip-pines Rise (war-time memoirs). He was declared National Artist in 1982.


ALEJANDRO R. ROCES (July 13, 1924-May 23, 2011) was a short story writer and essayist, considered as the country’s best writer of comic short stories. He is known for his widely anthologized “My Brother’s Pecu-liar Chicken.” In his innumerable newspaper columns, he had always focused on the ne-

glected aspects of the Filipino cultural heri-tage. His works have been published in various international magazines and has received national and international awards. Roces brought to public attention the aesthetics of the country’s fiestas. He

was instrumental in popularizing several local fiestas, notably, the Moriones and the Ati-atihan. He personally led the campaign to change the country’s Independence Day from July 4 to June 12; caused the change of language from English to Filipino in the country’s stamps, currency and passports; and recovered Jose Rizal’s manuscripts when they were stolen from the National Archives. He was declared National Artist in 2003.

EDITH L. TIEMPO (April 22, 1919- Au-gust 21, 2011) was a poet, fictionist, teacher and literary critic, one of the finest Filipino writ-ers in English whose works are characterized by a remarkable fusion of style and substance, of craftsmanship and insight. Her poems are intricate verbal transfigurations of significant experiences. As fic-tionist, Tiempo is as morally profound. Her language has been described as “descrip-tive but unburdened by scrupulous detail-ing.” She is an influen-tial figure in Philippine literature in English. Together with her late husband, Edilberto K. Tiempo, she founded and directed the Sil-liman National Writers Workshop in Duma-guete City, which has produced some of the country’s best writers. Her works include the novel A Blade of Fern (1978), The Native Coast (1979), and The Alien Corn (1992); the poetry collections The Tracks of Babylon and Other Po-ems (1966), and The Charmer’s Box and Other Poems (1993); and the short story collection Abide, Joshua, and Other Stories (1964). She was declared National Artist in 1999.

ROLANDO S. TINIO (March 5, 1937-July 7, 1997) was a playwright, thespian, poet, teacher, critic and translator, with a ca-reer marked by prolific artistic productions.

Tinio’s chief distinction is as a stage director whose original insights into the scripts he handled brought forth productions notable for their visual impact and intellectual co-gency. Subsequently, after staging produc-tions for the Ateneo Experimental Theater (its organizer and ad-ministrator as well), he took on Teatro Pilipino. It was to Teatro Pilipino which he left a consider-able amount of work reviving traditional Filipino drama by re-staging old theater forms like the sar-swela and opening a treasure house of contemporary Western drama. It was the excellence and beauty of his practice that claimed for theater a place among the arts in the Philippines in the 1960s. Aside from his collections of poetry (Sitsit sa Kuliglig, Dunung-Dunungan, Kristal na Uniberso, A Trick of Mirrors) among his works were the screenplays Now and Forever, Gamitin Mo Ako, Bayad Puri and Milagros; sarswelas Ang Mestisa, Ako, Ang Kiri, Ana Maria; and Lar-awan, the musical. He was declared Nation-al Artist in 1997.

JOSE GARCIA VILLA (August 5, 1908-February 7, 1997) is considered as one of the finest contemporary poets regardless of race or language. He introduced the re-versed consonance rime scheme, including the comma poems that made full use of the punctuation mark in an innovative, poetic way. The first of his poems, “Have Come, Am Here,” received critical recognition when it appeared in New York in 1942. He used Doveglion (dove, eagle, lion) as pen-name, the very char-acters he attributed to himself, and the same ones explored by e.e. cummings in the poem he wrote for Villa (“Doveglion, Adventures in Value”). Villa’s works have been collected in Footnote to Youth, Many Voices, Poems by Doveglion, Poems 55, Poems in Praise of Love: The Best Love Poems of Jose Garcia Villa as Chosen By Himself, Selected Stories, The Portable Villa, The Essential Villa, Mir-i-nisa, Storymasters 3: Selected Stories from Footnote to Youth, 55 Poems: Selected and Translated into Tagalog by Hilario S. Francia. He was declared Na-tional Artist in 1973.

Reference: NCCA Web site (www.ncca.gov.ph)

Manlilikha ng Bayan Ginaw Bilog was a Hanunoo Mangyan poet who vigorously promoted the elegant poetic art of the surat Mangyan and the ambahan. He kept scores of ambahan poetry recorded for posterity.

A common cultural aspect among cultur-al communities nationwide is the oral tradition characterized by poetic verses which are either sung or chanted. However, what distinguishes the rich Mangyan literary tradition from others is the ambahan, a poetic literary form com-posed of seven-syllable lines used to convey messages through metaphors and images. The ambahan is sung and its messages range from courtship, giving advice to the young, asking for a place to stay, saying goodbye to a dear friend and so on. Such an oral tradition is com-monplace among indigenous cultural groups but the ambahan has remained in existence today chiefly because it is etched on bamboo tubes using ancient Southeast Asian, pre-colo-nial script called surat Mangyan.

Ginaw Bilog from Kalaya, Bait, Mansalay, Oriental Mindoro, grew up in such a cultural en-vironment. Already steeped in the wisdom that the ambahan is a key to the understanding of the Mangyan soul, Ginaw took it upon himself to continually keep scores of ambahan poetry recorded, not only on bamboo tubes but on old notebooks passed on to him by friends.

Most treasured of his collection are those inherited from his father and grandfa-ther, sources of inspiration and guidance for his creative endeavors. Through the dedica-tion of Ginaw, the ambahan poetry and oth-er traditional art forms from our indigenous peoples will continue to live.

Ginaw Bilog was conferred the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan in 1993. He passed away in 2003.

GINAW BILOG


The audience, especially the young wom-en, were cheering almost wildly while watch-ing a handsome young man from Finland named Signmark singing, using his body—his hands and fingers, his facial expressions, his thumping feet, his gyrating hips. It was be-cause he is deaf but is most eager to share his musical talent during the opening program of the Association of Southeast Asian Na-tions (ASEAN) Literary Festival on March 19, 2015, at the Teater Kecil, Taman Ismail Mar-zuki, in Central Jarkarta, Indonesia.

Fifty-nine writers, publishers and lit-erary critics from all over the world par-ticipated at festival held from March 15 to 22, 2015, with the theme, “Questions of Conscience.” Founding festival director Ab-dul Khalik said the main objective of this festival, now on its second year, is “to cre-ate a platform where writers and scholars from the member countries of the Associa-tion of Southeast Asian Nations can get to know each other and exchange ideas on how they can contribute to the solution of the problems of society” and to “help build the ASEAN community.”

Questions and Conscience at the ASEAN Literary Festival 2015

By John Iremil E. Teodoro

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi graced the opening night and wished everyone to “spread understand-ing through literature.” The general lecture that evening was delivered by Ma Thida, a Burmese surgeon, writer and human rights activist. In 1993, she was sentenced to 20 years in prison for supporting the pro-democracy movement in the then military controlled Myanmar. Her lecture was en-titled “How Literature Helps Building Free-dom and Democracy in ASEAN” in which she underscored the role of literature in the Asean community.

“Literature also helps readers to do self-analysis of their beliefs and perspectives on everyday life. Reading about different cul-tures and societies through the writer’s per-spective is indeed generating the capacity of readers on tolerance and respect on other viewpoints,” she said.

