NCCA

September-October 2009 • For Artists and Cultural Workers • ISSN 0119-5948

Official Newsletter of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts

Vol. XII, No. 5, September-October 2009ISSN 0119-5948

The agung is a knobbed metal gongof the Philippines used

in various communal rituals.Suspended in the air by ropeor metal chains, the musicalinstrument is also employed

by some indigenous groups as ameans to announce

community events, and as anindicator of the passage of time.

Published bi-monthly by theNational Commission

for Culture and the Arts.

Vilma L. LabrVilma L. LabrVilma L. LabrVilma L. LabrVilma L. Labradoradoradoradoradorchairperson

Cecile Guidote AlvCecile Guidote AlvCecile Guidote AlvCecile Guidote AlvCecile Guidote Alvarararararezezezezez executive director

Malou L. JacobMalou L. JacobMalou L. JacobMalou L. JacobMalou L. Jacobdeputy executive director

RRRRRene Sanchez Napeñasene Sanchez Napeñasene Sanchez Napeñasene Sanchez Napeñasene Sanchez Napeñaseditor-in-chief

RRRRRoel Hoang Maniponoel Hoang Maniponoel Hoang Maniponoel Hoang Maniponoel Hoang Maniponmanaging editor

Sherma E. BenosaSherma E. BenosaSherma E. BenosaSherma E. BenosaSherma E. BenosaMa. Soledad CorMa. Soledad CorMa. Soledad CorMa. Soledad CorMa. Soledad CorongongongongongMalaikMalaikMalaikMalaikMalaika Domingoa Domingoa Domingoa Domingoa Domingo

AleAleAleAleAlexis Laurxis Laurxis Laurxis Laurxis Laura Fa Fa Fa Fa FelicianoelicianoelicianoelicianoelicianoWillyWillyWillyWillyWillyan Maglentean Maglentean Maglentean Maglentean Maglente

Maria Crisedna MagsumbolMaria Crisedna MagsumbolMaria Crisedna MagsumbolMaria Crisedna MagsumbolMaria Crisedna MagsumbolMarlet D. SalazarMarlet D. SalazarMarlet D. SalazarMarlet D. SalazarMarlet D. Salazar

LorLorLorLorLorenzo Tenzo Tenzo Tenzo Tenzo Tagleagleagleagleaglecontributing writers

Mervin Concepcion VMervin Concepcion VMervin Concepcion VMervin Concepcion VMervin Concepcion Vererererergargargargargaraaaaaart director

SSSSSylwin Solidumylwin Solidumylwin Solidumylwin Solidumylwin Solidumphotographer

Noli DumlaoNoli DumlaoNoli DumlaoNoli DumlaoNoli DumlaoMannMannMannMannManny Ary Ary Ary Ary Araaaaawwwwweeeee

PAIO staff

MaMaMaMaMay Corry Corry Corry Corry Corre Te Te Te Te Tuazonuazonuazonuazonuazoncirculation

CorCorCorCorCorazon Alvinaazon Alvinaazon Alvinaazon Alvinaazon AlvinaEditorial Consultant

NCCA

Empoweringthe FilipinoImagination

Cover photos of Dungog participantsby Sherma Benosa

Displaying thePrideIndigenous Pof

Every October, we celebrate the Indigenous Peoples’ Month. This year, the NCCA,together with the provincial government of Capiz led by Governor Victor A. Tanco,mounted Dungog: Indigenous People’s Festival at the Villareal Stadium in the capitalcity of Roxas from October 2 to 6, 2009.

This event was in support for Republic Act 8371 or the Indigenous Peoples Act, signed

on October 29, 1997, that upholds indigenous peoples’ (IP) rights, namely, the right to

ancestral domain and lands; the right to self-governance and empowerment, social justice

and human rights; and the right to cultural integrity.

By Sol CorongPhotos by Sherma Benosa

Dungog, Hiligaynon for “pride,”proved true to the festival’s name as itshowcased the IPs’ contributions to thedevelopment of culture and arts in thecountry with an array of activitiesincluding the exhibition and performanceof indigenous houses, songs and dances,costumes, products and delicacies.Workshops, cooking demonstrations, aforum on eco-cultural tourism and heritagepreservation, a forum on cultural diversity,cultural performances, fireworks display,traditional games, crafts workshops, aneco-cultural tour and communityinteraction, and a solidarity night alsoserved as highlights of the event.

The IP Month celebration commencedwith a solidarity parade, called the DuagTumandok, from the Governor’s Hall tothe Villareal Stadium.

Dungog was participated in byvarious IP groups in the country includingthe Ibanag, Bugkalot, Ibaloi, Ayta of centralLuzon, Isinai, Ayangan, Benguet Iowak,Palaw’an, Palawani Molbog, Karao, Itawit,Malaueg, Jama Mapun, Ifugao, Gaddang,Mangyan, the Ati of Bicol, Kankana-ey andKalinga from Luzon; Karolano, Bukidnon,Panay Bukidnon of Iloilo, Lineyte-Samarnon, the Ati of Capiz, the Ati ofAklan, the Ati of Antique, the Ati of Iloilo,the Ati of Guimaras, the Ati of NegrosOccidental, Hiligaynon, Kinaray-a andAkeanon, from the Visayas; andMamanwa, Dibabawon, Manobo, Iranon,T’boli, Giangan, Ata, Talaandig, Sama,Tausug, Lambangyan, Sangir, Higaonon,Tiduray, Ubo, Umay Amon, Subanen,Matisalog and Bagobo from Mindanao.

Guest from localschools performedcultural dances forthe IPs

ous PeoplesDungog

indigenous houses is the kind of materialsused. Bamboo, rattan, tree bark, leaves,cogon, and other materials found in theirsurroundings are commonly utilized. Thesehouses can be built easily and are nature-friendly.

The indigenous peoples’ songs anddances depict their lives and nature thatsurrounds them. Watching the IPs perform,one would be in awe and realize themessage of their performances, be it amonkey dance, duck dance, a courtshipdance, or the famous pangalay dance,which is one of the most distinctive dancesin southern Philippines, attracting theinterest of experts and researchers.

“Pasundayag” was a series ofperformances participated in by the IPs andthe locals of Capiz. This event hopedto deepen the appreciation of thediversity of indigenous expressionswith songs, chants, dances,movements, and drama.

The performancesincluded the binanog, adance of PanayBukidnon in whichthey imitate themovement ofthe bird calledbanog. Thehudhudchants ofthe Ifugaoisconsideredas one oftheMasterpiecesof IntangibleHeritage ofHumanity bythe UNESCO.Todak is the

continued next page

harvest dance of the Bagobo, while theginum is their cleansing dance. Sinalimbaof the Subanen is the ritual dance of theirshaman (priest) asking for the spirits forhelp in healing the sick. The Palaw’anboasts of tarak, a dance on a bamboo floorwhich resembles the tap dance. TheVisayans have the kuratsa, a happy andlively dance performed during wedding. Ashort komedya was also showcasedperformed by the Biniyaran Foundation ofAntique. Guest performers of Dungog

573

Also supported by Roxas City mayorVicente B. Bermejo, Dungog had AlphonsusD. Tesoro as festival director. NCCACommissioner of the Subcommittee onCultural Communities and Traditional Arts,Domingo Baquilan, announced thataccording to the United Nations Generalassembly, the years 2005 to 2014 are the twoDecades for the World’s Indigenous People.He also said that Dungog was beneficial tothe IPs by providing “venue for the IPs tocelebrate the richness of their uniqueculture; allowing cultural exchange that willfoster deeper cultural understanding;providing opportunities for dialoguesbetween legislators, local executives andleaders on IP rights and other concerns; andenhancing awareness, understanding andappreciation of the diversity of Filipinoculture to other communities.”

He also announced that Pres. GloriaMacapagal Arroyo signed the PresidentialProclamation 1906 declaring the wholemonth of October as the NationalIndigenous Peoples’ Month in the country.

NCCA executive director CecileGuidote Alvarez were all praises to theindigenous peoples, commending them fornot abusing nature, which will benefit theirchildren and the youth up to the seventhgeneration.

One highlight of the festival is“Dayon,” the display of various IP houses,constructed to be as authentic as possible.Seven IP groups—nine from Luzon, fourfrom the Visayas, and four fromMindanao—built houses. An aspect of thisevent was the “Tagbuanay,” an interactivedemonstration in each house showcasingtheir ways of living.

A common characteristic in thesehouses was the non-use of nails. They usedrattan in tying parts of the house in places.Another characteristic is having onecommunal place where a single-roompolicy applies. Most of the indigenoushouses do not have divisions or wallsinside, indicating how close-knit thefamilies are.

Another notable characteristic of the

in

The Ifugao

4

included the UP An Balangaw PerformingArts Groups; Sinadya Choral Group, whichsang Capiznon songs; Filamer ChristianCollege, which did the despidida andtimawa dances; the Colegio de la PurisimaConcepcion, which did veneracion andinalimango dances; and the Capiz StateUniversity, which did pitik bingan andbinulabog dances.

Traditional games were also featured inDungog like the bitbitna of the Kalinga, agame where a bunch of rice hay is whippedon the legs of the participant to test hisendurance and strength. Other gamesfeatured were the dumog, sawa-sawa anduri-uri of the Ati of Western Visayas. Dumogis a wrestling-like game between males, andsawa-sawa is like the mother hen game inwhich participants form a line, hug eachother and the first person in line will try tocatch the last one. Uri-uri is like the popularpatintero but this time all the participantsare inside the circle and another participantis outside to grasp them.

Indigenous products were on displayin the Dayon area. The popular Samar matswere converted to fashionable bags, whichcan be exported to other countries.Traditional beads and costumes of the

various IP groups were alsodisplayed and sold at affordableprices. Rattan furniture pieces werealso on display. Muscovado sugar,traditional wines, seafood andsweets like homemade puto werealso sold.

Students and residents nearthe area of the Villareal Stadiumenjoyed the five-day event. Thevenue was jam-packed withvisitors every day.

