Lovers of arts
Days before the final screening of the shortlisted entries and awarding ceremonies for the 14th Sinulog Film Festival on February 11, 2018 at the SM Seaside Cube Wing, I received a call from director Roldan "Manong Danz" Ardines for our entry "Bugti", informing me that the film will be shown on the later part of this month as part of the Cinema Rehiyon Festival. This is such a great opportunity to showcase local films in an event and occasion that encourage the promotion of authentic local stories and artists. "Bugti," as a teaser, is a film about revenge, brotherhood, beliefs and love for family.
Another invitation came from Dr. Hope S. Yu, head of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts-Committee on Literary Arts, for a moderated talk on my experiences in mounting play productions come February 26, at the Robinson's Galleria with Monsignor Agustin Ancajas and Haidee Palapar who will also talk about play productions especially in playwriting and other rudiments in the world of theater.
These invitations are in line with the bigger celebration, the Arts Month. Declared by then President Corazon Aquino through Proclamation No. 683, signed January 28, 1991, it started only in Metro Manila until it spread across regions.
And for this year, being the country's prime government agency for arts and culture, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA)-led by its chairman National Artist Virgilio S. Almario, executive director Rico S. Pableo, and deputy executive director Marichu G. Tellano-is spearheading numerous events and activities to celebrate the seven arts with the theme "Ani ng Sining, Alab ng Sining" (Harvest of the Arts, Flame of Art), emphasizing the bounty of artistic endeavors in the Philippines and the passion of Filipino artists and cultural workers.
At the University of the Philippines Cebu High School, we opened the celebration with various activities last February 5, also in line with UP Cebu's Centennial celebration. My Arts 11 class opened the celebration by interpreting the seven pillars of arts through their improvised mime movements with live tribal musical instruments played by a group of Arts 11 students, and invited musicians who backed them up with more ethnic instruments and beat. The ribbon cutting was done by Dr. Catherine Rodel, UP High School principal and Prof. Purita Baltazar, college secretary of the College of Social Sciences. There were exhibits of photojournalism, creative writing and arts classes' projects.
Throughout the month of February, every Wednesday, various activities will be witnessed and experienced like the artists' lecture demonstrations on arnis, hilot, puso weaving and tagaktak cooking. Also being scheduled is a career field trip for the whole high school to the International Academy of Film and Television (IAFT) in Mactan. There will be film showing of indie films produced by our Cebuano filmmakers. The celebration will culminate with a cultural show to feature the performing groups of the high school-Glee Club, Dance Troupe, UPSTAGE, and Arts 11.
This love month is not only for the lovers of the heart but also for lovers of the arts. There is no heart without art. It is in this love month that we celebrate Filipino arts that reflect our nation's soul, and pride of being Filipino. And for Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, "A man should hear a little music, read a little poetry, and see a fine picture every day of his life, in order that worldly cares may not obliterate the sense of the beautiful which God has implanted in the human soul."
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