The Philippine delegation was com-posed of National Artist for literature Vir-gilio Almario, Bicol poet Kristian Sendon Cordero, and myself, a Kinaray-a writer. The National Commission for Culture and the

Arts gave us travel grants and the Philippine Embassy in Indonesia along with the festival organizers took good care of us. The fourth Filipino delegate and member of the steering board of the festival was Jamil Maidan Flores, a journalist whose byline is familiar in the Philippines in the 1980s and 1970s but for several years now is based in Jakarta, writing speeches for Indonesia’s foreign ministers. He is also a respected columnist in the Jakarta Globe, a daily English-language paper.

The literary festival features many work-shops, performances and discussions, all free and open to the public. In the panel discus-sion “Locality in Asean Literature,” Singa-porean novelist Josephine Chia said, “I don’t think a writer can write in a vacuum. You have to write from a society.” Australian writer Mi-chelle Aung Thin agreed with her and said, “Stories come from a place, from a certain time.” Indonesian literary critic Manneke Budiman problematized the term “locality.” He would like to think of “locality as intersec-tions,” and there should be “engagements to create a locality” among writers and readers. He was also quick to add that he doesn’t like

The panel discussion, “Literatures in Digital Era”, with the author (third from left)


the term “ASEAN literature” because this is homogenizing and that “lo-calities” should always be on the plural form.

It is also in this panel that U Kang, a Myanmarese writer who had so far authored 96 books, mentioned that the two novels of Jose Rizal are being read in their country. Of course, in the Burmese translation. At the festival, I also learned that Rizal’s works and life are being read in translations in Indonesia and Vietnam. In fact, one of the Indonesian delegates, a playwright and actor, is named Jose Rizal Manua. It was a shame we were not able to meet him.

The panel discussion, where I read a paper, was entitled “Litera-tures in Digital Era.” Saut Situmorang, a cult literary figure in Indo-nesia today, talked about the Web site of e-books he founded called Multi-media Literature Foundation, especially about how the main-stream and “elitist” newspapers in Jakarta branded their publications as “crap literature.” But he was happy to share that today their Web site has already many followers and their publications have many subscribers thus becoming “mainstream.” Saut laughed and danced a little when I told him that in Kinaray-a his name is “dance.”

Japanese book coordinator and bookshop owner Shintaro Un-chinuma noted that since 1997 book sale in Japan has declined. He also said that 10 percent of the sales are e-books. Because of this trend, he averred that bookstores are not only a place now to buy books but also a happy space where writers, readers and artists would meet. His bookstore in Tokyo, called B&B, is a place where people can drink beer and enjoy literary events such as poetry readings everyday.

For my part, I presented statistics on the Internet users in the Philippines. In 2014, 39.4 million or 39 percent of Filipinos use the Internet but there is a study saying that majority of these users only use social media such as Facebook and Twitter and has little to do with reading e-books. The Philippine population today is 106.4 million and those who have access to electricity is 83.3 percent. That is roughly 18 million Filipinos living in the dark literally. So, can we even talk about the aesthetics of e-publishing when many of our marginalized and poor Southeast Asian sisters and brothers do not have access to Internet for the simple reason that they don’t even have electricity in their homes?

Cordero spoke in the panel discussion entitled “Radicalism and Moderation in Literature.” He shared to an international audience the history of literatures in the Philippines which have “always been revolutionary, if not critical.” Being a Bicolano, he also highlighted the language issue and added that our literature “is peopled with ethno-linguistic groups who have kept their literary traditions alive and relevant among its own people even up to these days despite the relentless pursuits of the colonizers. It is a living culture that refuses fossilization. Philippine literary writing has a pantheon of writers and intellectuals who through years of colonization after coloniza-tion have questioned and raised arms against the status quo or the prevailing order of their time.”

Almario, in the panel discussion “Consumerism vs. Literary Works,” said this: “Imagination is available to both the rich and the poor, the capitalist and the slave, the Westerner and the ASEAN, and can be freely used in any circumstance by anybody who works for it. Imagination is present in solitary tower and in the marketplace. The writer chooses what to make of it. Or rather, the motive does not de-termine the work. Imagination makes even a commercialized prod-uct greater than any work by a serious but unimaginative writer.”

The happy intersections between conscience and imagination will quicken us to create diverse and beautiful literatures that will make us—writers and readers—more human. This is what I learned from the ASEAN Literary Festival 2015.

Commemorative Stamp for the Birth Centenary of National Artist Severino Montano

The NCCA and the Philippine Postal Corporation (PhilPost) launched a commemorative stamp for the 100th birth anniversary of National Artist for theatre Severino Montano at the Leandro Locsin Auditorium of the NCCA, Intramuros, Manila, on March 12, 2015.

Assistant Postmaster General Luis Carlos along with Felipe M. de Leon, Jr., NCCA chairman, presented the commemorative stamps to Pedro Montano Ruenduen, Jr., nephew of Dr. Montano, who represented the family of the late National Artist.

“Severino Montano executed a large-scale feat for the small people of society and the afterglow of his works continues to light the path of the new generation of artists, poets, and playwrights,” noted De Leon.

Montano was a celebrated thespian and playwright during the 1950s. His works include Sabina, But Not My Sons Any Longer, Ga-briela Silang, Parting at Calamba, Speak, My Gentle Children, Lonely is My Garden, My Morning Star and The Love of Leonor Rivera, con-sidered the longest-running play, staged in more than a thousand times under the auspices of the Arena Theatre.

Montano, a Master of Fine Arts graduate of Yale University, is credited for professionalizing the theater industry in the Philippines with Arena Theater, which he funded with his own money and es-tablished while dean at the Philippine Normal College.

Montano’s pioneering of the Arena Theatre has been one of the many changes in the Filipino arts scene in the 50s. It has brought theatre arts as a form of entertainment and celebration of Filipino drama to the far flung barrios of the Philippines. Arena Theatre ca-tered to grassroots audience, bringing theatre closer to the hearts of the Filipino masses of his generation.

Before he died in 1980, he was mentor to theater luminaries such as Rolando S. Tinio, Emmanuel Borlaza, Joonee Gamboa, and Behn Cervantes. He was declared as National Artist for theatre in 2001.

The Montano stamp is classified as a “commemorative” kind of issue with a denomination of P10.00 and about 65,000 pieces were printed by Amstar Company, Inc. The stamp measures 40 by 30 millimteres and was laid out by PhilPost in-house artist, Victorino Serevo and Ryan Arengo of the NCCA Secretariat. The stamps are available at the Post Shop, Philately and Museum Division, Main Central Post Office, Door 203, Liwasang Bonifacio Manila. For in-quiries, call 527-0108.


A New Chapter for a Heritage StructureNCCA Acquires Metropolitan Theater in Manila

Designed by Juan Arellano, the Manila Metropolitan Theater stands as one of the finest example of Art Deco architecture and a recognizable landmark in the Lawton area. /Photo by Oliver Rosales


A New Chapter for a Heritage StructureNCCA Acquires Metropolitan Theater in Manila By Roel Hoang Manipon

The Manila Metropolitan Theater (Met) is now owned by the NCCA. The national government’s agency

in charge of arts and culture acquired the prominent heritage landmark in Manila for the sum of P270 million from the owner, the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS). The Deed of Absolute Sale (DAS) was signed and the original titles were for-mally transferred on June 10, 2015, at the national social insurance agency’s main of-fice in Pasay City, led by NCCA chairman Felipe M. de Leon Jr. and GSIS president and general manager Robert G. Vergara.

