ANGELES CITY -- A cultural hub aptly named “Santungan” will soon rise under the city’s historic Abacan Bridge.
“Santungan” is one of the “Dap-Ayan” cultural sanctuary projects and is a collaboration of the City Government here and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA.
It was launched on September 24 with Mayor Edgardo Pamintuan, Angeles City Tourism Office (Acto) head John Montances, and NCCA Art Section Head Ferdinand Isleta, leading the ground breaking rites and time capsule laying of the cultural hub’s site along Abacan River.
“We have since sought to exhume the spirit of culture and arts of Angeles City which had been buried under the ashes of Mount Pinatubo,” said Pamintuan. He cited how the Abacan Bridge had become an object of disconnect after it fell during the 1991 tragedy.
Under the project, a grant amounting to P3 million will give way to the construction of an open space activity center under the Abacan Bridge, as well as the launch of numerous projects and workshops to be opened to the public in the months to come.
Isleta said the establishment of “Dap-Ayans” aims to decentralize cultural centers and develop cultural awareness by setting up hubs in key provinces and cities across the country.
“This project was conceptualized by the Luzon cluster of NCCA to provide artists with a space to do collaborative projects together,” said Isleta.
Acto head John Montances envisions “Santungan” as a gathering place of different disciplines of art, not just in the city but across the province of Pampanga.
The project is being undertaken by 19 committee members of the NCCA representing the disciplines of architecture, visual arts, film, literary arts, dance, music, and additional scopes distinct to Angeles City’s culinary and fashion.
The launch featured performances of local artists Sunlag Bamboo Ensemble, City College of Angeles Performing Arts, Aguman Sulat Kapampangan, Aslag Teatro SPCinio, Angeles City National Trade School, Sinukwan Kapampangan Center for the Arts and the Holy Angel University Dance Theatre, as well as the unveiling of the Phoenix Bird statue which symbolizes the resiliency of Angeles City.
Angeles City was named by NCCA as a local government unit partner in 2017. Other “Dap-Ayan” sites in Luzon are situated in San Fernando in La Union and San Jose in Occidental Mindoro.