The most notable output ofDungog is the Dungog Declaration,which was signed by all of the IPleaders. This declaration contains

all the wishes, concerns, issues andconcrete solutions for the benefit of all theIPs in the country. A forum called “Hinun-anon” was led by Nestor Horfilla, a culturalanalyst, focusing on the eco-culturaltourism and heritage preservation, culturaleducation, livelihood and cultural diversity.IP leaders who participated shared theirexperiences and problems in their owncommunities. Their concerns were includedin the declaration, which has concreteplans to improve and protect IP rights,education, arts, tradition, livelihood andancestral domains. This declaration, whichis a testament of the IPs’ desire to improvetheir conditions and be a big part of thedevelopment and improvement of thecountry, was forwarded to the President sothat solutions will be formulated.

Dungog concluded with a closingceremony called “Hinilugyaw” held at theCapiz gym with Minar Pimple, UnitedNations Millennium Development GoalsDirector of the Pacific, and SuneetaMukherjee, UNFPA Representative, as guestspeakers. A closing ritual was alsoperformed at the Villareal Stadium with thesymbolic turnover to the next IndigenousPeoples’ Month celebration host.

SubanenThe traditional house of the Subanen is 12 x 12feet in area. The floor height is eight feet fromthe ground and has round timber as stairs. Thehouse has round timbers for its posts, and nipaleaves for the roof. The walls and the floor aremade of gbahe (fish tail palm). Originally, nonails were used to connect all the parts of thehouse. They only used rattan strips. The typicalSubanen house is found in the hinterland ofZamboanga del Sur.

DUNGOG...from page 3

BagoboThe person who can build the Bale’s house isgifted and is known as the master. A ritual isdone to determine whether the chosen locationis appropriate for the house. If the house isappropriate, the posts are then put up. Beforeinstalling the posts, a ritual is also performed tocleanse the posts and make them strong for thehouse. After the posts and the roof, the rest of

The Houses ofIndigenous Peoples

NCCA Executive Director Cecile Guidote Alvarez talks with Capiz Gov. Victor A. Tanco, Sr., United Nations Millenium Campaign AsiaDeputy Director Minar Pimple before the start of the culmination program for Dungog on October 6, 2009 (Photo courtesry of PIACapiz/A. Lumaque)

Source: Dungog Secretariat

UNFPA Representative Suneeta Mukherjee mingling with Filipinoindigenous participants

5

the house follows.

KalingaThe traditional Kalinga house, either square orrectangular, is a single room with elevatedflooring. The house’s interior has three sections: aside section called sipi with a sleeping bed for twopersons; the middle portion called ladak, usuallydivided into three parts (sleeping area, dining areaand receiving area); and another side section,which serves as the cooking area and an openspace. The cooking area called darpong is asquare-shaped receptacle made of wooden slabsand filled with hard clay. It serves as the hearth.Here, three pieces of stones forming a trianglehold pots for cooking. Above the darpong is thesu-ugan or a drying mat for palay. The open spaceserves as the pounding area during the rainyseason or at night. The dugo, the spaceunderneath the flooring, serves as a utility area forstacking firewood, storage of farm implements,etc. The house has cogon for roofing; splitbamboo for flooring; and spliced and wovenbamboo for walls. It has two main doors, oneleading to the house proper and the other leadingto the dugo.

Kankana-eyNipa huts were the original houses of theKankana-ey and the Ibaloi of Benguet long beforethe coming of the Spaniards. The nipa hut is stillbeing used as a domicile today, especially in therural areas. It provides basic shelter from the mostavailable and inexpensive materials and works wellas protection against the wind and rain. The houseis usually elevated to shoulder height with treestumps as protection against animals and pests. Itis compact, making it easier to keep oneself warmin the cold mountains of Benguet. It is constructedout of bamboo, stick, wood and cogon grass. Tiedtogether through the use of bamboo and rattanstrips, this native house can withstand the windduring typhoons.

IfugaoIt is a small enclosed structure, a one-room affairthat serves as living room, sleeping room, kitchenand dining room. It is elevated above the groundby four posts made of sturdy tree trunks with rootsintact. It has solid panels for walls and tightlythatched roofing. It has two main base girders. The

horizontal support (at the front and back) just ontop of the posts is held to these posts by dowels.No nails are used to build this house. The Ifugaocarve each part of the house as interlockingpieces, the girders fitting into the supportingposts just like a puzzle. Rafts are made of seasonedbilau reeds and bamboos or betel palm slats. Theroof is usually made of bilau leaves or cogon grass.The rooftop has side openings where smokeescapes. The walls and floor are made of wood orwoven bamboo slats. There are also shelvesaround the four sides of the house at the level ofthe walls. These are used for storing plates, potsand other household items. The house has onlyone entrance carved by a detachable doorhanging or attached on a rope or rattan where theladder is placed but there is a smaller backdoor forthrowing things down or for emergency exit. TheIfugao believes that spirits dwell in all naturalthings, and they try to keep out the evil spirits byengraving on the door or on any conspicuous partof the house the figure of a lizard or a serpentbelieved to provide protection. At night, theladder is pulled up inside, and the family is safefrom human and animal intruders. The house is astatement of the basic characteristic of the Ifugaopeople.

Palawani and MolbogThe head of the family usually initiates thebuilding of the house. It is big and canaccommodate a big family. A unique characteristicof this house is the absence of windows and roomdivisions that depicts openness among familymembers, and also the wide area during specialoccasions. The house has a terrace toaccommodate visitors during special gatherings.Rattan is used for tying the house’s components,while nipa is used for the walls. The builder musthave a special skill in tying the rattan to ensure theresiliency of the house. The people believed thatthey invite good luck if they put coins under thehouse’s post before building the house. The doormust face the direction where the sun rises.

Jama MapunThe Jama Mapun traditional house can be foundin the midland area. The main structure has anopen space, without division. Usually, peoplecelebrate wedding, baptismal and other gathering

inside the house where their traditional music aresung. They also perform dances outside the house.The luma house uses nipa shingles for roofing, andthe walls are made of bamboo tadtad. The doorshave exact measurement that the katutubo mustfollow and these should face east.

Pala’wanKalangbanwa, which is the name for the Pala’wanhouse, is made from indigenous materials found inPalawan. Builders uses uway (rattan strips) andsome nails to ensure the durability of the housewhich is usually located in the upland or midlandarea of the place. Bamboo, rattan, wood, andcogon grass are used to build the house. Thesettlers believed that the entrance should faceeast and the kitchen to the west to maximize theentry of good luck to the family. The house hasstairs and has a dirty kitchen. During early times,the settlers use salong as their lamp.

Agta/ItaThe Agta of Bicol is normally nomadic. Because ofthis, their houses locally known as bahey are builtout of indigenous materials found in the placewhere they decide to settle temporarily. For thewalls and some part of the roof, the bakbak (driedbark of the abaca) serves the purpose. Nipashingles constitute most of the roofing. One veryunique feature of this house is the absence of ironnails for the entire framework. Rattan is used to tiethe posts and the frame of the house. The interioris simple and very functional with a receiving area,living room, and kitchen just enough for the entirefamily. To keep the roofing safe and steady,bamboos are placed on top. The living room isusually without flooring; the ground serves as theflooring. Generally, the house is small and caneasily be torn down, if the family decides totransfer to another area.

MangyanThe house of the Mangyan Iraya is small and madeof indigenous materials like cogon leaves, pakoleaves, banana and tigal-si leaves. Their houseshave different types and it depends on how it willbe used. Among them are the barangas-a, whichcan be seen in gardens, is made from banana

continued on page 7

Experts from ASEAN member-nations came together onOctober 5 to 6, 2009, for a meeting on the recognition andprotection of ASEAN Communal Intellectual Property Rights.Coinciding with the Dungog: Indigenous Peoples Festival held inRoxas City, Capiz, the meeting focused on the protection of thevast wealth of heritage and traditions of the indigenous peoples.

The presenters and participants were composed of expertsfrom different countries including Thailand, Australia, Myanmar,Singapore, Cambodia, Palau, and the Philippines with special guestpresenters Minister Faustina K. Rehuher-Marugg of the Ministry ofCommunity and Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Palau; JessycaVan Weelde of the World Intellectual Property Rights (WIPO); JimMather, Inaugural Chair of the World Indigenous Peoples TelevisionNetwork (WITBN); and the Philippines’ Elizabeth Pulumbarit andAndrew Michael Ong from the Intellectual Property Office (IPO).The discussions centered on existing laws on the protection oftangible and intangible heritage, their experiences in theirrespective countries, and what their governments and organizationshave been doing to ensure the protection of intellectual propertyrights, particularly those of the indigenous peoples.

In her keynote speech, NCCA executive director CecileGuidote Alvarez urged the participants to come up withmeasures to stop exploitation of indigenous peoples, like a“strong resolution or declaration to address their needs.”

She said that two of the major problems faced by ourindigenous peoples are their absence in the country’ nationalconsciousness and exploitation.

“I have come from a very deep experience where I haveseen exploitation, where I have seen violations of the rights ofour indigenous peoples where their cultural expressions andtraditions are misappropriated and utilized withoutacknowledgement and royalty payment or benefits accruing tothe community, and without respect to their integrity and socialsignification,” she shared.

Alvarez shared a case of exploitation involving the T’boliswhose wealth of chants, music and way of thinking were

collected by a European researcher/producer, resulting in arecording. She said that this recording is now being soldoverseas but the Tboli women had not been given anything inreturn and that there had been no arrangement at all about howthe women will be acknowledged and remunerated. She stressedthe need for a standard instrument to protect the communal orindividual rights of indigenous peoples’ creative industry.

Alvarez is optimistic that the partnership with the IPO andthe Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) on the IndigenousPeoples Creative and Artistic Products (IPCAP) paradigm cancomplement the One Town, One Product (OTOP) concept topromote marketing and entrepreneurship.