This marked a new chapter for the the-atre, a National Cultural Treasure. Accord-ing to De Leon, “this is a very touching, historic occasion and milestone because the Met is one of the best, most creative prod-ucts of Filipino artistic excellence.”

On the other hand, Vergara said: “GSIS is privileged to turn over this extraordinary asset to the NCCA. In more ways than one, we see this as an agreement handing the Met back to its rightful owners, the Filipino people.”

The NCCA credits the national gov-ernment and President Benigno Aquino III for this development. The Department of Budget and Management (DBM) ear-lier released the amount of P270 million from the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA) for the ac-quisition of the Met. This was announced by DBM Secretary Florencio Abad in late May of this year.

“The Met was once a testament to the richness of Philippine culture and artistry, but decades of neglect brought this beauti-ful landmark into serious disrepair,” he stat-ed. “The Aquino administration, through the NCCA, has taken the first step to re-storing the MET to its former glory. It will take some time, but we are confident that the NCCA has the capacity to take on such a formidable task.”

“We cannot claim to pursue national


development if we fail at preserving our cul-ture and heritage,” he added.

According to the NCCA, the purchase of the Met is an important initial step to-wards the fullest conservation of the prop-erty by the NCCA in coordination with the concerned cultural agencies, commensurate with its status as a National Cultural Trea-sure and National Historical Landmark.

Additionally, the NCCA Board of Commissioners expresses that there is need for the Met, described as “a great architec-tural landmark of the artistic and cultural creativity of the Filipino people,” to be re-stored according to the highest standards of heritage conservation: “This will indeed be an iconic building of Filipino heritage that affirms the vision of the NCCA that Filipino culture is a wellspring of global and national well being. Restoring the Met is befitting a national treasure that eventu-ally would be an NCCA office for onserva-tion and a center for arts and culture for use by the nearby students and the general public.”

Glory and HistoryIn the district of Ermita, among fly-

overs, bridges, the fumes of traffic, parks and other buildings, the Metropolitan Theater presently stands out with its mot-ley of colors. The facade has a curving top crowned with pinnacles, colored glass win-dow and iron grills depicting stylized birds-of-paradise.

The Met was inaugurated on Decem-ber 10, 1931, designed by prominent ar-chitect Juan Arellano (April 25, 1888-De-cember 5, 1960). Having studied in the United States as one of the first pensionados in architecture, Arellano was influenced by the neoclassical and eclectic styles, which are evident in his major works such as the Legislative Building, built in 1926 and now housing the National Museum of the Phil-ippines (NM), and the Manila Central Post Office Building, also built in1926, with its impressive portico with Ionic columns. He also designed the Central United Methodist Church (1932) and the Negros Occidental Provincial Capitol (1936) in Bacolod City.

To many people, Arellano is known for the Met. Veering away from styles he was known for, the Met is in the Art Deco style. He was sent to the United States to study under Thomas W. Lamb, American theatre design expert, of Shreve and Lamb. In de-signing the theatre, it is said that Arellano was inspired by the phrase, “On the wings

of song.” The Met also exem-plifies his belief in incorporat-ing native art forms and motifs in designs.

The idea for building a theater in Manila was devel-oped in 1924. A theatre existed in the area before, the Teatro del Príncipe Alfonso XII, built in 1862 at the Plaza Arroceros but burnt down in 1876. With approval from the Philippine Legislature, 8,239.58 square meters of the Mehan Garden were allotted for the new the-ater and construction started in 1930.

With a program of mu-sic, drama and film, the Met opened the following year and was immediately hailed as an architectural achievement, both mod-ern and romantic. Local motifs were used, particularly images from Philippine flora. A frieze of mango fruits and leaves, for ex-ample, adorned the ceiling. Local flora and fauna as well were depicted in the stained-glass central window of the facade which served as signage and a way to bring in natural light to the lobby. The walls were curving and sported patches of colors re-sembling batik patterns. Inside, there were lamps of capiz shells and pillars in the shape of banana leaves. Colorful walls, bas reliefs and sculptures were interspersed inside the theater.

Other prominent artists contributed to the grandeur of the Met. At the main lobby were sculptures of Adam and Eve by Italian sculptor Francesco Riccardo Monti, who lived in Manila from 1930 up to his death in 1958. At the balcony overlooking the entrance were National Artist Fernando Amorsolo’s murals The Dance and History of Music as well as Monti’s other statues. Sculptor Isabelo Tampingco made the carv-ings of local flora in the interiors. Arellano’s brother, Arcadio, painted images of local flora in the main auditorium.

With the auditorium’s original capac-ity of 1,670, the Met hosted performances of zarzuelas, operas, concerts and foreign classics up to the Japanese occupation. The works of National Artists Antonio Bue-naventura and Nicanor Abelardo have also been performed at the Met.

In World War II, during the Battle for the Liberation of Manila in 1945, the Met suffered damages, and thus began its dete-

rioration and neglect. With the US Rehabilitation Act of 1946, the Met was repaired, but it was not able to bring back its glory days. The build-ing was eventually used by dif-ferent agencies and sometimes misused.

There were several efforts in restoration and rehabilita-tion. In the 1970s, then First Lady Imelda R. Marcos led an effort to restore the Met. The National Historical Institute, presently the National Histori-cal Commission of the Philip-pines (NHCP), declared it a National Historical Landmark in 1973. A restoration was conducted under the super-vision of Arellano’s nephew,

Otilio Arellano, and the Met was inaugu-rated on February 4, 1978. Kabataang Ba-rangay staged a show tracing the roots of the Filipino people through poetry, song and dance called Isang Munting Alamat. Up un-til the 1990s, performances were staged at the Met including the musical adaptations of Jose Rizal’s novels Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo by Ryan Cayabyab and Na-tional Artist Bienvenido Lumbrera in 1995. But it was eventually closed in 1996 after prolonged disuse.

Already falling into neglect and dis-repair, the Met saw another effort in res-toration. In 2004, then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo released P100 million from NEFCA for it, and the NCCA, led by executive director Cecile Guidote-Alvarez the city of Manila and the GSIS signed a tri-partite agreement to rehabilitate the theater.

The project also received support from the non-government and private sector, par-ticularly from the entertainment industry led by showbiz veteran German Moreno.

In 2007, the newly-formed Manila Historical and Heritage Commission came in to manage and supervise the restoration. This effort led to a “soft opening” on April 29, 2010, with the performance of a senaku-lo, a performance from Pilita Corrales and an excerpt from the original zarzuela Baler sa Puso Ko by Isagani Cruz.

The National Museum declared the Met a National Cultural Treasure on the same year on June 23.

Rock band Wolfgang was able to hold a concert in 2011.

