FILIPINO ARTS AND CULTURE. National Commission for Culture and the Arts chairman Arsenio Lizaso urges the public to nurture Filipino arts and culture, during a press conference at the NCCA office in Intramuros, Manila on Tuesday (Jan. 28, 2020). Lizaso invited everyone to participate in the National Arts Month celebration this February. (PNA photo by Cristina Arayata)
MANILA -- National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chairman Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso on Tuesday urged the public to be proud of and nourish Filipino arts and culture.
"We are rich in culture. Don't be afraid to bring it around. We should be proud of them (arts and culture) and nurture them," he said in a press conference.
Lizaso, who was elected as NCAA chair last January 16, said arts and culture connect regions and nations.
"We can be one all because of art -- whether it be in the form dancing, singing," he said.
The actor-director said he sees himself as a farmer who would plant the seeds of arts across the country.
He invited the public to celebrate the National Arts Month (NAM) in February and noted that he wanted to bring the various activities nationwide.
"(The NAM) is a call for the whole country to celebrate. It is for the public, for them to be able to experience their own creativity. NAM (activities) are not just for the public to watch, but for them to participate (in)," explained Marichu Tellano, NCCA deputy executive director.
The NCCA has lined up shows, lectures, concerts, and film screenings while opening ceremonies are also scheduled in the National Capital Region (NCR), Luzon (Palawan), the Visayas, and Mindanao.
Activities
Different programs highlighting cinema, dance, music, dramatic arts, visual arts, literary arts, and architecture will be showcased next month.
A month-long dance tour dubbed as "Sayaw Pinoy" will be held in different parts of the country.
"This dance tour brings together different dance forms, such as folk dance, ballet, contemporary, and modern dance," said Shirley Halili-Cruz, head of the National Committee on Dance.
"Sayaw Pinoy", which began in 2009, will feature local dance troupes of host municipalities.
In the field of dramatic arts, a regional theater conference and festival will be held in Cebu City. Theater practitioners are expected to attend this event, which would serve as an avenue for them to celebrate the creative and intellectual contributions in this field.
"Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival" will be staged to raise awareness of the progress of filmmaking in different regions. The best works in the regions will be showcased.
Film literacy and promotion forums will also be held.
To promote literary arts, the NCCA will hold seminars and arts festivals, where artists, writers, and teachers will gather to share their expertise in this field.
Different parts of the country will witness "Musicapuluan", a music festival where there will be lectures, performances, and workshops. Workshops include those that will tackle rondalla playing, as well as choral and kundiman singing.
A public art installation, a traditional craft exhibition, and workshops on recycling will be held in Ormoc, Leyte to promote visual arts while inspiring interactions and collaborations.
A series of events that will highlight architecture was also prepared. This will include upcycling workshops, as well as workshops on design, maintenance of community garden, and transforming old and discarded objects into new products.
Meanwhile, Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) Assistant Secretary Marie Rafael said all PCOO-attached agencies will support the NCCA's initiatives to promote arts and culture.
Arts and culture, she said, are things that everyone would agree upon. (PNA)
