IT PAYS to keep a small notepad and pen handy whether you are on travel, at work or even when asleep.
Yes, even at night when fast asleep and dreaming. I remember one time while I was in a dream state that I composed a quatrain that I wanted to complete into a full poem but I totally lost the thought because I did not scribble it on a piece of paper when I was half asleep. I also had thoughts of dream-like scenes that I managed to sketch on paper which I later render in oil on canvass and it was a depiction of Jesus Christ for my surrealism study.
Now that Baguio has been designated as a Creative City by Unesco, the same organization that inscribed or recognized Vigan as a World Heritage City, I am happy that our group, the Pasakalye Artists is now incorporated as formal organization composed of various talents from the varied arts.
This Pasakalye group is not only making waves within the city but throughout the archipelago as it has already linked-up with creative counterparts at the national capital region, Bulacan, Zambales, nearby Pangasinan and as far as Davao City. Based at the Bookends Bookshop of art supporter cum cultural bearer Maricar Docyogen, said group also involves artisans, craftsmen, jewelers, poets, designers and practically all stewards of the seven disciplines of art.
Pioneering members of the Baguio Arts Guild, Tahong Bundok and Tam-awan Artists Village have also joined Pasakalye especially during art events such as sketching sessions, exhibits and art collaborations.
Clinton Aniversario, an enterprising creative soul who started developing a piece of their family property into an art hub, posted in his social media account “Museums owned by millionaires have the best collections and can hire men to build a great architecture while they continue working to earn for a living. I can only hire myself and my gratuitous parents for this project, sadly, I have to stop it again for now and take a dose of inspiration to start again working for my canvas and woods to charge my pocket.”
Searching for words of encouragement, I instead replied with my own experience telling him that I started my concept of a media museum in back 2006 as a work-in-progress that eventually became a destination on a per appointment basis. My museum is a super-midget compared to The Newseum in Washington DC that became a dream tour destination of many aspiring journalists. I noted Clinton that the big Newseum is now closing because its building has been sold to John Hopkins University while mine is still a work in progress. I ended my brief note saying “just keep the passion burning.”
The City of Baguio since 1975 has identified and recognized during the annual charter day celebrations hundreds of its citizens who were considered outstanding in their respective fields. These individuals were ordinary Komboys, waiters, taxi drivers to white-collar professionals like lawyers and doctors.
I was recognized in 2003 for my involvement in culture and arts aside from my journalistic works and we formed the Society of Outstanding Citizens of Baguio (Socob) before the 2009 Baguio Centennial Celebrations.
I am grateful likewise that there are members of the creative sector in the Socob who were recognized in the area of Arts and Culture like National Artists Erik de Guia aka Kidlat Tahimik and Benedicto “Bencab” Cabrera, the great Bert Nievera and Gary Lising who like Dr. Juan Flavier were fellow alumni members of the Baguio City High School. Dr. Flavier was a literary writer having published books about life in the Barrio.
To mention other whom I can recall, we have Macario Fronda and Divina Bautista for music, Rafael Chan for architecture, Karen Navarrete Anton for dance, Erlyn Ruth Alcantara for creative exhibits, Rebecca Nulud for theater and Sonia Daoas culture and arts.
Interestingly, an awarded outstanding waiter in 1992 rose to become one of Baguio’s notable artists considered a master by many and he is Roland Bay-an of our Pasakalye Arts Inc.