However, it was closed down again


NCCA chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. and GSIS president and general manager Robert G. Vergara signed the Deed of Absolute Sale and transferred the titles for the Metropolitan Theater, with NCCA OIC-executive director Adelina Suemith and vice president of the Real Estate Asset Disposition and Management Office Apollo Escarez on June 10, 2015. Gracing the occassion was Department of Budget and Management Secretary Florencio Abad. /Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

in 2012 because of ownership dispute be-tween the city government of Manila and the GSIS.

Recent DevelopmentsInterest in the heritage structure did

not die down. In September 2014, Manila mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada announced the city government’s plans to buy the Met to restore it to its former grandeur and to house the Institute of Performing Arts (IPA) of the Universidad de Manila, which is near the Met, as well as to serve as a venue for performances by the Pamantasan ng Lung-sod ng Maynila.

The NCCA finally decided to purchase the Met on May 14, 2015. According to Section 9 of the National Cultural Heritage Law of 2009 or Republic Act No. 10066, “the appropriate cultural agency shall be given the right of first refusal in the pur-chase of cultural properties declared as na-tional cultural property. Prior to the finality of the sale, the appropriate cultural agency

may likewise match any offer made for the purchase of national cultural property.”

According to the NCCA, its purchase of the MET stems from its mandate under Republic Act No. 7356, or the NCCA Law, with reference to other laws related to Phil-ippine national cultural heritage, which is to formulate and implement policies and plans to conserve and promote the nation’s cul-tural and historical heritage by supporting and promoting the establishment and pres-ervation of cultural and historical monu-ments, markers, names, and sites. NCCA’s acquisition of the Met is said to ensure minimization or prevention of damage to the property in accordance to a related law, the Republic Act 10086, or the NHCP law, which defines preservation as referring to “all activities that employ means to control, minimize, or prevent damage or deteriora-tion to cultural property.”

The Manila city government respected NCCA’s decision and expressed support in the Met’s restoration. In turn, the NCCA

took into account the initiatives of the city of Manila on the Met.

The NCCA initially envisions a re-stored Met to become a center for arts and culture, with additional exhibition galleries and its theater and performance halls for use by artists and cultural workers as well as by students and the general public. Ad-ditional space is planned for its needs in the implementation of the National Cultural Heritage Act.

The Met remains today as “the only existing art deco building in its scale and integrity in Asia,” according to heritage experts. Its Western design is infused with Philippine motifs and elements as well as the creativity and craftsmanship of Filipino masters and National Artists. It was consid-ered as the country’s first “national theatre,” hosting cultural performances, social events, and visual art exhibits; a place where Filipi-no artists were nurtured and launched their careers, and where many Filipinos were in-spired and made to dream.


Discovery, Devotion, Celebration

Cebu Celebrates the 450th Anniversary of the Finding of the Santo Niño de Cebu

and a Heritage of Faith

By Roel Hoang ManiponPhotos by Marvin Alcaraz and Roel Hoang Manipon

“She used to bring me to the Santo Niño Church when I was young, and we would pray. She always reminded me that I owed my life to the Santo Niño. Even when

I went to school in Manila and later in California, whenever I visited Cebu, she would immediately whisk me to the Santo Niño Church to pray,” recounts Filipino-American writer Cecilia Manguerra Brainard, who was born and raised in Cebu, about her mother and the religious icon in the essay “My Mother and the Santo Niño,” published in the Sinulog 2015 souvenir pro-gramme. “I did not understand it then, although I do now, that my mother has probably made a panaad, a promise to the Santo Niño so He would intercede and save me.”

She goes on to write: “Mama’s favor-ite story to me about the Santo Niño was about how He saved my life. My mother carried me in her womb soon after World War II, when she was still suffering the effects of the war and was malnourished. I was born with beriberi, a disease caused by vitamin B deficiency. She and other family members used to describe my ede-ma and my eyes that were rolled up so they could only see the whites. I was close to death. My mother turned to the Santo Niño for help. Like the women who do the sinulog dance outside the church, my mother danced her prayer to the Santo Niño for my life. I survived the beriberi, and my mother gave credit to the Santo Niño for this miracle.”

Brainard’s story epitomizes the be-liefs and practices of many Filipinos, particularly the devotion to the image of the infant Jesus Christ by Christianized lowland groups. Her stories bear many similarities to other stories about miracles attributed to and vows to the Santo Niño.

The Santo Niño is one of the most popular Catholic icons in the Philippines. This can easily be gleaned from the fiestas celebrated in his honor, which can be grand. His feast day on the third week of January is turned into festivals in many parts of the country, and a prominent example is the Sinulog Festival of Cebu, which is widely considered the biggest in the country. Other parts of the Visayas also celebrate the feast day—the Ati-Atihan Festival of Aklan, considered the first festival of the coun-try, and the Dinagyang Festival of Iloilo. The Sangyaw Festival of Tacloban City in Leyte commemorates in June the return of its patron saint after miraculously surviving a shipwreck during a voyage.

The Santo Niño feast day is also celebrated in other parts of the Philippines. The district of Tondo in Manila, the most densely populated area in the country, has a long procession of the Santo Niño marked by both solemnity and jubilation.

The popularity of Santo Niño in the Philippines can be at-tributed to his cherubic and innocent appearance, despite the elaborate and kingly wardrobe, that endears himself to many

people. And perhaps it is because he is the first Christian icon to be brought to the Philippines. The story of the coming of the Santo Niño to the country, and not or rarely the stories, biblical or apocryphal, of Jesus Christ as boy or infant, is regularly retold during the festivities, especially in the Visayan festivals.

The Santo Niño icon of Cebu is generally considered as the one brought by Portuguese explorer and navigator Ferdinand Ma-gellan in 1521, when he accidentally arrived in Cebu in March while searching for the much wanted Spice Islands and on his

way to circumnavigate the world, sailing under the Spanish flag.

Magellan met the natives of Cebu led by King Humabon, forging an alliance, and proceeded to evangelize and bap-tize them to the Roman Catholic faith. He gave a Santo Niño image to Queen Humamay, renamed Juana, when she re-quested something to replace her local idols. Magellan died during a skirmish with a group led by Lapu-Lapu of Mactan Island, and the surviving crew returned to Spain. However, the Catholic religion did not readily flourish as the baptized indig-enous people lacked an understanding of what the baptismal rite meant and there was no further instruction for the rein-forcement of the new faith.

Forty-four years after that first Euro-pean contact, the expedition of Spanish navigator Miguel López de Legazpi and Fr. Andrés de Urdaneta arrived in Cebu on February 13, 1565, but did not land because natives were unwelcoming. They proceeded to Samar and Bohol, where they made blood compacts with Datu Urrao and Datu Sikatuna respectively, before returning to Cebu on April 27. A

clash ensued, in which the Spaniards burned down several huts, on April 28. In a partially burnt hut, a crewmember was surprised to discover the wooden image of the Santo Niño. Here, the Span-iards established settlements named Villa del Santisimo Nombre de Jesús, and the Augustinian missionaries in the expedition be-gan the Christianization of the islands. Other religious orders came, further contributing to the establishment of the Philippine identity as a predominantly Catholic country in Asia.