Challenges, Suggestions and DirectionsMinister Faustina K. Rehuher-Marugg of the Ministry of

Community and Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Palau sharedthat Palau was able to adopt a Copyright Law in 2003 and has sincemade initiatives in the Protection and Promotion of TraditionalKnowledge and Expressions of Culture (TKEC). She added that thecountry has undertaken initiatives on indigenous library, policieson cultural and environmental perspectives, traditional knowledgeand expressions, possible domains and possible typologies, andPalau-an terms that exemplify nature and culture.

Mather, Inaugural Chair of the WITBN, an alliance ofindigenous broadcasters mandated to promote, protect, andrevitalize endangered native languages and cultures arising frompast colonizations or repressive assimilation policies, shared thatintellectual property and the protection of cultural integrity isbecoming more and more a key issue not just for the televisionbut for all media organizations. “IP protection is a real challengefor any broadcast organization because you need to protect thecultural integrity of what you are broadcasting,” he said.

Dr. Noel Guivani Ramiscal of the University of the Philippinesin Los Baños pointed out that a lot of the problems are felt by theindigenous communities on the moral rights of attribution. Hesaid that a databank of the indigenous people should be

Experts Converged to Discuss and UpholdASEAN Communal Intellectual Property Rights

Text and photos by Sherma E. Benosa

6

NCCA executive director Cecile Guidote Alvarez (leftmost) and deputy executive director Malou Jacob (rightmost) with participants and guest presentors.

7protected.

“Sharing of the information from thedatabank must first go through a clearinghouse to determine whether the objective ofthe applicant who wants access to thedatabank is valid,” he said.

In response to a participant who asked ifit is feasible for the ASEAN to set a standardor regulatory procedure for ethnographers toprotect the intellectual property rights of theindigenous people, Philippine delegate, Atty.Pete Principe who talked about thepreservation of intangible and intellectualproperty suggested that there should be anoffice that will be in charge of integrating theconcerns of the ASEAN member-countries inas far as intellectual property of culturalheritage is concerned.

Thailand representative WeerawitWeeraworawit emphasized that each member-country should be active in registering alltraditional knowledge in their respectivecountries. “They should have a collectivedatabank that will serve as reference and basisto establish communal intellectual propertyrights in the region,” he said.

Ivan Yeo, head of the Singaporeandelegation, expressed his view on thedifferences of every country’s governmentstandards and, that if one looks at it fromthe top down, everyone will have a differentview. He added that should one start fromthe bottom up, he might be able to get alittle commonality that way.

Dr. Khin Maung Nyunt of Myanmarpointed out that the big challenges facingtheir country, as well as other countries in theworld, are the challenges of globalization. Hesaid that the ASEAN must have a clearperspective on what steps to undertake insafeguarding intellectual property rights.

Jessyca Van Weelde, consultant onTraditional Creativity, Cultural Expressions,Cultural Heritage Section of the TraditionalKnowledge Division of WIPO, shared that bythe next budgetary bi-annum, 2010 and 2011,the WIPO will undertake tax-basednegotiations with the objective of reachingan agreement on the text of an internationallegal instrument/s that will ensure thegenetic protection of traditional knowledgeand TCEs. She added that the IGC has alsoundertaken a Creative Heritage Project as acapacity-building activity. The project isdeveloping best practices and guidelines formanaging intellectual property issues whenrecording, digitizing, and disseminatingintangible cultural heritage.

This event was organized by the NCCAInternational Affairs Office under DeputyExecutive Director Malou Jacob, and emceedby IAO consultant Buddy Cunanan. The IAOstaff is composed of Maricel Diaz, AmiyaSawadjaan, Elsa Herrera, Rulet Salvador andNoe Fuentes and Benito Benito.

leaves, does not have walls and is used only forfour days to one week; ayob- a, used duringtyphoons and is set up in a secluded place;and banglin-a, which can be seen on treebranches, used as a home for the childrenwhen the parents are away in order to keepthem safe from wild animals, but is also used asstorage for harvests and other importantpossessions of the family. The Mangyans alsoavoid some kind of wood in the belief that thiswill give them bad luck or illness. They also usethe bark of siyapo, lanutan and barayaw, butwhen a member of the family experiencesnightmares, they must leave their house.

Lineyte/SamarnonA typical Lineyte/Samarnon house has a floorarea of four square meters including thediskanso (veranda) and banggera (washing andcooking area). The materials used in the houseare mostly bamboo, preferably the patong andtangnan variety. Joints are holed, attached andtied up with the use of uway (bamboo strips).The house trusses are made of bamboo, thewalls are combination of bamboo and nipa oramakan (woven bamboo splits). The roof ismade up of pawod (nipa shingles) or anahawleaves. The house is elevated from the groundby half a meter. The house has no definedliving room. It is basically a one-room structure.It has bamboo benches attached to the wallsbelow the windowsill. The dining area has abamboo table and benches. It has a biyumbo(divider) made of amakan to separate a certainspace from the rest of the house, this serves asan area where family members can changeclothes and store clothes, pillows, mats, etc. Nobeds can be seen because they utilize the

Dungog...From page 5 using sturdy round timber poles while the flooris a woven bulo (bamboo) or dulit (dried treebark). Girders, beams, and roof-framing are ofassorted sizes by round timbers. Uway (rattanstrips) are used to tie these house componentstogether. The main structure is an open spacefor sleeping, eating and dancing. The house hasa receiving room or balkon used to entertainvisitors and used for resting during daytime. It isnot elevated and has no floors. It has a longbamboo or wooden bench instead. A widewindow just above the bamboo bench ensuressufficient ventilation. The house has the saririroom intended for the binukot or the keptmaiden, dapoy or dirty kitchen, and the tampi,which is usually built at the back side of themain structure. This serves as the backdoorentrance built a little lower that the mainstructure. The lower portion is enclosed by afence and is made of bamboo, which is used tohouse chickens and other livestock.

Akeanon/Hiligaynon/Kiniray-aA typical payag is built three to four metersabove the ground, with four corners, and withonly one, large, open, multi-purpose room forconverging and dwelling called dayunan orhulot. This traditional dwelling follows thecenturies-old Southeast Asian rural archetype ofthe single-room dwelling where all familyactivities happen in one space. Later variationsmay find two or three separate hulot forsleeping. Mats were used for sleeping so that thesame space can be used for daytime activitiesthat sometimes spill outdoors to the shadedareas underneath the house. It has a basementcalled silong, where most household chores aredone. This area serves as the place for livestockpens, storage space, workspace and granary. Thewalls are made of nipa and cogon leaves, orsawali or woven bamboo, and there are largewindows on all sides, which keep the interiorwell-ventilated. The windows have tukod or “legs”that hold the swinging shades open during theday, and secure it back in place at night. Anotherfeature of the payag is the ladder or hagdanwhich can easily be removed at night or whenthe owners are out. Likewise, some huts have anopen back porch or pantaw, where householdchores are done and where the jars of water areplaced. Another feature of this particular folkarchitecture is the toilet and bathroom builtadjacent to the main dwelling and connected bya bamboo mini-bridge called latayan. In somestructures, one can find a small porch or batalanbuilt in front of the main living space. The pre-Hispanic structural design was constructed toperfectly adapt to the tropical climate of thePhilippines and to be easily repaired or rebuiltonce damaged by typhoon, flood or earthquake,which frequented the country.

SamaThe house of the Sama is called je-ngeg (boathouse). To the Badjaws, this abode is theirworld. It is also the place where they are born. Itis where they look for their survival, and even aplace where they die. Although it is now avanishing sight, it is preserved as a symbol thatspeaks of their cultural roots.

whole space inside the house for sleeping.

AAAAAtititititi (Western Visayas)The Ati’s house is made of round timber andcogon grass for its roofing, while its walls aremade of binalantak nga bolo or small bamboos.Bamboo slats are used for the flooring. They donot use nails but only ropes to secure thehouse. The house measures 8 x 9 square feetand it has a receiving area for visitors. Thepalayas or extension serves as the storage fortheir cooking and utensils as well as thecooking area. It is usually located at the uplandwhere very few people reside.

Panay BukidnonThe traditional Bukidnon house uses cogongrass for roofing. The house normally has anelevated floor of about five to six feet high

8 The

In support of the eight UN Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and incommemoration of the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, the NCCA joinedthe whole country in the United Nations-led march for the eradication of extreme povertyand hunger as part of the Stand Up Against Poverty campaign, held on October 17 to 23,2009, through satellite Kalahi Cultural Caregiving workshops in the National Capital Region,Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

These Kalahi Cultural Caregiving workshops were aimed at providing solutions toachieve the eight MDGs by 2015 through harnessing the country’s inherent talent for thearts. The Mindanao leg, coordinated by Frank Rivera, had concluded its 19-day KalahiCultural Caregiving Peace and Integrated Arts Workshop in Mindanao last October 11, withsix provinces visited and more than 400 students and individuals attending the activities.Recipients of this workshop caravan included the Badjao and the Lumad, flood victims,displaced families and prisoners.

Philippines MarchedAgainstPoverty

BFor the third time, the Philippines once again emerged as

the number-one country in leading the most number of

participants joining the Stand Up Against Poverty

campaign, in which 37.1 million individuals stood up and pledged

to eradicate poverty. The event also broke world records.

“We will spare no effort to

free our fellow men,

women and children from

the abject and

dehumanizng conditions of

extreme poverty, to which

more than a billion of

them are currently

subjected.”

The inmates of the Davao Penal Colonyparticipated in an NCCA Cultural Caregivingworkshop as part of the Stand Up Against Povertycampaign (below). Grade 4 student Charlene MaeDomequil recited an oration depicting the MDG of“achieving universal primary education” inNorthern Samar. (facing page)

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On the other hand, the Luzon Kalahi Cultural Caregiving kicked off inten selected sites in Metro Manila under the supervision of Dr. MarsCavestany—at Marilac Hills, Sambayanang Kristiano ng Tondo, theGolden Acres, the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s(DSWD) Nayon ng Kabataan, National Bilibid Prisons, and the CorrectionalInstitute for Women. Also included in the list were the OrthopedagogicalInstitute, the typhoon Ondoy victims and evacuees at the Ultra andMalacañang, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP). Workshopson different arts including painting, arnis, dance and music among otherswere held.

