KAISA SA SINING BIÑAN AS A CCP REGIONAL ART CENTER
CITY OF BIÑAN AND CULTURAL CENTER OF THE PHILIPPINES CELEBRATE SEVEN YEARS OF COMMITTED PARTNERSHIP
SENTRONG Pangkultura ng Biñan was established in 2016, when Biñan City Culture, History, Arts, and Tourism Office (BCHATO) was created as the permanent department, committed to address the cultural, historical, and artistic heritage conservation, preservation and promotion. It houses the Biñan City Museum, Biñan City Studies Center and is the home of the resident performing arts group, the Biñan City Centre for Performing Arts, Inc. (BCPA). This initiative that aims to cultivate the culture and arts governance in the City of Life is one of the many thrusts of Atty. Walfredo R. Dimaguila Jr.’s leadership and administration.
e establishment of the cultural center led to the birth of the Biñan City Centre for Performing Arts, Inc. (BCPA) on May 21, 2017.
e Centre’s prime showcase in artistic excellence is a resident company program and the performing arts wing of BCHATO, which is composed of various artistic groups in the eld of theater, dance, and music, namely, Biñan Youth Performance Council (YPC), Biñan Folkloric Dance Troupe (BFDT), Biñan Metropolitan Chorus (BMC), Biñan City Brass Band (BCBB), Biñan Kawayan Music Ensemble (BKME), Biñan Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) Biñan Symphonic Rondalla (BSR), and Biñan Vocal Ensemble (BIVE).
For its commitment to become the “Home of Philippine History, Arts, and Culture in the South,” on February 2, 2018, the City of Biñan entered into an agreement with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), designating the city as a Kaisa sa Sining (KSS) partner-ccp Regional Art Center.
is marked the beginning of the expansion of the culture and arts program in the City of Life. As of 2024, Biñan is one of the 69 network members of KSS Cultural Exchange Program across the Philippines.
is partnership program initiated by the CCP Cultural Exchange Department headed by Carmencita Bernardo opens many doors for the cultural workers and artists of Biñan to be professionally exposed, nurtured, and trained onsite (at the CCP venues), o site (at regional venues) and online, in the homes of the best artists and committed cultural workers in the country.
In 2018, the City of Biñan began sending participants to the KSS Apprenticeship Program. It is a month-long in-house capacity building training that covers mentoring on technical workshops in di erent elds, provision of lectures and interactions, hands-on training though demonstrations, and exposure to practical applications in the culture and arts management.
is kick-o partnership program evidently enhanced the competence level and skills of the regional artists and cultural workers in the country.
Aside from the prerogative of sending sta to the CCP to be trained and mentored, the KSS Program also assisted the City of Biñan in the implementation of its various culture and arts-based initiatives. It exposed and immersed Biñanense artists to world-class performances and productions in the CCP, giving them the inspiration and motivation to be the best in their chosen crafts.
Part of being a KSS member is having access to the CCP venues. On October 19, 2018, for instance, the “Culture-based Governance Training” was held at the CCP with the attendance of Biñan City o cials and department heads to further upskill themselves on holistic approaches in heritage appreciation and governance.
More importantly, the exchange program broadens the network of the regional art centers in the Philippines—opening doors to adopt best practices, exchange ideas and projects, and support initiatives that enhance and develop the culture and arts programs in their respective cities, municipalities, and regions.
Safe space for the arts
During the pandemic, the continuing programs from the CCP served as a support system for the City of Biñan to sustain the implementation of various cultural and artistic programs for the Biñanenses, even changing forms and organizing these in life-threatening times.
From 2018 to 2024, nine BCHATO employees nished the KSS apprenticeship courses: Arvin Jay B. Bongon (Visual Arts and Museum Management); Sigrid Anne D. Carreon (Production Management); Shiela G. Legaspi (Library Management); Vicky L. Pacris (Arts Management and Venue Operation); John Paul H. De Paz (Venue Operation and Production Management); Jessalyn B. De Dios (Technical eatre); John Michael G. Nava (Production Management); Marc Jhon Banaynal; and Ronilio Almazora (Technical
eatre). e KSS program shaped these apprentices to be professional, productive, and competent regional artists and cultural workers who are relevant to Biñan LGU'S culture and arts management.
As a result of the 2022 CCPKSS Regional Caucus, the KSS Luzon Network implemented a series of projects that enhanced and promoted artistic excellence among local artists. It likewise raised the awareness and appreciation of the audiences in various communities. One of these projects is "Rigodon:
e 2023 CCP KSS Luzon Collaborative Project," which was a collaboration program between two prominent performing groups from two di erent KSS Luzon organizations.
e performing groups were paired to exchange tours and showcase the best of local cultural expressions, and innovative productions.
In Biñan's case, the 20-year-old Biñan Youth Performance Council Inc. (YPC), BCPA'S theater arts arm under the artistic directorship of BJ Borja, was paired with the resident theater company of Bulacan province, the Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation, Inc. (BKFI). e BKFI conducted lecture demonstrations for the young aspiring artists of the BCPA held at Sentrong Pangkultura ng Biñan on August 25 to 26, 2023. Meanwhile, YPC conducted basic theater workshop, lecture and demonstration on the Maglalatik dance to students of La Consolacion University-malolos Bulacan on August 30 to 31 of the same year. is experience from di erent performing arts groups from di erent areas created a strong connection and linkage that developed a culture of art appreciation among communities. At the same time, the program allowed the people to experience art in their lives as program created initiatives to utilize di erent spaces for public art programs.