This scene in history is reenacted regularly in the Santo Niño festivals, especially in the Visayas. A recent reenactment in Cebu City, Cebu, was claimed to be grander and the closest to being “authentic” or historically accurate. It was one of the highlights of the 450th anniversary of the finding of the Santo Niño image called Kaplag, a Cebuano term for “discovery” or “finding,” organized by the Augustinian Province of Santo Niño de Cebu-Philippines in collaboration with different sectors. A Kaplag executive committee was formed, led by NCCA Subcommission on Cultural Heritage head Father Harold Rentoria, OSA, as executive director, to oversee the celebration, which was multiple as the event was also meant to commemorate the 450th year of the presence of Augustinians in the Philippines and the fiftieth year of being a minor basilica or basilica


minore of the Santo Niño Church. The celebration took ten days start-

ing on April 19, 2015, and leading to the actual anniversary day of April 28. Those days were gravid with events and activities ranging from the solemn and reflective to the festive and jaunty.

Everyday, novena masses were held with different celebrants at the Pilgrim Center, an open-air, theater-like structure in front of the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño. Each mass offered meanings and explained the relevance of the Santo Niño and the celebration to today’s Catholic Filipinos.

“Ang pagkaplag sa imahen sa atong minahal nga Santo Niño nahitabo 450 ka tuig ang miagi, naghagit kanato sa atong kaugalingon karon, pagkaplag sa atong tu-mong sa kinabuhi karon, pagkaplag sa atong dalan ngadto sa Diyos karon (The finding of the image of our beloved Santo Nino, which happened 450 years ago, challenges us to discover the purpose of our lives to-day, to find our way nowadays to God),” said Bishop Julito Cortez, DD, during the novena mass on April 21.

Quoting St. Therese of Lisieux, Bish-op Emilio Bataclan, DD, explained how the Santo Niño is an important instru-ment in the April 19 novena mass: “The way to God the Father is through the spiritual childhood.”

On the other hand, Fr. Rentoria said on April 23: “The Santo Niño, our hope, I believe is a ‘silent witness’ of all that hap-pened from 1521, 1565, 1965 and today. He is more than a witness because He is also a ‘silent worker.’”

The historical significance and schol-arly dimension of the Santo Niño as well as the Augustinian presence and Catholi-cism in the Philippines were tackled at the Kaplag 2015 International Confer-ence, held from April 25 to April 28 at the Radisson Blu Hotel. According to organizer Fr. Czar Emmanuel V. Alvarez, OSA, in a letter, this served “to heighten our awareness about the Christian roots of our nation and the special place the Christian faith occupies in our culture and identity as Filipinos and the Augus-tinian legacy, particularly on the origin and propagation of the Santo Nino de

The reenactment of the bestowal of the Santo Niño icon by Magellan to Queen Juana (above, left); the exhibit of archival documents and photos at the Ayale Center Cebu (right); and final station of the reenactment at the Pilgrim Center (facing page). /RHM


Cebu devotion in our country.” Dr. Maria Serena Diokno, chairman

of the National Historical Commission of the Philippines, discussed the Augus-tinian heritage in the country, while Fr. Luis Marin de San Martin, OSA, Archi-vist General of the Order of Saint Augus-tine, talked about the Augustinian general curia’s historical documents about early Christianization of the Philippines. Fr. Fernando Martinez Rojo, OSA, delved on the Augustinian saints of the Orient and the Philippines, and Fr. Emilio Quilatan, OAR, on the Augustinian Order during the Reformation period. On the other hand, Sister Maria Luz Mejares, OSA, revealed the feminine presence of the Au-gustinians in the country, while Regalado Trota Jose, Jr., of the University of Santo Tomas Archives, explained the architec-tural characteristics of early Augustinian churches in the Philippines. Fr. Alvarez’s

talk focused on the Child Jesus in early Christian literature, while Fr. Arnel Anto-nio Dizon, OSA, presented the historical background on the finding of the image of the Santo Niño de Cebu. Noted Ce-buano scholar and historian Resil Mojares traced the developments from the finding of the image to the present-day devotional celebration.

Aside from the conference, more aca-demic discussions as well as reflections on the revered icon were published in a com-memorative book, Kaplag 2015, launched together with a commemorative stamp issued by the Philippine Postal Corpora-tion.

This history was supplemented by an exhibit “Ang Kaplag: Panaglambigit sa Katawhan ug Kultura” at the Ayala Cen-ter Cebu, which displayed reproductions of archival documents from Valladolid, Spain, and from the Archives of the Au-

gustinian Province of the Philippines as well as vintage photos and postcards relat-ing to the Santo Niño de Cebu.

Another exhibit, on the other hand, showed an expression of faith on the im-age and observances of devotions through paintings by Fr. Dominador Besares, Jr., OSA, in “Asa Makaplagan ang Senyor?” at the SM City Cebu’s Art Center.

Still fixtures in important Philippine Christian events, several processions also marked the Kaplag 450 celebration, most of them also traditional features of the Si-nulog Festival. These included the fluvial procession on April 27.

With about 20 participating boats and ships, the fluvial procession started af-ter an early morning mass at the National Shrine of St. Joseph in Mandaue City and went to Ouano Wharf. A boat, acting as a galleon carrying the image of the Santo Niño, passed by Pasil in Cebu City, said to


be near where the image was found, and all the while the other vessels blew their horns. The “galleon” finally docked near the Pier 1, near the basilica, welcomed by city officials and Sinulog dancers from the Cofradia del Santo Niño.

After a series of traslacion or the ritual transfer of the image, a solemn procession served as culmination of the celebration on Kaplag day itself. During the Sinulog Festi-val, the solemn procession is one of the old-est traditions, participated in and witnessed by thousands of devotees yearly, despite the addition of the street dancing parade, which provides the spectacle and draws much me-dia coverage, in recent years. In Kaplag, the procession was smaller in scale but not in sig-nificance. The Santo Niño image is brought out of the church and into streets, encased in glass and perched on a carro covered with flowers and being pulled by men. The pro-cession followed a designated route with its throngs composed government, civic and religious organizations as well as devotees, reciting prayers. People on the streets waved their hands to the image as it passed by, the traditional folk gesture in Cebu. The proces-sion ended where it started—at the basilica.

On the other hand, the grand reenact-ment was unique to Kaplag 450. Mounted in the afternoon of April 27, it was in the form of a dance-drama, under the direction of television and stage director Floy Quin-tos and with choreography by Cebuano choreographer Val Sandiego. Students were employed for the show together with Ce-buano actors and Sinulog performers. Un-like the festival reenactments, this one was more refined, showing attention to details and avoiding garish costumes. It is said this was based on the writings of chronicler An-tonio Pigafetta and Fr. Urdaneta, as well as writings about Cebu in those times.

The reenactment had three stations or scenes. The first station was at the Plaza Independiente, near the historic Fort San Pedro, depicting the preparation for voyage and the arrival of Magellan in the Philip-pines. A large prop of a galleon as well as several huts were constructed for the scene.

The second station was at Plaza Sugbo

The solemn procession with the Santo Niño on the carro (top, left); the reenactment of Magellan arriving in a galleon at the Plaza Independiente (above, left); and a winning Sinulog contingent performing during the closing salvo (left). /MA and RHM


between the Cebu City Hall and the Magellan’s Cross Kiosk, showing Magellan’s encounter with Humabon and Humamay, their baptism and the planting of the cross. Here also, the queen received the image of the Santo Niño.