The NCR leg ran for two days on October 13 and 14. Ondoy victimswere given NCCA’s Kalahi Cultural Caregiving Workshop for the victimstemporarily staying at the Ultra in Pasig City. The evacuees were taughtthe rudiments of arts, hinged in the distinctive Filipino culture. Thisworkshop was followed by a pledge to fight poverty and eradicatehunger, and to compel the leaders to “to save the lives of the poorestcitizens, to tackle inequality, to be accountable to the people, to governfairly and justly, to end corruption and to uphold human rights.”

The grand showcase at Camp Aguinaldo was arranged through Lt.Gen. Victor Ibrado and former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro.

The pledging of the workshop participants was held on October 16and 17 at Rizal Park where the final performances were shown and theawarding of the winners of a paintign contest on the MDGs and womenas agent for develoepment, sponsored by the UNFPA director SuneetaMukherjee, was held, with UN Resident Coordinator Jacqueline Badcockin attendance.

Aside from the Ondoy victims, recipients of the care-giving workshopsincluded soldiers, children and wives of the AFP personnel, the elderly,delinquents, out of school youths, male and women prisoners, personswith disabilities, abused women and the urban poor community.

In the Visayas, the Kalahi Cultural Caregiving, undertaken by LihokBisaya coordinated Lutgardo Labad, started on October 16 with 12provinces, six cities and 16 municipalities as recipients. The Visayan legwas aimed at developing community-based creative industries. The sitesin the Visayan care-giving leg included Bohol, Aklan, Siquijor, NegrosOccidental, Antique, Iloilo City, Samar, Leyte, Bacolod, Negros Oriental,Capiz, and Cebu.

Through culture and the arts, the Visayas region joined the nation’s

fight to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger in support of the eightMillennium Development Goals. The Lihok Bisaya, a NCCA Kalahi CulturalCaregiving assisted program conducted a three-day Kalahi CulturalCaregiving Workshop in 12 provinces, six cities and 16 municipalities thatran from October 16 to 18. The Visayan region joined hands to developcommunity-based creative industries to combat poverty, promote equity,health and ecological sustainability through the power of the arts andculture.

The Lihok Bisaya Kalahi Cultural Caregiving was also aimed toproject the region’s cultural diversity as a platform for socialtransformation, as well as to profile history, cultural traditions, legendsand folkways and promote eco-cultural tourism through community artsfestivals across the region.

Lilok Bisaya Bohol featured a five-municipality festival of communityarts profiling history, cultural traditions, legends and folkways, eco-cultural tourism along the Abatan River and the heritage sites ofMaribojoc, Cortes, Antequera, Balilihan, and Anda in southeastern Bohol.Converging in the host municipality of Maribojoc under mayor LeoncioEvasco were various theater collectives and cultural groups trained bySentro Boholano in collaboration with the provincial government ofBohol, office of congressman Edgar Chatto, local governments of thementioned towns, Bohol Schools Division, BANGON, PROCESS, BoholLocal Development Foundation, Inc., (BLDF), Precision Agriculture andCommon Agricultural Policy (PACAP), Department of Trade and Industry(DTI) Bohol, Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council.

Lihok Bisaya Aklan portrayed the province’s historical saga ofdevelopment through music and dance climaxing in a total danceinterpretation of the Frank floods tragedy as a wake up call forenvironmental protection. The activity was supported by Aklan MediaForum in cooperation with the province of Aklan headed by governorCarlito Marquez, city of Kalibo headed by mayor Reymar Rebaldo, theAklan Arts Council, Schools Division of Aklan.

Lihok Bisaya Larena-Siquijor mounted a specially choreographedstaging of environment themes related to the MDGs, a danceinterpretation of the poverty challenge using the MDG song, and liveband concerts and other numbers by the Pasiklaban Cultural Ensemble.The event was supported by the local government of Larena, headed byMayor Gold Kalibo and Vice mayor Ronnie Villa.

d

Broke Recordsand

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Lihok Bisaya Valladolid Negros Occidentalfeatured environmental and heritage rituals bythe Valladolid Ugyon Cultural Ensemble; SaHigad Baybayon, an unveiling of installationicons, movement and poetry in motionperformances; a launch of the Valladolid MiniGallery; and a dance interpretation of“Pambansang Dalangin” by the Valladolid YouthTheater Guild. Valladolid mayor Romel Yogore incooperation with the Negros CulturalFoundation were behind the event.

Lihok Bisaya San Jose Antique launchedthe Baryubay kang Kauswagan with workshopshowcases on environment, productivity, andeducation for sustainable development withsupporting numbers from the Hiraya TheaterCompany, Paranublion Antique, Teatro Damisagand Teatro San Antonio. The event wassupported by Barangay 4 punong barangayJosepito Tuason and by Antique provincialgovernor Salvacion Perez.

Lihok Bisaya Iloilo City, supported by thecity of Iloilo local government headed by mayorJerry Trenas and vice-mayor Jed PatrickMalibog, showcased the different culturalgroups in the city: USA Choir, USA Trobadours,CPU Engineering Chorale, Irong-Irong DanceCompany, USA Kawilhan Dance Troupe,Unversity of Iloilo, Sol Fernandez School ofDance, Faith Dance and Art Centre, WesternInstitute of Technology, NC Gonzales School ofBallet, USA Little Theater and the AnnieDivinagracia Sartorio School of Performing Arts.

Lihok Bisaya Northern Samar mounted“Gios Palapag,” a free variety show and MDGawareness campaign. The Stand Up song wasinterpreted in dance, followed by eight various

cultural interpretations of each of the MDGs, tobe mounted by different cultural groups andoffices of the municipal government and otheragencies. A giant canvas on Stand Up AgainstPoverty was unveiled for mass signatures byparticipants. This was supported by the PalapagCulture and Arts Guild and other institutionslike the Palapag LGU led by mayor Ricardo Daiz.

Lihok Bisaya Naval Biliran mounted“Tindog Biliranon,” led by the Naval Institute ofTechnology in collaboration with the LGU ofNaval led by mayor Susan Parilla and othersectors from the academe, religious andlivelihood communities. Heralded by theBagasambul Festival, the event included publiccommitments from the sectors, a dramapresentation from Sadya de Teatro, a verse choirshow from the NIT Debate Society, and amusical number.

Lihok Bisaya Palo Leyte staged a three-day grand cultural event called KauswaganChallenge 2009 led by the municipalgovernment of Palo with mayor TeodoroSevilla and the Palo Arts and HeritageCouncil. There were an agri-fair exhibit andtiangge; photo and arts exhibits by variouscooperatives and LeySam Foto group, theAttipalo and Bunga Young Artists Groups; andartistic collaborative performances by variouscultural groups (Rah Rah Rousers, Bolingling,Mulayan Youth Community Theater, KarasakHill 522, Ambassador Band Musicians). Thesewas a semaphore flag drill by the BoysScouts, Kauswagan Advocacy Ride, a 24-hourKauswagan Adventure Race in various sportsfields participated in by around 200 athletesfrom the entire country, and traditionalgames called Larong Lahi. On October 18,there was a potpourri of performances inchoir music, band, and theater on the MDG

campaign.Lihok Bisaya Calbayog Samar focused on

the creative industries initiatives of thebarangay of Bagacay in Calbayog City. Led bythe Pasundayag Cultural Network, the eventshowcased the creative results of the LifeEmbedding Skills and Creativity Workshophighlighting dramatic arts and local jewelry.

Lihok Bisaya Bacolod staged “Pagtingub,”an interactive performance/concert at theNegros Museum in Bacolod City. Pagtingubmeans “coming together,” hoping to synergizethe creative energies of artists to produceworks inspired from the millenniumdevelopment goals in a multidisciplinarycollaboration through inter-action andinspiration. The output was captured inphotographs, video, visual arts and text,curated for an exhibit at the Negros Museumand was toured around schools andcommunities in Negros to spread awarenesson the MDGs. Participating artists and groupsincluded Arts Association of Bacolod, BambooTonogbanua, BINHI Creative Arts Guild,Camera Club of Negros, Dance Pull Company,Dwight Rodrigazo, Grupong Ispading, IntelJapitana, Ismael Java, Janet Lim, Jean BaptisteDance Company, Kalingaw, Teatrok Hiligaynon,Kanla-on Theater Guild, La Salle Chorale,Maskara Theater Ensemble, Mel Araneta,Musikat, Painting Legion, Poetry of theUnderground, Poseidon Dance Company,Pwersa Pintura, Performance Laboratory, ReneHinojales, Rudy Reveche, Saltelmo Writers’Group, and West Negros Chorale. “Pagtingub”was organized by the Performance Laboratory,Inc. in cooperation with the Negros Museumand Teatrokon: West Visayas Theater Network.

Lihok Bisaya Manjuyod, Negros Oriental,was organized by the Manjuyod Cultural Council

Stand Up Against PovertyFrom page 9

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in cooperation with the Youth Advocatesthrough Theater Arts and the LGU of Manjuyodled by mayor Amor Baldado and Negros Orientalvice governor Jose “Petit” Baldado. Activitiesincluded a poster making competition, an artsand crafts exhibit, traditional Manjuyodnoncuisine showcase, a cultural number entitled“Undangon and Kapobrehon” (Stop Poverty), anda stage performance by Manjuyuod AnklongPerformers and the Manjuyod CulturalCommittee.

Lihok Bisaya Pilar, Capiz, staged a roadshow caravan titled “Lihok Kontra Sa Kaimulon”involving the barangay of Poblacion/Natividad.This was coordinated by the SigmahanonFoundation in cooperation with the LGU of Pilarheaded by mayor Maria Rita Lim Patricio andthe provincial government of Capiz undergovernor Victor Tanco. It was a culmination of atwo-week workshop on creativity andsustainable development in the form of a youthcamp in the heritage environs of Pilar, Capiz.

