MANILA, Philippines—The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), under the leadership of Chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo, Executive Director Oscar G. Casaysay, and Deputy Executive Directors Marichu Tellano and Bernan Joseph Corpuz, is set to commemorate National Arts Month (NAM) 2024 in February.
Aligned with the theme “Ani ng Sining, Bayang Malikhain,” NAM 2024 aims to emphasize that the abundant creative harvest of the Filipino people stems from collective imagination rather than individual aspirations alone. “Bayang Malikhain” signifies a society that highly values imagination, innovation, and artistic expression as integral to national identity and progress.
Image Courtesy of NCCA.
This year’s celebration seeks to harness the creative energies of artists for nation-building, integrating the arts into the lives of diverse populations and communities, including LGBTQIA+, PWD, IP, youth, and seniors. The focus is on stimulating critical discourse, awareness, and appreciation of various arts and disciplines through emerging platforms.
Led by Commissioner Arvin Manuel R. Villalon, the celebration comprises flagship projects of the Subcommission on the Arts (SCA), collaborating with heads of six national committees covering architecture, cinema, dance, dramatic arts, literary arts, and visual arts. The overarching goal is to promote inclusivity and showcase the transformative power of the arts in shaping a culturally rich and progressive nation.
Image Courtesy of NCCA.
Opening Ceremony
The kickoff for NAM 2024 is set for February 23 at Rizal High School in Pasig City, focusing on 14,000 high school students. Aligned with NAM’s goals to preserve, promote, and popularize Filipino art, the event will showcase a variety of performances, immersive workshops, and inspiring talks, all designed to empower the attending youth.
Images Courtesy of NCCA.
Art Fair Collaboration
Join the fair in collaboration with LUSONG Luzon Arts and Culture Network, Inc., ARTIST, Inc., and the Provincial Government of Laguna on February 29, 2024, from 2:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. at Laguna Sports Complex. The event will showcase a diverse array of performances by notable artists, including ARTIST Inc’s Tremolo Rondalla, Children’s Literature Performances (CLAP), Agarwood Rap Music, Letran Calamba’s Tining Chorale, classical guitarist Leandro Ong, contemporary dance by Corina Vallejos, spoken word poetry, and Luisiana’s Teatro de Luis y Ana. Don’t miss this celebration of artistic expression and cultural diversity.
Flagship Programs per National Committee
Architecture & Allied Arts
Saan Ka Lulugar 2024: Resiliency in the Built and Designed Environment continues its series of seminars and workshops that began in 2021 under Architecture & Allied Arts, focusing on architecture and allied arts. This year’s theme, “Bata, Bata, Saan Ka Lulugar sa Kinabukasan ng Bayan?” underscores the youth’s role in shaping the nation’s future and emphasizes their significance in Filipino family and community building.
Rooted in Filipino values, SKL 2024 aims to inspire the youth to become innovators in architecture, environmental planning, interior design, and landscape architecture. The discussions will explore resilience in planning, designing, and creating the built environment at various scales, from dwellings to cities.
The event will span multiple locations across Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, reflecting diverse perspectives in architecture and allied arts from various regions in the Philippines. Notable activities include a Walk-and-Sketch Workshop at Tanghalang Rizal and a Tour of Plaza Rizal on February 23 in Pasig City.
The SKL Youth Seminar Series will take place from February 24 to 25 in Laguna, March 5 in Ormoc City, Leyte, and March 21 in Dasmariñas, Cavite. Additionally, simultaneous SKL Workshops, covering Environmental Planning, Filipino Architecture Model Making, Luntiang Pook, and Upcycling, will be held from March 8 to 9 in Zamboanga.
Cinema
Cinema Rehiyon is an annual non-competition festival, showcasing outstanding works by filmmakers from diverse regions of the Philippines. Running from February to April, the festival, led by festival director Noel Galon de Leon and hosted by the Visayan filmmaking community in Iloilo, presents its teaser “TIKMAN ANG SINEHAN!” This edition aligns with Iloilo City’s recent UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy designation. The festival spans various activities at different locations.
“Paano Magbasa ng Pelikula (How to Read a Film)” is a film appreciation workshop curated by film critic/educator and NCC Vice Chairman Tito Valiente. The workshop will be held in various locations, including Rizal, Ormoc City, Leyte, Laguna, March 8 in Zamboanga, and other official NAM 2023 partner cities.
The Margaha Film Festival, a regional event supported by the NCC and NCCA, is scheduled from February 25 to 28 in Sagay City, Negros Occidental. The festival includes competition screenings, film talks, a fluvial parade, and more.
The NCCA Online Film Library, a collaborative project with Bago City, Negros Occidental, is an online audio-visual archive accessible nationwide and worldwide from March to April. Featuring independent Filipino-made films representing various sectors, the library serves as a platform for film enthusiasts to explore the diverse landscape of Filipino cinema.
Iloilo Film Festival on Solarflix TV, airing from February 25 to March, will showcase selected films, including the 2023 Gawad Urian Best Short Film “Sa Paglupad ka Banog” directed by Elvert Bañares.
Cinema Rehiyon 16 @ Iloilo City, happening from March to April, will unite representatives from regional film festivals. The event will include film screenings, talks, and workshops featuring recent festival winners and a thematic curation of relevant films.