At the Pilgrims’ Center, in front of the basilica partially damaged from the 2013 earthquake, in the last scene, performers reenacted the finding of the icon and the eventual building of the church and convent, which many consider as the “cradle of Philippine Christianity” and “the perpetual sanctuary of the Santo Niño de Cebu.” Because of its historical, religious and cultural significance, the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines formally requested Pope Paul VI in 1964 to confer on the Santo Niño Church the title “Basilica Minore,” which was granted the following year, in time for the fourth centennial of the Christianization of the Philippines. The Santo Niño icon was also canonically crowned by the Papal Leg-ate Ildebrando Cardinal Antoniutti.

As culmination of the reenactment, the image was brought out of the basilica dramatically. The basilica doors opened, bursting with lights mellowed by billows of smoke, from where the image emerged and carried to the stage. Here, the last novena mass was celebrated with Manila Archbishop Luis Antonio Cardinal Tagle, who spoke about the importance of finding renewal through the Santo Niño and bringing the Kaplag celebrations closer to home.

The solemnity and the historical weight of the event were counterbalanced by a closing festivity also at the Pilgrim Center, a jubilant occasion with danc-ing, singing and fireworks. Select dance groups enthralled audiences including winners of the Sinulog Festival street dancing parade, accentuated by festival queens swaying and holding the Santo Niño icon up high, affirming why the festival is the most anticipated and spectacular in the country as well as re-minding people of a journey that involves sacrifice and faith that leads to hope and joy, in the spirit of the Child Jesus.

A Sinulog street dancing contingent with the festival queen performed during the closing program of Kaplag 450 (above /MA), and Santo Niño de Cebu icon enshrined at the Basilica Minore del Santo Niño de Cebu in Cebu City (below /RHM)

2015 • Number 2 • Agung 25 2015 • Number 2 • Agung 25

The Passion in PaeteLenten Traditions in a Northeast Laguna Town

Text and photos by Roel Hoang Manipon

The Passion in PaeteLenten Traditions in a Northeast Laguna Town

J eepneys ply the National Highway from Siniloan to Santa Cruz, the capi-tal of Laguna. This is the eastern

route to the southern Tagalog province that hugs the lower half of the Lake of Bay, popularly called Laguna Lake, passing through the province of Rizal. The road trip is mostly scenic with the lake on one side, usually hemmed with rice fields, and the hills and mountains, the southern end of the Sierra Madre range, on the other. It goes through the towns of Famy, Pangil, Pakil, Paete, Kalayaan, Lumban and Pagsanjan, all charming and quiet.

The most interesting, perhaps, is Paete, popularly known for its woodcarving and taka, the craft of the papier-mache. The town, wedged in the middle of northeastern Laguna, is also known for its Lenten tradi-tions. Although many of these practices are done in numerous places in the predomi-nantly Roman Catholic country, they are more alive here, I think, more spectacular,

The Saint James the Apostle Church of Paete (below), where one can find old paintings of Saint Christopher by Josef Luciano Dans (above). The religious images were being readied along the main street for the Maundy Thursday procession (previous page).


more dramatic or more elaborate. Moreover, they are done almost twice as much. The traditions are practiced by two churches—the Roman Catholic and the Philippine Inde-pendent Church, popularly called the Aglipayan Church.

The Aglipayan Church is a breakaway group from the Catholic church, formed in the early 1900s and co-found-ed by a former Catholic priest, Gregorio Aglipay, in an at-tempt to establish a national church away from Spanish colonial control. Thus, its practices and beliefs are domi-nantly Catholic. It is said that Paete has many Aglipayans.

While the Holy Week traditions start on Palm Sun-day, the major ones are held during Maundy Thursday and Good Friday.

I arrived in Paete on Maundy Thursday, April 2, 2015, as many tourists do. It was late afternoon, and at the town plaza, a sinakulo was concluding. Jesus Christ had already been crucified. Together with two other crim-inals similarly tortured, he was drenched in fake blood that dripped to the white loincloth and turned magenta, suggesting the use of a food coloring agent. Still, it was intense and a bit unsettling to see. The cast then gathered onstage and immediately dispersed, mingling with the crowd and having pictures taken.

The sinakulo is a major part in the commemoration of the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which is still practiced in several parts of the country such as Rizal, Bulacan, Pampanga, Laguna, Camarines Sur and even Metro Manila. The sinakulo, also spelled as cenakulo, or the passion play, tells of the life and suffering of Jesus Christ, and is mostly staged by local organizations, com-posed of members of the community, many without a background in theater.

With bright blood and glistening costumes, I was introduced to the Lent of Paete.

The small plaza sees the most activities during this time. It is surrounded by the municipal hall, the Catholic church and Aglipayan church. A rivulet, the Paete River, separates it from the Catholic church. While most of Metro Manila slows down almost to a halt and many of its residents stay home or fly to the provinces and beaches starting Maundy Thursday, Paete is abuzz. Just after the sinakulo, the Maundy Thursday procession was gearing up.

In between, I went to the old stone church. The Church of Saint James the Apostle (Santiago Apostol) faces the lake, as many churches in this area do, with the mountains as backdrop, the foothills of Sierra Madre, and a sprawling front yard. It looks petite, and its being august owes much to the lack of paint, exposing the stone make and affecting great age. Like many churches in the Philippines, Paete’s is perhaps the oldest structure in town and is definitely a major heritage structure. The sun burnishes it with gold and russet during sunset while the moon rises behind it.

The heritage church suffered damages and had un-ergone a series of rebuilding since the first stone church was erected in early 18th century. The facade is ornate with carvings of leaves and flowers, attributed to local ar-tisans. Above the door is the relief of St. James, depicted as Santiago Matamoros (St. James, the Slayer of Moros). The roof is embellished with series of finials shaped like

The image of Santa Juana

The icons for the Good Friday procession passed by the church to be blessed by the parish priest


curly waves.Upon entering the church, three impos-

ing paintings are most noticeable, some of the old treasures of the church—two paintings of Saint Christopher and a depiction of heaven, earth and hell, attributed to Paetenian painter Josef Luciano Dans. Saint Christopher paint-ings, which depict the saint carrying the child Jesus across the river, are interesting. One is painted on wood panels. This was what many people knew about for many years until it was brought down from the wall, revealing a mural underneath, considered older. While both depict a similar scene, the saints were rendered differently. One can only surmise the reasons why a new painting was done to cover the original mural. What is plain to see is the paintings have suffered damage and are in dire need of conservation.

Outside, the statues of saints and Bibli-cal characters were lined up along Juan V. Quesada Street, Paete’s major road named after its first mayor. They were finely dressed and were placed on carrozas or floats that were bedecked with ruffles, tassels, rib-

bons, wood carvings, fresh flowers, etc. Each carried their own lamps, in different shapes and designs, that illumined the im-ages through the dark night. The float of the Hesus sa Banal na Eukaristiya or Jesus of the Holy Eucharist was laden with real bread, punctuated with grapes. Even the cordon was made of pieces of bread strung together.