Lihok Bisaya Tisa, Cebu City, was launched asa culmination of a two-week Creativity and MDGTraining Seminar-Workshop organized byKapunungan ni Kiko and the Tisa BarangayCouncil headed by barangay captain EduardoCabulao. The showcase included various culturaldance and song numbers highlightingenvironmental protection and individualizedstories based on the themes of the MDGs. Anexhibit on local jewelry crafted by the community,was a special feature. The project was coordinatedby the Pasundayag Cultural Network.

Lihok Bisaya Aloguinsan, Cebu, highlightedthe ecological-tourism program of themunicipality of Aloguinsan, headed by mayorCynthia Moreno and the BEATAS, or BojoAloguinsan Eco-tourism Association. There wasan interactive lecture on the cultural heritage of

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Aloguinsan, followed by a multi-art showcaseon the town’s response to poverty issues, whichwas a culmination of a two-week Creativity andSustainable Development Training Programconducted in cooperation by the USC CebuStudies Center and the University of CebuTheater Workshop.

All these workshops all over the countrywere followed by a pledge recited by theparticipants of the Kalahi Cultural CaregivingWorkshop to fight poverty and eradicatehunger, and to compel the leaders to “to savethe lives of the poorest citizens, to tackleinequality, to be accountable to the people, togovern fairly and justly, to end corruption andto uphold human rights.”

At the forefront mobilizing differentsectors in the country to participate in thecampaign was the NCCA chaired by DepEDUsec. Vilma Labrador and Executive Directorand PA on Culture Cecile Guidote Alvarez,through its Kapitbisig Laban sa Kahirapan(Kalahi) Cultural Caregiving Services. NCCAfielded cultural workers and artists inpartnership with the Philippine Center of theInternational Theater Institute (ITI) and the ArtsAssociation of the Philippines led by BudsConvocar, with the support of the UN ResidentCoordinator’s office, to utilize the arts to helpfight poverty.

On the other hand, the NCCA TV Show,Sining Gising, featured a special harvest report,edited by Pixel Art Media Production Company,last October 18. The show featuredperformances from the Pamadanse, HamogBand, Cardona Youth Musical Ensemble, andthe Cercado Sisters focused on eradicatingpoverty. Paintings depicting the MDGs were ondisplay as well as the winning entries of theNCCA-DepED slogan-making contest.

STAND UNITED, FIGHTPOVERTY PLEDGE

Today, we Stand Unitedwith millions of people

To ask for a world

where people no longerlive in hunger

where people are free from HIV AIDSwhere mothers no longer

die in childbirthwhere children no longer die of

preventable diseaseswhere every child has the right to

quality education.where poverty and inequality

have been overcome

Today, we Stand United with millionsof people around the world

to compel our leadersto save the lives of the poorest citizensto tackle inequalityto be accountable to the peopleto govern fairly and justlyto end corruptionto uphold human rights

Time is running out and we will notaccept any excuses.

Today, we Stand United with onlysix years left before 2015

to achieve the MillenniumDevelopment Goals.

Until then, today, and every day, wewill continue to StandUnited and echo our call tofight poverty

NOW.

NCCA employees joined the fightagainst poverty (leftmost). Thegenerals of the Armed Forces ofthe Philippines made a pledge toend poverty (middle). Membersand officers of the Palapag Cultureand Arts Guild with Fray SantyLeaño and guests artists fromneighboring town of Lao-ang (left).

The workshop and performancefor the SUTA campaign inBukidnon, Mindanao (leftmost andsecond from left). Students andteachers of the Divine MercyCollege of Northern Samar and theSumoroy Agro-Industrial Schoolrecited the Pledge to End Poverty(third and fourth from left).

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“Transformation of attitude and behavior” was how Cecile

Guidote Alvarez, executive director of the NCCA, described the

objective of the First Multimedia Summit on Climate Change

held on November 20 at the Malacañang Palace.

During the summit, Faustina Rehuher-Marugg, minister of

Community and Cultural Affairs of the Republic of Palau,

summed up the enormity of the problem: “Climate change

affects all of us. What affects Palau, also affects you.”

Climate change has been often blamed for the unusually

timed floods that hit many countries, the melting of the arctic,

and other natural calamities that affected millions. These and

many more were discussed during the summit that hoped to

raise more awareness among students, lawmakers and ordinary

people to do their part, no matter how small, to save the only

planet they have.

The summit’s importance—organized by the Office of

Presidential Adviser on Climate Change headed by Secretary

Heherson Alvarez—was enhanced by the presence of John

Topping Jr., president of the Climate Institute with

headquarters in Washington, D.C. H.E. President Gloria Arroyo

acknowledged the presence of representatives from the

Multimedia Summit onClimate Change Held

By Marlet D. Salazar

international community and major universities in Metro

Manila.

Mr. Topping talked about one of his works titled “Mexico

and the Philippines: Building a public base for energy reform.”

He lauded the passage of Renewable Energy Act of the

Philippines in 2008. His talk centered on the commitment of

Mexico and the Philippines in addressing climate change.

Mexico is determined to reduce its greenhouse gasses emission,

which is interesting to note is 30 percent less than the United

States.

Rehuher-Marugg informed the participants of her country’s

efforts on rediscovering traditional technology.

She said they are going to the grassroots again in trying to

learn what the ancestors did to preserve nature. She also

reiterated the need to raise even more awareness especially to

her small island nation’s villages by distributing flyers,

translating materials on climate change, and most important is

involving the citizens in addressing the problem.

Guidote Alvarez, on behalf of NCCA Chairman Dr. Vilma

Labrador, articulated the involvement of NCCA as a culture

Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo with officials, guest VIPs, experts and delegates including Jose Ladera Santos, chairman of KWF (seated, second from left); John Topping Jr., president of the ClimateInstitute (seated, third from left) and Heherson Alvarez, PA on Climate Change (seated, fifth from left), and ambassadors led by UN Resident Coordinator Jacqueline Badcock

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and arts agency by presenting the various murals depicting

global warming. The murals, the cartoon and essay writing

contests are proof that Filipinos are very much involved in

raising awareness to combat climate change.

Environment Undersecretary Lucille Sering, in her

presentation, discussed the Philippines’ position on

mitigation and the government’s formula on mitigation

strategies. She mentioned that even if the Philippines is a

low emitter of carbon among Southeast Asian countries,

there is heightened danger of global warming. Among the

mitigation strategies mentioned were the choice of an earth-

friendly transportation, effective solid waste management,

opting for renewable energy, efficient water supply, energy

efficiency, and probably one of the most important, working

hand in hand with the building or real estate sector.

For his part, Agriculture Undersecretary Segfredo

Serrano reported on disaster risk management and the

department’s preparedness on natural calamities that may

happen because of climate change.

To show their support and involvement, differently-abled

youths from the Ambassadors of Light with the Earthsavers

Dreams Ensemble and young artists like the Cardona Youth

Musicale Ensemble rendered heartwarming song numbers

highlighting Filipinos’ deep care for Mother Nature.

At the end of the summit, emceed by Bianca Roces

Pedrosa, the participants presented to President Arroyo a

multimedia cultural communications framework action plan for

climate change with Rod Cornejo, assistant to the GMA 7

president, representing the media sector. The summit was just

one of the many activities of the second Global Warming and

Climate Change Consciousness Week from November 19 to 24,

just before the Copenhagen Summit organized through United

Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change

(UNFCCC) executive secretary Yvo de Boer who has visited

the Philippines. Students from various schools and universities

in Metro Manila also attended the event.

Pres. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and guest VIPs watched the inspiring performance of theCardona Youth Ensemble who was sent to China (top). Many students joined the essay writingcontest (above).

NCCA executive director Cecile Guidote Alvarez (leftmost) with special guests including John Topping Jr.,president of the Climate Institute (third from left) and Heherson Alvarez, PA on Climate Change (top). A muralon environmental awareness and fighting climate change was made by Isabela artists and Joel Pragas(above).

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The NCCA recently opened a newexhibition space, called the NCCAGallery for Contemporary Arts, infulfillment of its service to the Filipinovisual arts community and in response tothe current demands of the burgeoningart scene in the country.

Held on October 15, 2009, theinauguration was attended by MalouJacob, NCCA deputy executive director;Genylyn Yusi-Olazo, head of the NCCANational Committee on Art Galleries(NCAG); Egai Talusan Fernandez, headof the NCCA National Committee onVisual Arts (NCVA); Jonathan Olazo,gallery director; Corazon Alvina, directorof the National Museum; and Dr.Wilhelm Solheim, archaeologist andprofessor emeritus of the ArchaeologicalStudies Program of the University of thePhilippines.

Basing on the initiatives of formerNCVA chair Isidro Gomez Hildawa andformer NCAG chair Christopher Roco,the new exhibition space aims to staytrue to the directives of working withartists professing their vanguardcontributions. Present NCVA chairFernandez and NCAG chair Yusi-Olazohave put together a curatorial team totap into new trends and expressions andhave culled resources in taking a majorlogistical step to renovate acommensurate exhibition space with thescale and breadth of exploration andambition of contemporary art.

The directives set by the new galleryare altruistic and didactic, basing onplanned exhibits. Young artists arewelcome to explore new tendencies onthe edge of current art making. The newgallery is outfitted to accommodate videoworks and movable panels forinstallation pieces.

One projected exhibit will surveyartists in between academic levels andbefore professional status. Called “BagoNagmumulat ng mga Mata” series, anaspect of the project is to invite an artteacher to curate an exhibit of at leastfive of his/her apprentices/students.

