February is National Arts Month
THE Philippine Arts Festival (PAF), the country’s biggest and longest annual arts event, opened January 29 via free workshops, kite flying and performances highlighting the seven arts— cinema, visual arts, literary arts, theater arts, architecture and allied arts, dance and music—at the Concert at the Park in Rizal Park, Manila.
Known, emergent and innovative artists took the center stage to offer sumptuous samplings of the seven arts and a glimpse of what are in store for the whole month of February, in a production that embodied this year’s theme: “Tradition and Innovation.”
Innovative sand artist Joseph Erwin Valerio who “drew” art by splashing sand on a flat surface and the Aqua Drums Inc. who produced music using water bottles wowed the audience as they performed alongside relatively more seasoned artists and performers— the Halili- Cruz Ballet Dance Company, PNU Kislap Sining Dance Troupe, Literary Artist Teo Antonio, Nemi Miranda, Quezon Ballet, and many more.
PAF is a month- long festival of the arts spearheaded by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts ( NCCA) in celebration of the National Arts Month. It aims to further Philippine art and the Filipino’s regard for local arts and culture. Workshops, exhibitions, forums, performances and many more, will take place in various parts of the country.
“Art is an important part of our culture. It mirrors our col- lective soul, our consciousness, and our emotions. It makes us aware of social, environmental and spiritual issues,” Prof. Felipe de Leon, NCCA chairman, said in his speech.
The annual celebration of National Arts Month started with the signing of Presidential Proclamation 683, in 1991, declaring February as National Arts Month ( NAM). Over the years, NCCA as well as private and government agencies organize events and activities to highlight the artistic brilliance of the Filipinos. In recent years, the NCCA has been organizing a festival that showcases the artistic harvest of Filipino talents for NAM.
The NCCA Secretariat is headed by its acting Executive Director Adelina Suemith, while the head of the Planning, Policy Formulation, and Programming Division ( PPFPD) is Marichu Tellano.
For more details on the activities and schedules, contact PAF Media Director and NCCA- Public Affairs and Information Office ( PAIO) head, Rene Sanchez Napenas at ( 632) 527- 2192 or 0928- 5081057. Log on to www. ncca. gov. ph or email us at ncca. paio@ gmail. com.