Lacson: Art which gives hope

SIR John Lubbock, an English banker, politician, and philanthropist, wrote the book “The Pleasures of Life,” which was published in 1887. This book has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. One of the important quotes that can be derived from this book goes:

“Art is unquestionably one of the purest and highest elements in human happiness. It trains the mind through the eye, and the eye through the mind. As the sun colors flowers, so does art color life.”

Indeed, how can we imagine our life without arts? The answer to this is that our life will be dull and maybe insensible because arts give substance to our existence. Art has many forms -- painting, sculpture, literature, architecture, cinema, music, and theater. All of these forms of art give us an escape to express ourselves, and in one way or another, offer us the opportunity to appreciate life in every imaginative way possible.

In order to uphold and sustain the interest and commitment to preservation of arts and culture, February of every year as National Arts Month as mandated by Presidential Proclamation No. 683 promulgated by then President Corazon Aquino in 1991. This yearly celebration highlights artistic excellence and pay tribute to the uniqueness and diversity of the Filipino heritage and culture.

For 2022, the theme is "Sining ng Pag-Asa," which aims to recognize arts as a source and expression of hope as shown in the creative ways we respond to the effects of the pandemic, natural calamities, and other social realities, as well as the arts’ role in improving our community life as Filipinos.

During the course of the pandemic, we have seen how the artistic talents of our fellow Filipinos were put to use such composing songs, videos, storybooks, paintings, and others that were used to highlight our resilient fight in the midst of the pandemic.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Chairman Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso said during the kick-off of the year's observance that the NCCA recognizes "the arts as a source and expression of hope, as well as the continuous formulation of creative means to respond to the effects of the pandemic, natural calamities and other social realities. The National Arts Month, being one of the commission’s biggest flagship programs, is an essential platform to cultivate appreciation for the arts and bring out a deep sense of respect for our cultures and traditions.”

National Arts Month 2022 showcases seven flagship projects from each of the national committees on different artistic disciplines. These include Architecture and Allied Arts, Cinema, Dance, Dramatic Arts, Literary, Music, and Visual Arts. The activities run from the first week of February until March.

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