The line-up of religious statues took up a whole block of the street riddled with quaint shops, souvenir stores and eateries. There were about fifty or more icons. People thronged to the place, and the narrow street looked like a fair. The processions on Maundy Thursday and Good Friday are like pageant-ry. The Roman Catholic and the Aglipayan processions are mounted simultaneously, equally attractive and impressive. They illu-mined the whole town center as they wind their ways through the narrow streets. Even the heavens participated. The sunset painted the sky mauve and pale fuchsia while a little later the mountains let go a spectral moon.

The Maundy Thursday procession is inspired by the Passion of the Christ, telling

the story before the crucifixion. The Paete procession is distinctive with salubongs, literally “meetings,” the points where two characters/images meet and sort of have a dialogue, which is chanted. The images, particularly the heads and arms, are made to move like puppets. The salubong is enact-ed three times: at the market, where Mary wipes Jesus’s face; at the Plaza Edesan, where Veronica wipes Jesus’ face; and at the plaza, where Veronica shows the three miraculous impressions of Jesus’ faces on her veil to Mary, who also shows her own impressions.

While joining the Maundy Thursday procession, we chanced upon a very quaint shop, decorated with small ball lanterns made of paper, and stopped for a while. The owner, Lino Dalay, was watching the proces-sion with her old mother. Chatty and ami-able, he invited us in and related that he was a production and costume designer for films such as Halimaw sa Banga. When movie pro-duction slowed down, he packed his bags, costumes and props, and went home to Paete, opening a shop called Ang Buhay at

The Maundy Thursday procession with many images showing signs of grief and sorrow


Hugis ng Paete. The shop specializes in wood carvings and taka products as well as in using recycled materials. The place is bursting with colorful curios, knickknacks, masks, toys, home decors, etc., made with either paper or wood, particularly batikuling. The owner also founded a community theater group called Buwig Teatro ng Paete, which staged his original play based on the legend on how the lanzones or langsat, a fruit Paete is also known for, became sweet and edible. It was pinched by a mysterious woman, making the once poisonous fruit edible for the towns-people to enjoy, the folktale tells. Some say she was the Virgin Mary in disguise. Dalay insisted she was a sister of the two diwatas of popular legends, Maria Makiling and Maria Sinukuan. Unnamed, he calls her Ang Ba-baeng Kumurot, the Woman Who Pinched.

Beside Ang Buhay at Hugis ng Paete is a delightful coffee shop and gallery, the Kape Kesada Art Gallery. The handsome

shack made of wood and reclaimed pieces of old houses was bright inside with paint-ings and sculptures. The chairs were of the batibot kind and old capiz-shell windows were repurposed as dividers. The café has a spacious front yard, covered with gravel and accentuated with plants and trees. It has the only open space in the town center. It has the tallest tree in the town center, boasted the owner, a dentist and art lover, who was busy watching the procession.

Just across the street, a house sheltered the Santo Entierro, literally “holy burial,” the statue of the dead Jesus Christ. The home was open for anyone who wanted to pay respects or pray. Popularly called “Senyor,” “Mahal na Senyor” or “Senyor Sepulkro,” the image had been readied for the Good Friday procession, which is more dramatic. Like most of the statues in the procession, the Santo Entierro is privately owned and cared for by a family, passed on

from one generation to another. The owner or keeper is called “rekamadero.” The Santo Entierro is said to be the oldest statue in the town, even older than the church. It is said to have been brought by Spanish friars from Mexico in the sixteenth century.

Paete’s most important statue had un-dergone ceremonies in preparation for the procession such as ritual “bathing.” It is treated with utmost care as if it is a real holy corpse. The bathing water is a combination of lambanog, the strong arrack made from coconut blossom sap of the Tagalogs, and agua de coloña. During the bathing on Holy Wednesday, after days of vigil, the image, which has movable parts, is made to sit on a chair. The clothes are reverently removed and the head covered with a scarf. It is care-fully cleaned with balls of cotton. After-wards, it is placed inside a makeshift tent or kubol of wood and white cloth for the pagsusuod or smoking. The Santo Entierro

The Good Friday procession went around the Paete town proper starting twilight


Religion plays a central role in the life of the Filipinos, and the predominant religion in the Philippines is Christianity. Before East Timor became independent from Indonesia in 2002, the Philippines was the only predominantly Christian nation in Asia. About 90 percent of the

CHRISTIANITY IN THE PHILIPPINESpopulation of the Philippines is Christian.

The predominant Christian denomination in the country is Roman Catholic. More than 80 per-cent of the population is Roman Catholic. About 10 percent of the population belongs to other Christian denominations and sects, particularly Protestantism. Some belong to Christian sects

that originated in the Philippines such as Iglesia ni Kristo and the Philippine In-dependent Church or the Iglesia Filipina Independiente (more commonly called Aglipayan Church).

Muslims form about five percent of the population, while the remaining practice Buddhism, Hinduism, Judaism, animism and others.

is then smoked with incense or dried langsat peelings. The practice is reminiscent of embalming traditions of Cordilleran ethnic groups. The statue is dressed in new clothes and covered with a glimmering blanket. The praying of the novena accompanies all these, which take about five hours. The leftover bathing mix, believed to be sacred and miraculous, is put in small bottles to be distributed among devotees.

On Good Friday, the Santo Entierro is fetched by a group of boys and men, who will bring it to church. These boys, all in white shirts, serve as pallbearers throughout the procession.

Inside the church on Good Friday afternoon, the Siete Palabras or Seven Last Words were recited. Several parishioners related their emotional journeys to redemption, their struggles, their testaments of faith.

The religious statues or poons started to gather by the side of the church, most of them bearing the faces of grief and mourning, with crystalline tears on the cheeks. Encased in glass, the Santo Entierro was parked inside the church, by the entrance, surrounded by the boys. Behind it was the Mater Dolorosa, the Sorrowful Mother, dressed in black.

The Mater Dolorosa is another important religious statue of the town. Very old, it is said to be a replica made by prominent town sculp-tor Mariano Cagahastian Madriñan of his own original work, Mater Dolorosa, which was exhibited at an international exposition in Am-sterdam and received a gold medal in 1882.

At the same time, the Aglipayans were at their own church, with their own Santo Entierro and Mater Dolorosa, which was in luminous white, and retinue of boys.

As the sun set, the Catholic statues passed by the front of the church to be blessed by the priest with holy water, amidst billows of incense. Each was introduced to the gathered people, starting with the twelve apostles. The introduction included the horrific and eccentric ways they died.

“Siya ay binalatan nang buhay...” (He was flayed alive…)“Siya ay inihagis mula sa tore, at nang makitang buhay, siya’y pinag-

babato at pinalo hanggang mamatay...” (He was thrown from a tower, and when found still alive, was stoned and clubbed to death…)

“Siya ay biniting patiwarik at hinati ang katawan gamit ang la-gari…” (He was hanged upside down and sawed in half…)

“Siya ay inihagis sa kumulong langis ngunit siya ay himalang nabu-hay. Siya ang pinakahuling namatay sa mga apostoles, namatay dahil sa katandaan…” (He was thrown into boiling oil, but miraculously sur-vived. He was the last of the apostles to die, dying from old age…)

The moon, the one before the blood moon, was already rising above the church.

