Monday, May 12, 2008 Music, dance invade Central Luzon
A DECISION to launch a festival of dance and music acceptable to the 12 provinces and key cities of Central Luzon was forged in a three-day conference and workshop on festival planning and management held on May 7-9, 2008 at Marlim Mansions Hotel in Angeles City.
This was revealed by Regional Director Ronaldo Tiotuico of the Department of Tourism (DOT)-Region 3 whose region was host to the 8th Seminar-Workshop on Tunay na Pyestang Pinoy" organized by DOT Special Projects Office led by Director Romulo delos Reyes and Consultant Nilo Agustin - both of Bulacan.
Tiotuico said the workshop proper opened the mindset of more than 200 participants from all over the seven provinces to scour each one's logistical resources and come up with a grand festival that would feature the region's palatable character which is simply that of a land of history, culture, and heroism all rolled into one.
Workshops on festival planning, theatre, music and dance choreography were held to re-orient participants on the value and importance of mounting culturally-correct and historically-accurate festivals. The workshops also emphasized the need to preserve one's cultural heritage while at the same time adapting to changing times.
For the first time, the participants from every province broke ground by agreeing to come together and mount what is to be the biggest festival presentation ever to be staged in the history of the region.
A preview of such a phenomenon was presented on the final day of the conference via street dancing and theater depicting heroic and triumphant struggles and of people in the region during the last world war amidst resounding applause of everyone present.
The historic staging of the regional festival is expected to be mounted in Intramuros, Manila when the department will re-introduce to the public its famous WoW Philippines campaign late this year.
The conference was made possible with the cooperation of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Philippine Educational Theater Association (Peta) led by consultants Riya Brigino Lopez, Ernie Cloma, Dr. Brenda Fajardo, Dance Choreographer Rodel Fronda, Music Composer Cris Cadiang, and the Sinukwan Performing Arts led by its director Peter de Vera.