Dance
Sayaw Pinoy 2024, led by Artistic Director Dr. Shirley Halili-Cruz, is a touring dance concert, NCD’s flagship project for NAM. It nurtures emerging dance groups, fostering collaboration among schools, community leaders, and artists. The event includes the Sayaw Pinoy National TikTok Dance Challenge, Sayaw Pinoy Dance Concert, Sayaw Pinoy Online Dance Lecture Series, and Touring Performances and Workshops.
The National TikTok Dance Challenge aims to popularize the NAM Festival Song 2024, “Ani ng Sining, Bayang Malikhain,” with regional champions recognized from NCR, Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao. On the other hand, The Dance Concert, set for March at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila, will showcase the Best of the Best of the Sayaw Pinoy National Champions.
Sayaw Pinoy Online Dance Lecture Series features dance experts addressing post-pandemic concerns. Four online lectures are scheduled throughout February. Moreover, Sayaw Pinoy Touring Performances and Workshops bring dance companies to partner LGUs, showcasing various genres and talents. Targeting beneficiaries, the events will be held on February 23 in Pasig City, February 25 in Leyte, February 28 at Balacat Festival Village in Mabalacat City, Pampanga, and March 8 in Biñan City, Laguna.
Dramatic Arts
The 18th TANGHAL University and Community-based Theater Festival unites theater artists and cultural workers for NAM 2024. It highlights theater’s pivotal role in addressing social and environmental challenges, fostering community building, and sparking intellectual discourse.
Regional festivals in Laguna, Cebu, General Santos City, and Makati City will showcase community-centric works on various dates and sites: February 28 in Los Baños, Laguna; March 8 to 9 in San Fernando, La Union; March 11 to 13 in Ormoc City, Leyte; March 14 to 15 in Koronadal City, South Cotabato; March 15 to 18 in General Santos City, South Cotabato; March 16 to 17 at the University of Makati; March 18 to 20 at Guang Ming College, Cebu; and March 21 in Dasmariñas, Cavite.
Literary Arts
SURAT-TANGHAL: Reading the Regions 2024 comprises SURATalakayan and TANGHAL-AKDA, focusing on literary works from diverse regions. As a flagship project of NCLA, it precedes the 2024 National Youth Literary Festival. NCLA events will be held nationwide on various dates and sites: February 24 in Los Baños, Laguna; February 25 in Bacoor, Cavite; March 5 in Ormoc City, Leyte; March 8 at the Ateneo de Zamboanga University; March 14 to 15 in Albay; and March 16 in Angono, Rizal.
SURATalakayan includes public forums, talks, workshops, literary discussions, town hall meetings, networking sessions, live readings, book launches, literary tours, author meet-ups, and small-scale book fairs. TANGHAL-AKDA, on the other hand, presents regional texts through collaborations with local artists, aiming to make specific literary works more accessible to the public.
Music
Musikapuluan, a project by NCM, provides a platform for music groups and artists, showcasing diverse music cultures digitally and physically nationwide. To kick off NAM 2024, NCM will host a lecture-demo and showcase kulintang, Cordillera music, and pop music on February 23 at Rizal National High School, Pasig City. Workshops in Luzon on rondalla, music pedagogy, and choral sessions by Prof. Joey Soliman, featuring NAMCYA 2023 winners, will take place on March 4 in Tiaong, Quezon, and March 16 in Angono, Rizal.
In Ormoc City, Leyte, workshops from March 13 to 14 will cover topics like organizing symphonic bands, strings and woodwind lecture-demo, songwriting and/or music arranging by Mr. Niño Bañares, and Cordillera Music and Dance by Prof. Benny Sokkong. The event will feature a recital by workshop participants, performances by local symphonic bands, choirs, Visayan pop singers, and an evening of music from Regions 7 and 8.
Musikapuluan’s Mindanao leg on March 8 to 9 in Koronadal City, South Cotabato, will feature Tboli songs, Moro music, a sarsuwela excerpt, and choral performances. Workshops on rondalla and guitar instrument-making by Mr. Jay Sarita, music composition by Jed Balsamo, and a voice masterclass by Prof. Nenen Espina will be conducted.
Visual Arts
Bagong Biswal 2024 celebrates Filipino art through online and physical exhibits, showcasing the evolving creativity of the visual arts community. NCVA’s event will be held on various dates and sites: February 23 at Rizal High School, Pasig City; February 24 in Los Baños, Laguna; March 2 in Cebu; March 5 to 7 in Ormoc City, Leyte; March 8 at City Museum of Zamboanga; March 15 in General Santos City, South Cotabato; and March 22 in Batangas.
Sining Sanayan offers art workshops led by NCVA members, targeting young artists and students. Sining Sinag is a curated physical exhibition by NCVA and Ormoc City LGU, highlighting talents from the Visayas region, with plans for satellite exhibitions in Luzon and Mindanao. Sining Biswal Scene gathers artists to discuss regional practices and overcome challenges in the visual arts industry.
Sineng Sining presents video features or documentaries from artists in Luzon, Visayas, Mindanao, and NCR, showcasing various visual arts genres. Ani ng Dangal Awards, the pinnacle of NAM, acknowledges artists in nine categories and will be held on February 29, 2024, at the Malacañang Palace with 25 endorsed awardees.