When the introduction of the saints was finished, the church was

Religious images were impressively garbed for the Maundy Thursday procession (top, left). Aglipayan boys and men carried the Santo Entierro around the town (above, left). Religious icons not included in the processions were displayed at the owners’ houses or yards (left).


opened to reveal a resplendent and brightly lit Santo Entierro, and the striking Mater Dolorosa. The younger boys made noise with instruments made of bamboo tubes or wood, called matraka, from the Span-ish matraca, meaning “rattle.” The Santo Entierro carriers formed a very tight group and swayed as they walked as if the Santo Entierro was dancing.

The two processions went around the town center, taking different routes and sel-dom bumping into each other. Many specta-tors and visitors followed both, especially the Santo Entierro, going through dark alleyways and streets, like going through a maze.

The poons not included in the proces-sion were displayed on house fronts or win-dows.

The Good Friday procession was a longer one, ending by eleven in the evening

at the town plaza, where people snatched up the flowers that adorned the carrozas, par-ticularly the Santo Entierro.

After this, the Paetenians would pre-pare for the Easter Sunday Mass, in which the male parishioners are separated from the female. Each group would escort statues of the Risen Christ and the Virgin Mary, which will meet in the middle of the churchyard.

After resting our tired feet and eating lugaw and tokwa, we decided to return to Metro Manila. We took a jeepney to Famy to catch a bus going from Infanta, Quez-on, to Manila. At one in the morning, we were at a junction in Famy. The boys eat-ing balut at a stall was talking about a man who had just been stabbed. Drunk teenage boys lounged by a street island and a monu-ment, talking loudly and speeding off with their skateboards. A group arrived, bought

beer at a 7-Eleven store and drank outside. A girl, who seemed to be with Down’s syn-drome, was singing her lungs out at one dark corner. A couple arrived and sat near us at the bus terminal. The man shouted at the woman for nagging or something. The woman, with peroxide blonde hair, talked about leaving his boyfriend. The child she was carrying began having tantrums. By the dark road going to Manila, there was a huge sign, the logo of Red Horse, a local beer brand which had become a rite of passage for many, including mine. It was unchar-acteristically cold that morning. Maybe it was the breeze from the mountain. Maybe it was from the coming typhoon. I cradled a souvenir from Paete, a miniature red taka horse, a reminder of childhood and inno-cence, and now of spectacle, sacrifice and sanctity.

The Catholic Santo Entierro being carried by boys and men as their form of sacrifice and penitence during the Good Friday procession.


The NCCA led the nation in a “dance rally” held in key cities of the country to celebrate International Dance Day and National Dance Week as well as to drum up awareness

on cultural heritage. The Yugyugan para sa Kultura ng Bayan was organized by the NCCA’s National Committee on Dance (NCD).

According to Josefina Guillen, head of the NCD, Yugyugan was participated in by hundreds of dancers including choreogra-phers, school troupes and dance companies, who danced simulta-neously starting four in the afternoon with other dancers in other parts of the Philippines and around the world. By six in the evening, the dancers danced to the song “Filipino Ako, Filipino Tayo.”

Held on April 29, 2015, Yugyugan was also a venue for dancers and dance artists to express their passion on the promotion of culture and the arts as the event advocates for cultural heritage preservation. The NCD choreographed two to three movements for performers to perform uniformly during the countdown to the Yugyugan.

In Manila, prima ballerina and artistic director of Ballet Manila (BM) Lisa Macuja led the event at the Aliw Theatre in Pasay City. BM organized the event in partnership with the Ma-nila Broadcasting Company and Aliw Theatre. The BM-NCCA International Dance Day Festival 2015: Yugyugan para sa Kultura ng Bayan was a whole day event starting at nine in the morning. Participating were The Dance Factory, Academy One, ACTS Ma-nila AirDance Company, Ana Emata School of Classical Ballet, Ballet and Arts Centre, Ballet Baguio, Ballet Manila, Bayanihan National Folk Dance, Center for Movement and Music, Com-pany of Ateneo Dancers, Daloy Dance Company, Dance Theater Arts, Danspace, Ecole De Ballet Manille, Escuela De Baile de Santa Ana, Hampton Court Ballet, Ianne Damian and Melanie Motus (IDMM) Ballet School, Korean Cultural Centre, Lahing Kayumanggi ng Marikina, Lakandula High School, LPU Dance Troupe, LPU Wildstyle, Manoeuvres, More Than Dance, Perry Sevidal Ballet School, Philippine Ballet Theatre, PNU Balinsasay-aw, Polecats Manila, Ridgepointe, Symmetry Dance, Team Dance Studio, Teatro Baile de Filipinas and the Dance Conservatory. The event culminated in a gala featuring special performances from AirDance, Bayanihan National Folk Dance, Daloy Dance Company, Philippine Ballet Theater, Polecats Manila, Korean Cultural Center, Manouevers and Ballet Manila.

In Cebu City, NCD members Dolores Suzara and Victor Hao Cuenco led numerous dance groups at the Cebu City Sports Com-plex. Dances ranged from hip-hop to modern ballet to sinulog, and performers included Disco Jammers, Knapsack, Type 1, The New Friends, Don Juan, University of the Visayas Cheer Dance Team,

A Nationwide Dance Rally

The AirDance Company at the BM-NCCA International Dance Day Festival 2015: Yugyugan para sa Kultura ng Bayan at the Aliw Theater

University of Cebu Cheer Dance Team, Cebu City Dancesport Team, University of San Jose-Recoletos Dance Troupe, Mandaue City College Sidlak Cultural Troupe, Mandaue City College Dance Club, Cebu Normal University Dance Troupe, University of Southern Philippines Foundation Dance Troupe, Mantawi Integrated Dance Company, University of the Visayas Dance Troupe, University of San Carlos Dance Troupe and University of Cebu Dance Company.

In Angeles City, Pampanga, performers and dance artists gathered at the Heritage District in the barangay of Sto. Rosario, led by NCCA NCD vice head Peter De Vera. Participating schools and organizations included Sinukwan Kapampangan, Holy Angel University, Sto. Rosario Elementary School, City College of Angeles, Angeles City National Trade School, Angeles University Foun-dation, University of the Assumption, Achievers Special Education Center- Angeles, ICT School, Systems Plus College Foundation, and the Alli-ance of Capampangan Choreographers.

On the other hand, twenty groups per-formed to an audience of about 860 at the Plaza Independencia in Lipa City, Batangas.

Other Yugyugan events were mounted at the SM City Iloilo in Iloilo City; the Capiz Provincial Capitol in Roxas City, Capiz; Robinsons Place Bacolod in Bacolod City, Negros Occidental; An-gono, Rizal; and Center for Culture and the Arts Theater, St. Louis University, Baguio City.

The celebration of International Dance Day was created under the auspices of UNESCO in Paris and held all over the world by the International The-ater Institute (ITI) on April 29. On the other hand, the Philippine National Dance Week is celebrated every fourth week of April every year as declared by Proclamation No. 154 “to bring together dancers to demonstrate and realize the function of dance in the society and in the rest of the world.”

The grand finale of the Yugyugan event in Cebu City. /Photo by Marvin Alcaraz

Yugyugan event in Lipa City

National Committee on Dance head Josefina Guillen

Prima ballerina and Ballet Manila artistic director Lisa Macuja


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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: [email protected], [email protected] • Web site: www.ncca.gov.ph

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