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Concert set for OPM Week

By Ma. Cristina Arayata

July 13, 2022, 1:21 pm

<p>National Commission for Culture and the Arts deputy executive director Marichu Tellano <em>(PNA photo by Cristina Arayata)</em></p>

National Commission for Culture and the Arts deputy executive director Marichu Tellano (PNA photo by Cristina Arayata)

MANILA – In observance of the Original Pilipino Music (OPM) Week every fourth week of July, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) will organize a "Concert at the Park" at 6 p.m. on July 24.

"This is an open-air activity. We will showcase different genres of music. Kundiman, pop, among others, will be showcased," Marichu Tellano, NCCA deputy executive director, said in a press conference on Tuesday.

While she did not bare the lineup of performers, Tellano said there would be performers from Mindanao, as well as other traditional groups.

Presidential Proclamation 933, signed on Dec. 19, 2014, declared every last week of July as Linggo ng Musikang Pilipino.

This aims to promote and develop the local music industry to contribute to the development of the economy and boost government efforts to promote Philippine music.

Tellano said the NCCA is also talking to the Metropolitan Theater about the possibility of holding a conference on protecting musicians' rights.

She added that the NCCA is also partnering with SM malls to make music more accessible to the public, She, however, did not elaborate on the partnership.

The Filipino Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers, Inc. is also planning to hold a lecture series during OPM Week.

The specific schedule has yet to be announced, but Keren Zyra Pascual, FILSCAP membership manager, said Ebe Dancel and Yale Yuzon would be among the speakers.

"The lecture series will feature composers who would talk about their journey," Pascual said.

Grants

Meanwhile, the NCCA on Tuesday called on qualified individuals and groups to apply for grants and assistance from the commission until Aug. 31, 2022.

"We have PHP49 million worth of projects and grants for 2023. We urge all qualified individuals, indigenous people, local government units (LGUs) to apply," NCCA Commissioner Rolando Tolentino said, adding that each proponent could only send one proposal.

Through the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts (NEFCA), the NCCA assists civil society organizations, people's organizations, Indigenous Peoples organizations, individuals, LGUs, government agencies, state universities, colleges, and public schools through its NCCA Grants Program.

Section 12.a.4 of Republic Act 7356, signed in 1992, authorizes the commission to give grants to artists and cultural groups that contribute significantly to the Filipino’s cultural legacy as a means to extend artistic achievement.

Section 13.h of the same law mandates the commission to administer the NEFCA and give grants for the development, protection, preservation, and dissemination of Philippine culture and arts.

Earlier, the NCCA said the Competitive Grants program has the following elements:

• Project-based – Eligible proponents, such as Filipino citizens based in the Philippines, local government units, state universities and colleges, public schools, Indigenous Peoples’ organizations, government agencies, and civil society organizations can apply by submitting a well-planned project proposal.

• Competitive – Approval of a project proposal passes through a rigorous and confidential evaluation process based on merit, such as quality and relevance to Commission priorities.

• Fund Transfer – Approved projects are entitled to funding, subject to applicable government accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

Complete documentary requirements, categories, and other pertinent details of the Competitive Grants Program may be downloaded from the NCCA website.

Proposals should be doable amid the pandemic, Tolentino said.

NCCA Commissioner Michael Manalo said the commission also offers training courses, as well as training and workshop grants on disaster risk reduction.


"This kind of training is necessary for buildings, and structures like the library, so the contents could be preserved," Manalo said.

Proposals may be sent to the NCCA Program Management Division, General Luna Street, Intramuros, Manila. (PNA)

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