New Exhibition SpaceInaugurated at the NCCA

The NCCA Gallery invited sculptorsNoell El Farol and Mervy Pueblo to dothe inaugural exhibit, embodying itsideals and setting the tone for itsexhibition calendar. “BeyondIdentification,” which ran untilNovember 15, 2009, was an almost-collaborative exhibition of highly mind-provoking sculptures that thread optionalarchetypes and consequently dissect ourperceptions. Like the structural pairing ofa DNA, both artists approach art-makingvia logical and cunning analysis andobjective prognosis. Bearing the burdenof proofs for a specific history, theobjects used crossed into the realm of art

making and thus modestly presenteda template for us to look at ourfutures.

Thriving on learning from othercivilizations, Farol’s installation work,entitled Archaeology of China, isappropriative in nature, incorporatinghis personal collection of plate warethat aptly indexes the heritage of artin mainland China.

Pueblo’s Trajectories utilizesscientific methodologies and itsobjects of scrutiny such as blood(splatter) and makes a personalcommentary about her observation toworldly situations.

The opening of the NCCA Gallery with NCCA deputy executive director Malou Jacob

1515

CAPTION

Both projects revolved around thetheme of tracking down sequentialhistories, and could be as allegorical foridentities that are still wanting to befound out. But to be read as it is, thesepieces just want to be about art, basedon the beauty of scientific procedures ofresearch and almost-conclusions.

Pueblo describes her art as “theextension of her soul,” and through herworks, would like to “make peoplethink, realize and appreciate that art andscience can mix.” She finished her finearts degree at the Saint Scholastica’sCollege in Manila. She is also intocarving stones, semi-precious stones andcrystals. She has been participating tovarious sculpture symposiums andexhibition abroad such as in Japan,Russia, Korea and Vietnam.

On the other hand, Farol wasrecently awarded the MetrobankFoundation Prize Achievement forSculpture. He has accomplishednumerous tour exhibitions, notably inJapan, Russia, United Arab Emirates and

For the very first time, the House of Representatives, through the Committee on BasicEducation and Culture and with support from the NCCA, saluted Filipino artists andperforming groups in a cultural show dubbed “Pagpupugay ng Kongreso sa Galing ng Pinoy”on October 5, 2009, at the Batasang Pambansa, in line with the 102nd anniversary ofPhilippine Congress.

Congressman Del De Guzman of Marikina City, the committee chair, expressed thegratitude of the Filipino people to the world class performers that despite the negativenews about the country, the artistry and imagination of our performers highlight ourgreatness as a nation.

Rhap Salazar and Catherine Loria, both declared Grand Champions in the WorldChampionship of the Performing Arts (WCOPA) in 2009 and 2008, respectively, belted theirwinning pieces during the show, with interpretation from the Halili Cruz Dance Company-Quezon City Ballet which for the past nine years since 2001, has brought home top honorsin the series of Asia Pacific International Dance Competition held in Singapore and inThailand.

The Cardona Youth Musical Ensemble which uses recycled bottles in singing hasfascinated the audience with their rendition of our all-time favorite folk songs. This is thesame number that they presented in the 11th Asia Arts Festival in Ordos, Inner Mongolia,China and in the Asia Europe Meeting.

The Kilyawan Boys Choir and the KHP Coro Techniuv also shared their winning choralpieces in the international choral competitions that they have joined. The KBC has wongold medals in the 5th World Choir Games held in Graz, Austria while the KHP won theGrand Prix in the 1st Folklore Festival Interfolk in Russia and 1st Prize in the 2nd RiminiInternational Choir Competition in Italy.

Folk dances was also showcased by the promising St. Dominic Savio College CulturalDance Troupe of Caloocan City and the audience was amazed with the artworks ofHamzah Marbella, an eight year old Muslim boy from Cavite, whose design was amongthe 50 Best Designs displayed at the United Nations Headquarters in New York in 2007during the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty.

The event was aired in the weekly educational and cultural program Sining Gisinghosted and produced by NCCA excutive drector Cecile Guidote Alvarez on NBN Channel 4.

By Willyan Maglente

House Honors Pinoy Talent

The works of sculptors Noell El Farol and Mervy Pueblo

Vietnam. He advocates for the inclusionof glass as a medium for sculpture in thefine arts program. He taught at theTechnological University of thePhilippines and at the University of thePhilippines’ College of Fine Arts. Hecurrently teaches at University of SantoTomas’ College of Fine Arts and Designs.

For more information on the NCCAGallery, contact Ethel Buluran throughphone numbers (+632) 527-2212 and527-2192; and e-mailncca_gallery@yahoo.com. The NCCAGallery is located at the ground floor ofthe NCCA Building, 633 General LunaStreet, Intramuros, Manila.

Clockwise from top left: St. Dominic Savio College Cultural Dance Troupe of Caloocan City, singer Rhap Salazar, theKilyawan Boys Choir and painter Hamzah Marbella

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By Alexis Laura FelicianoPhotos by Sherma E. Benosa

NemirandaTheTouch

More than imagination to guide him, Nemiranda, as he is popularly known in art circles inthe Philippines, knows the value of hard work as evidenced in his structural masterpieces. Inthe course of forty years in the industry, he has turned his home, hisrestaurant Tatay Mecio’s ArtHouse and Café, and his art camp intoveritable works of art. He enhanced the architectural features ofthese structures with his paintings and sculptures as well as withworks other artists from Rizal.

“I designed this; I built this,” Miranda says, gesturing to hisabode that bespeaks of beauty, artistry and sheer originality.“I am the architect and the engineer. Everything.”

It seems as though Miranda was born with a sort ofMidas touch. Only, everything he touches turns intobeautiful works of art, no matter how seemingly“useless” the materials are.

Not GarbageThe Nemiranda art camp, house and

restaurant feature materials ordinary people wouldconsider garbage, such as “junks” from centuries-old churches and broken pieces of tiles andbottles, among others.

“What is garbage?”he asks, gesturing to theplace he called home.“It’s just those things thatare not put in their properplaces.”

Artistically placed and designedaccording to shades of color, the flooringof the Art Camp not only became ahome for broken tiles that have nomore places to go except fordumpsites but also became asource of admiration fromvisitors.

“I bought these in bulkand placed them according totheir shades,” Nemirandaexplains. “There will always bethat factor because if you don’tdesign them accordingly, these

In Angono, Rizal, there is house that seems to have come out

of a fairytale book. Inside are larger-than-life sculptures of

nymphs, sea animals and other creatures, created by their

owner—revered artist Nemesio Miranda, Jr.

The awe-inspiringsculpture adorningthe restaurant ofNemiranda inAngono

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will end up looking less than attractive.”Miranda has made full use of broken tiles

by arranging them like age-old Europeanmosaic artworks the same way he made use ofold wood from a dismantled, centuries-oldbahay na bato (stone houses) in the Ilocosregion and from an old church that underwentrenovation. As an added touch, he carvedintricate images on the wood, making sure thateach wooden post would carry an originalimage.

“The church people didn’t know what todo with these old planks, and I just told them I’dbuy them,” he narrates.

Much of the dismantled wood he boughtare still in good condition, since, according tohim, the wood used in constructing housesduring the colonial era were tough and usuallylasts for centuries.

Education for Art NoobsThe Art Camp, set to open on the Higantes

Festival, is a place for art aficionados who wantto learn and discover more about art.Constructed like a dormitory, the Art Camp canhouse up to 50 students and will offer fulllesson depending on the interest of the group.

Banking on his experience, Nemiranda isgoing all out on teaching art to the youngergeneration because, according to him, thepresent art curriculum is insufficient for a full-fledged education on what Philippine art is allabout.

“The art teachers that we have here do notusually specialize in what they are teaching,” hesays. “As a result, students do not learn much inschool.”

Nemiranda also laments the lack ofexposure to the outside world of the studentsin art education and wants to give the studentsa more comprehensive art training not limitedto the confines of the school. Thus, he buildsthe Art Camp, a second chapter of a school heclosed down before. The rooms are named afterAngono’s well-loved artists and made purely ofwood, featuring double-deckers and able tohouse a maximum of ten students.

“You don’t learn everything in the fourcorners of a classroom,” he shares. “And youdon’t learn everything from a book. What’simportant is the experience.”

That is why Nemiranda is giving more thanhis time and attention to this endeavor, hisexperience and his personal touch also up forcollateral.

The Journey of a ManThe man behind all these beauty is not

one to waste his time. Born on the Valentine’sDay of 1949, his talent in the visual artsmanifested at a young age. Sketching anddrawing using charcoal occupied much of hisspare time. He felt that there was not enoughtime to draw whenever chores were assignedto him.

“In our home, we were assigned individualtasks then. Because I didn’t like doinghousehold chores, I used painting as an excuse.My older brother, who often had to take myplace every time I turned to sketching to avoidhousehold chores, would always scold me, butmy father would always admonish him, sayingthat I should be allowed to seize my creativemoment,” he recalls with nostalgia.

Miranda remembers how he had to workwhile he was still in school, especially becauseonly a handful of students majored in paintingback then.

“Not too many majored in painting duringmy time, and my parents couldn’t afford tosend me to the University of Santo Tomas then,with nine other siblings to look after,” Mirandanarrates. “So I asked my father just to shoulderthe expenses of my first year in college and toldhim I’ll take care of everything beyond thatpoint.”

By a stroke of luck, a job was offered tohim while he was sitting on the school’sstaircase one day. He recalled that a manapproached him, asking where he can find anartist he could commission to copy famouspaintings. Without any hesitation, he presentedhimself, and thus he fulfilled his promise to hisfather.

aLife wasn’t exactly a bed of roses for

Miranda, but he considered himself luckier thanother artists because he was able to pursue artas a profession right after his graduation,whereas his fellow art students have to seekemployment not related to art to earn a living.

Artists then, as they are now, couldn’tsurvive on the sales of their artworks alone,thus, the need for a day job to pay the bills.Adding to this is the fact that painting requiresmaterials, which are rather heavy on the pocket.

“Usually an artist has to work for ten totwenty years before he can settle down andpaint all year long. And then after that, theywould ask themselves, ‘Can I do it from here?’I have contemporaries who had to gothrough that. They only stopped when theyhad saved enough to sustain their arts,”Miranda relates.

