THIS February, exalt and exult in Filipino artistry and creative genius as the whole nation celebrates National Arts Month (NAM).

As the Philippines’ leading government agency for arts and culture, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), led by its chairman National Artist Virgilio Almario, executive director Rico Pableo, and deputy executive director Marichu Tellano will lead the 2019 NAM celebration with the multi-venue series of events, Ani ng Sining: Philippine Arts Festival.

Ani ng Sining is under the aegis of NCCA’s Subcommission on the Arts (SCA), led by its commissioner Teddy Co. The name emphasizes the richness of artistic endeavors in the Philippines and the passion of Filipino artists and cultural workers.

The month-long Ani ng Sining will offer a wide array of events and activities aim at celebrating a bountiful harvest of Philippine arts as well as inspiring Filipinos to immerse in and appreciate the diversity of cultural expressions, insights and creativity.

Ani ng Sining: Philippine Arts Festival will be composed of the flagship projects of SCA’s seven national committees—Architecture, Cinema, Dance, Literary Arts, Music, Dramatic Arts and Visual Arts—which will be held in different venues all over the country.

NCCA will also hold opening ceremonies for NAM in the National Capital Region (NCR), Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao. For NCR, Lucky Chinatown Mall in Binondo, Manila, will host the opening on February 3, while in Luzon, it will be in the municipality of Bagac in Bataan on February 8. Opening ceremonies will also be held in Bago City, Negros Occidental, on February 1, for the Visayas, and Koronadal City, South Cotabato, on February 15, for Mindanao.

For the whole of February, expect a plethora of activities such as exhibits, workshops, shows, concerts, lectures, tours and others happening in different parts of the country.

Architecture and Allied Arts

The National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts, headed by Rogelio Caringal, will present “Loob at Labas: Talakayan at Pagpaparangya,” an exhibit and forum which will travel around the country to enhance appreciation and awareness on Philippine architecture. It will happen from February 22 to March 21.

Cinema

Headed by Teddy Co, the National Committee on Cinema will hold the eleventh installment of Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival, a non-competition film festival which highlights some of the best works in the regions. It will happen from February 23 to March 1 at Foundation University, Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. The festival has been raising awareness on the efforts on and progress of filmmaking in the different regions, and providing platform for these films, most of which in local languages and showing culturally-rooted narratives, to be exhibited and appreciated by a wider audience. Over the years, Cinema Rehiyon has been held in different parts of the country. This year, it will make the rounds in universities in Metro Manila.

Dance

The National Committee on Dance, headed by Shirley Halili-Cruz, will once again amaze the public with the month-long traveling dance concert series “Sayaw Pinoy” in different parts of the country. The dance tour brings together different dance forms such as classical ballet, folk dance, contemporary and modern dance as the country’s top dance companies perform with the local dance troupes of host cities and municipalities.

Showcasing the colorful tradition of dances and movements in the country and reaching out to the grassroots to discover new talents as well as connect to more Filipino dance artists, “Sayaw Pinoy” is the longest-running dance event and the most attended of NAM events.

Dramatic Arts

The National Committee on Dramatic Arts, headed by Rossana Palm, will hold Tampok, convergences in the regions to gather and document the pioneers and key theater practitioners. There will be performances, workshops and discussions. It will be held from February 27 to March 1 in Malabon (NCR); from February 26 to March 1 at University of the Philippines Los Baños, Laguna (Luzon); from February 28 to March 2 in Bohol (Visayas); and from March 2 to 4 in Ozamiz City, Misamis Occidental (Mindanao).

Literary Arts

The National Committee on Literary Arts, head by Dr. Hope Yu, NAMnamin, a convergence of food and literature. It will happen from February 25 to 27 at The Orchid Gardens, San Fernando, Pampanga, with a food trip on February 27 in Angeles City.

Music

The National Committee on Music, headed by Mauricia Borromeo, will hold Musicapuluan: Music of the Philippine Islands, a music festival with performances, lectures and workshops that will celebrate our local musics. It will be held in different venues--Baguio City on February 8; Catbalogan City, Samar, on February 1 and 8; and Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental, on February 23.

Visual Arts

The National Committee on Visual Arts, headed by Edgar Talusan Fernandez, will mount the Philippine Visual Arts Festival in Manila from February 4 to 7. It will include workshops, art talks, exhibits and numerous activities that will highlight the works of visual artists around the country.

Ani ng Dangal

As a tradition now for several years, the NCCA’s NAM celebration will close with Ani ng Dangal awarding ceremonies. The Ani ng Dangal (Harvest of Honors) Awards recognizes artists who have earned international awards and accolades during the past year.

The annual celebration of National Arts Month started with the signing of Presidential Proclamation 683, in 1991, declaring February as National Arts Month. Over the years, NCCA, as well as private and government agencies, has been organizing events and activities to highlight the artistic brilliance of the Filipinos.

For more details, please contact Mr. Rene Napeñas, head of the Public Affairs and Information Office, through 0928-5081057, 527-2192 loc 208 or through email address ncca.paio@gmail.com. Log on to www.ncca.gov.ph.