What set him apart from the rest was thathe was able to secure a job that made use ofhis talents. He also sought to learn othermethods of producing art. He didn’t just stickwith sketching and painting, but he alsolearned sculpture. After joining a few groupexhibits, Miranda soon embarked on solo artshows starting in 1979.

Unlike some artists who live a hand-to-mouth existence, Miranda has found his nichein the art world not by sheer luck but throughhard work.

“Self discipline is the secret,” Mirandaadvises. “There are people who squander theirearnings, and so by the end of the day they goback to nothing.”

Miranda, having experienced scarcity in hisyounger days, knows how to manage money.At present, he has invested in an art gallery-cum-home, which houses the Miranda familyartworks, since his four children are also artiststhemselves. In addition, his restaurant stands asa testament that Angono is indeed the “ArtCapital of the Philippines.” His Art Camp is atraining ground for individuals seeking artinstruction the Angono way. It opened lastNovember in time for the Higantes Festival ofthe town.

The artist’s work area Nemesio Miranda, Jr. or Nemiranda

TheBrilliance ofBrillante Mendoza

By Rene Sanchez Napeñas

Could it be written in the stars or by fate alone that theliteral meaning of his name, Brillante or brilliant—that is radiant andshining, as well as exceptional and gifted—would give one man all theachievements he never really dreamed of. For the young BrillanteMendoza, all he wanted is to become a doctor or a priest. Being adirector was farthest from his mind, but serendipity as it may be, hecame late for the application for the courses he wanted, and landedBachelor of Fine Arts in Advertising. The rest, they say, is history.

An Interview with one of 2009’s newsmakers, indie film directorBrillante Mendoza, first Filipino to have won the Best Directorplum in Cannes International Film Festival

RRRRRene Sanchez Napeñas (Rene Sanchez Napeñas (Rene Sanchez Napeñas (Rene Sanchez Napeñas (Rene Sanchez Napeñas (RSN): YSN): YSN): YSN): YSN): Yououououourrrrrecently wecently wecently wecently wecently won the Muhr Asia Africa Beston the Muhr Asia Africa Beston the Muhr Asia Africa Beston the Muhr Asia Africa Beston the Muhr Asia Africa BestFFFFFeatureatureatureatureature Film in the 6e Film in the 6e Film in the 6e Film in the 6e Film in the 6ththththth Dubai Dubai Dubai Dubai DubaiInternational Film FInternational Film FInternational Film FInternational Film FInternational Film Festivestivestivestivestival for yal for yal for yal for yal for your filmour filmour filmour filmour film“Lola.” What with the man“Lola.” What with the man“Lola.” What with the man“Lola.” What with the man“Lola.” What with the many ay ay ay ay awwwwwararararardsdsdsdsdsand citations yand citations yand citations yand citations yand citations you get frou get frou get frou get frou get from both localom both localom both localom both localom both localand international aand international aand international aand international aand international awwwwwararararard-giving bodiesd-giving bodiesd-giving bodiesd-giving bodiesd-giving bodies,,,,,ararararare ye ye ye ye you still open to losing inou still open to losing inou still open to losing inou still open to losing inou still open to losing incompetitions?competitions?competitions?competitions?competitions?

Brillante Mendoza (BM)Brillante Mendoza (BM)Brillante Mendoza (BM)Brillante Mendoza (BM)Brillante Mendoza (BM): Yes, becausedoing films is not really about winning orrecognition. Doing a film in itself isalready an achievement especially whenyou talk about the concept, the material,and the funding. Finishing every film isalready a big prize.

RRRRRSN: By winning in the CannesSN: By winning in the CannesSN: By winning in the CannesSN: By winning in the CannesSN: By winning in the Cannes, ho, ho, ho, ho, howwwwwdid it change ydid it change ydid it change ydid it change ydid it change your being an artist/filmour being an artist/filmour being an artist/filmour being an artist/filmour being an artist/filmdirdirdirdirdirector?ector?ector?ector?ector?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: It didn’t change me at all even ifCannes is prestigious, well maybe, onlythat it made me a more responsiblefilmmaker.

RRRRRSN: What arSN: What arSN: What arSN: What arSN: What are ye ye ye ye your futurour futurour futurour futurour future plans ine plans ine plans ine plans ine plans indirdirdirdirdirecting? Do yecting? Do yecting? Do yecting? Do yecting? Do you eou eou eou eou evvvvventually rentually rentually rentually rentually receiveceiveceiveceiveceiveeeeeofferofferofferofferoffers to dirs to dirs to dirs to dirs to direct mainstrect mainstrect mainstrect mainstrect mainstream/commeream/commeream/commeream/commeream/commercialcialcialcialcialfilms?films?films?films?films?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: Since 2005 after “Masahista,” I havebeen receiving a lot of offers formainstream or commercial movies but theywant to merge my concepts with formulastories so I don’t agree, I don’t want tocompromise. But I don’t mind workingwith them in the future if there will be nocompromise.

RRRRRSN: Who wSN: Who wSN: Who wSN: Who wSN: Who wererererere ye ye ye ye yourourourourourinfluences in dirinfluences in dirinfluences in dirinfluences in dirinfluences in directing?ecting?ecting?ecting?ecting?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: Mike de leon and a lot of indiefilmmakers abroad, especially theclassic filmmakers and the realists.

RRRRRSN: WSN: WSN: WSN: WSN: Would yould yould yould yould you saou saou saou saou say that “Kinatay that “Kinatay that “Kinatay that “Kinatay that “Kinatay”y”y”y”y”(The Ex(The Ex(The Ex(The Ex(The Execution of P) is yecution of P) is yecution of P) is yecution of P) is yecution of P) is your best film?our best film?our best film?our best film?our best film?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: I wouldn’t say that I have one best orfavorite film. I could say that for everyfilm I finish, I enjoyed doing it altogetherwith the process and the experience, andthat for me is the best. When critics andthe masses appreciate my work, that is justa bonus.

RRRRRSN: What is ySN: What is ySN: What is ySN: What is ySN: What is your drour drour drour drour dream moeam moeam moeam moeam movie prvie prvie prvie prvie project?oject?oject?oject?oject?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: There are endless stories which Ishould say I still want to do—a bit ofhorror on our local beliefs, more projectsdepicting social issues, a period film onKapampangan...really, still a lot.

RRRRRSN: WherSN: WherSN: WherSN: WherSN: Where do ye do ye do ye do ye do you get inspirou get inspirou get inspirou get inspirou get inspiration foration foration foration foration foryyyyyour films?our films?our films?our films?our films?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: From everyone, from people I meeteveryday, from the stories of my friends,from news items, from everywhere. Just bygoing out on the streets, one can alreadyfind a story.

RRRRRSN: NoSN: NoSN: NoSN: NoSN: Now that yw that yw that yw that yw that you’rou’rou’rou’rou’re alre alre alre alre already populaready populaready populaready populaready popular,,,,,people seem to knopeople seem to knopeople seem to knopeople seem to knopeople seem to know ew ew ew ew evvvvverything abouterything abouterything abouterything abouterything aboutyyyyyou. Is therou. Is therou. Is therou. Is therou. Is there one thing that people don’te one thing that people don’te one thing that people don’te one thing that people don’te one thing that people don’tknoknoknoknoknow about yw about yw about yw about yw about you? Who is the privou? Who is the privou? Who is the privou? Who is the privou? Who is the privateateateateateBrillante?Brillante?Brillante?Brillante?Brillante?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: Im a very simple person. I don’t workfor awards. Sobrang simple.

RRRRRSN: What is ySN: What is ySN: What is ySN: What is ySN: What is your message to aspiringour message to aspiringour message to aspiringour message to aspiringour message to aspiringfilmmakfilmmakfilmmakfilmmakfilmmakererererers?s?s?s?s?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: Go back to the basics. Be simple. Justbe honest and be truthful with your stories.Keep the passion and just enjoy thejourney.

RRRRRSN: SN: SN: SN: SN: WherWherWherWherWhere do ye do ye do ye do ye do you think is indie filmsou think is indie filmsou think is indie filmsou think is indie filmsou think is indie filmsright noright noright noright noright now among Filipinos?w among Filipinos?w among Filipinos?w among Filipinos?w among Filipinos?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: Indie film is a thriving industry hereand abroad. Indie films are beingregarded high in other countries, but herein our country, that is not the reality. I feelthat I am so blessed that I am able to domy passion without going mainstream. Ialso hope that the people especially themasses will appreciate and watch indiefilms more.

RRRRRSN: YSN: YSN: YSN: YSN: You arou arou arou arou are one of the biggeste one of the biggeste one of the biggeste one of the biggeste one of the biggestnenenenenewwwwwsmaksmaksmaksmaksmakererererers of 2s of 2s of 2s of 2s of 2009. Ho009. Ho009. Ho009. Ho009. How do yw do yw do yw do yw do you wou wou wou wou wantantantantantto be rto be rto be rto be rto be rememberememberememberememberemembered bed bed bed bed by people?y people?y people?y people?y people?

BM:BM:BM:BM:BM: I want to be remembered as a simpleperson, so blessed that I was given thechance to make full use of my talents. Butmore than a good filmmaker, I want to beremembered as a good parent.

18

19

In accordance with thecelebration of the International Yearfor the Rapprochement of Culturesin 2010, the Philippine proposal forthe commemoration of the galleontrade between the Philippines andMexico through the proclamationof a Dia Del Galeon wasunanimously passed by theconference of UNESCO through theendorsement of the CultureCommission meeting in Paris.

The Dia Del Galeon is markedevery October 8, the day the SanPedro galleon, directed by FrayAndres Urdaneta, reachedAcapulco in 1565. The journey iscalled the tornaviaje. Thisestablished the Manila–Acapulcoroute that linked the people ofAsia, America, Europe and Africa.

The resolution was officiallyand effectively presented byPhilippine Ambassador RoraNavarro-Tolentino with the co-sponsorship of Mexico, Spain, Cuba,Colombia, Peru and Paraguay. Thailand andLaos led the ASEAN region support whileSweden spoke for Europe.

The Dia Del Galeon is an initiative of theBaler 400 steering committee, organized inline with the proclamation of President GloriaMacapagal Arroyo. The inter-agencycommittee is headed by Presidential Assistanton Culture Cecile Guidote Alvarez with NCCAas lead agency chaired by DepED Usec. VilmaLabrador and Senator Edgardo Angara as

Ambassador to France Rora Navarro-Tolentino and NCCA executive director Cecile Guidote Alvarezhave jointly secured the unanimous passage of Dia del Galeon as proposed by the Baler 400 SteeringCommittee, which was created through a presidential proclamation. An international conference on thegalleon was hosted by the Intramuros Administration in Fort Santiago.

UNESCO Approves Dia Del Galeon Proposal

honorary chairperson of the committee.The assistant Director General for

Culture, Madame Francoise Riviere, on behalfof UNESCO Director General KoichiroMatsuura, has expressly conveyed UNESCO’sappreciation of the Philippine proposalfollowing its Silk Road project forunderscoring the trade route of the galleonnot only as carriers of commerce but astransmitters of cultures of the peoples of fourcontinents that further intensified the inter-cultural dialogue among civilizations in the

hopes of achieving peaceand sustainabledevelopment.

Alvarez, in her messageof thanks for the enthusiasticapproval of the Dia DelGaleon resolution, expressedsupport for Bolivia’sresolution in the field ofinter-culturalization andpluralingualism for UNESCOto establish an internationalmeeting with a rotatingvenue in the form of a worldfair and forum on indigenousarts and crafts. Alvarezexplained that thePhilippines, in accordancewith President MacapagalArroyo’s proclamation ofOctober as IndigenousPeoples Month, has beenregularly hosting anindigenous peoples festival,conference and arts and

craft bazaar to highlight the wealth of theheritage and creative industry of its 110indigenous peoples as a poverty alleviationeffort. The recent indigenous peoples festivalheld in Capiz, twinned with the ASEANExperts Meeting for the protection of thecommunal property rights of indigenouspeoples, was hosted by NCCA. In doing so,the country has reaffirmed its concern toadvance the welfare of indigenous peopleswith its affirmation of the UNESCO programfor cultural diversity.

A team of Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) theater artists was fieldedby the UNESCO International Theater Institute (ITI) Philippines Center, headedby Cecile Guidote Alvarez, to represent the country in the First Asian-PacificExpo of Theater Schools. The group drew raves from audiences for theirperformance in three separate festival productions at the Shanghai TheaterAcademy in Shanghai, China from June 7 to 12, 2009.

Led by Ricardo Abad, coordinator for theater arts of ADMU, thePhilippine team was composed of Kalil Almonte, BJ Crisostomo, Regina deVera, Brian Sy, Diane Laserna, and Rachel Quong. Joining them were theteam’s choreographer, Matthew Santamaria of the Ateneo’s JapaneseStudies Program and the Asian Studies Center of the University of thePhilippines, and Nick Lizaso, vice-president for Theater Education Committeeof the UNESCO ITI. Travel support came from the NCCA and the Ateneo deManila University.

All participating countries, which included Iran, India, Japan, Korea, NewZealand, Taiwan, the United States, Vietnam, the Philippines, and China(Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong) were asked to stage thirty-minute excerptsfrom the classics The Caucasian Chalk Circle and Romeo and Juliet. The thirdshow was a full-length production of Glenn Sevilla Mas’s The Death of Memory,winner of the 2008 Aliw Award for Best Production, and one selected by thefestival committee after reviewing videos of submitted entries.

The thirty-minute shows were occasions for each school to demonstratethe ways they do and teach theater. Only three actors were allowed per show.For both presentations, the Ateneo team performed on a bare stage, with onlytwo mats serving as set pieces. The actors also appropriated the igal, a dance

By Lorenzo Tagle

tradition practiced by the Sama Badjao, as its movement motif.The Ateneo team’s non-linear treatment, inventive use of

language and appropriation of a native dance tradition (accompaniedby koto music written by Hiroko Nagai) in Romeo and Juliet drewraves from the audiences. So did the energetic pace of the igal andthe flexible use of the malong as costume pieces for the three actorswho played different roles in each play in Caucasian.

The successful staging of the classics created a buzz for theteam’s production of The Death of Memory shown thrice (with Chinesesubtitles) on the last two days of the festival. All three showings werefull house performances.

The Philippine team has also shown its mettle in presentingcontemporary drama. Philippine theater is not only “on track” withworks in the region, but can also be competitive in internationalcircles, make a contribution to the advancement of theater arts, andgive greater regional visibility to the country and its arts.

Philippine Team WowsShanghai Theater Festival

A scene from Glenn Sevilla Mas’ The Death of Memory

2018

The National Commission for Culture andthe Arts Committee on Visual Arts (NCCACVA) through the Art Studies Foundation,Inc. and in cooperation with the NationalArt Gallery, National Museum of thePhilippines recently mounted “Current:Daloy ng Dunong,” an interesting mix ofstatements and expressions from some ofthe most promising artists from all over thecountry. True to its name, the works onexhibit transcended the mediums and thevenue they were designed for, leaving theirconcepts and themes creations in progressin the minds of those who visited them.

Participating artists included KarlAguila, Errol Balcos, Rey Bollozos, Kiri LluchDalena, Oscar Floirendo, GutierrezMangansakan II, Errol “Budoy” Marabiles,Keiye Miranda, Hannah Pettyjohn, RommelPidazo, Goldie Poblador, ProduksyonTramontina, Inc., Mark Salvatus, ChristineSicangco, Michelline Syjuco, Talaandigartists, CJ Tañedo, Rodel Tapaya, MargaretKathryn Tecson, Brian Uhing and NoeValenzuela.

The project director of the exhibit,Patrick D. Flores, said that “Current” attempts

to explore “how art flows; how knowledge isshared; how culture is defended in spite ofits typifications; and how art is challengedby error, serendipity, even fundamentalcritique—in other words, by the undertowand shifting tides.” He further explained that“Current” is “about the present, of the streamof tradition and chance that has bathedcontemporary art, of the electricity that hasinspired generations of artists.”

Among the themes featured whichvisitors can easily identify with are onlineage, shared experiences, and the valueof links between the past and future.Samples of these are Christine Sicangco’sThou Son’s Cranes which casts light andshadow on the origami pieces done by hereight-year old son Vincent to create anotherartwork in the same manner as how parentswould pass on traits to their children whogrow up to become their own persons;Oscar Floirendo’s Pinagdaanan, Dinadaananat Pagdadaanan which through holographicimages illustrates that one’s journey ispaved with constant changes; and KarlAguila’s The Bridge Project, which warns ofthe way we take for granted things from the

past to create that which is regarded “wise”today; Margaret Kathryn Tecson’s Kina-iya,DNA strand made from ukay-ukay which toher mind depicts the very composition of usPinoys—our blood, traits and culture asinfluenced by the different cultures of theworld.

At the exhibit, people were awed bythe tale of Mark Salvatus’ secret garden, aparadise in the confines of a provincial jailwhere a garden of soft drink plastic bottlesand flowers carved from these by inmatesgrow. An interesting story accompaniedthe installation and told of how the gardenbecame a diversion from the monotony andinjustice…With their bare hands and themost basic of tools, prisoners fashioned asecret garden where they have grownplants from seeds recovered from theirmeals.

Others expressed powerful sentimentsin the guise of humor. Errol “Budoy”Marabiles’ Tester was an interactiveinstallation that makes use of the Thereminconcept, an early electronic musicalinstrument which gives out an eerie sound.The sound changes in pitch according to

Creationsi n P r o g r e s s a n d ‘ C u r r e n t ’

By Malaika Domingo

Clockwise from top left: Binanug by the Talaandig artists; Ode to Lazarus by CJ Tañedo;Found Figures with Stones Translated by Pakil Carvers (Ka Noe at Ka Sally) by Kiri Dalena;Anitos/Angels by Brian Uhing; and Nature vs. Nurture by Producksyon Tramontina, Inc.

One-hundred and eighteen members of the Manobo community, mostly wearing

traditional clothing, from Bitan-agan, Bayugan, Lucac, Managbay and Das-agan of San

Francisco, Agusan del Sur, attended the Bitan-agan Community Festival or Araw ng Bitan-

agan on May 20, 2009. The Araw ng Bitan-agan, a joint effort of the barangay government

and the Manobo community of Bitan-agan, supported by the community’s partner NGO,

Sikap, and the NCCA, aims to showcase and preserve the culture and traditions of the

Manobo community and to pay homage to the origins and ancestry of the members of the

community.

The barangay of Bitan-agan is one of the 27 villages of the municipality of San

Francisco, Agusan del Sur and was originally a settlement of the Maguinda clan, which

comprises the majority of the population (82 percent). In the 1960s and 70s, with the

logging boom and influx of immigrants, indigenous culture blended with the mainstream

culture. The number of community members practicing their culture is continuously

decreasing. Thus, the community recognized the need to celebrate festival.

The opening ritual asking permission to the gods and spirits of the barangay called

taephag was performed in the area considered by the community as abode of the abyan

(spirits and gods). The revelry continued as the baylan offered wine, food, white pig’s blood

and mama (betel nut). After hours of dancing and chanting, the ritual finally ended with

the baylan’s thanksgiving to the gods and spirits.

Barangay Captain Reynaldo Navarro, NCCA cluster representative Datu Lenito Capa,

Veronica Lobuod and Adelaida Buyog, NCIP representatives and Sikap executive director

Christine Ampon delivered messages. Government officials, mayor Carl Elias C. Lademora of

San Francisco and Jenny de Asis, Sangguniang Panlalawigan member, graced the event.

The first Araw ng Bitan-agan celebration, which highlighted the Manobo culture,

paved the way for co