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Tag: Cultural Center of the Philippines

  • CCP Prepares for Rehabilitation and Affirms that Programs will Continue

    This year marks the closing of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) to make way for the three-year redevelopment in a bid to transform it into a state-of-the-art center for artistic excellence and cultural celebration. 

    The CCP’s over 50-year-old building necessitates retrofitting and refurbishment so it can continue to perform its roles as the premier national institution promoting Philippine arts and culture.  The planned redevelopment will retain the iconic architecture and focus on structural improvements including upgrading its fire, drainage, electrical and environmental protection systems as well other building codes. The project is a climate change adaptation measure that will integrate sustainable features to improve energy and water efficiency, to name a few.

    According to CCP president Margie Moran-Floirendo, “The building has gone through leaks, corrosions, and flooding and other issues from various typhoons and earthquakes over the years.  We are also looking at technological and aesthetic upgrades responsive to CCP’s future programs and activities, particularly the comfort, safety and overall experience of performers, audiences, employees and other stakeholders.”

    CCP will also add facilities to make the building gender-responsive and inclusive for persons with disabilities, senior citizens and more, fulfilling its vision of being a globally competitive, self-sustaining and future-ready destination.

    The initial budget of Php900 million was allocated for the rehabilitation of the CCP Main Building, initially coming from the proposed budget for an Artist Center.  The Pasay City Government is set to give the greenlight to kick off the first phase of the project, concentrating on the improvement of the center’s main performance venues – Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino and Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo, as well as the relocation of offices and theaters. This will take up about 40% of the budget, while the rest will be appropriated for the second phase, which will cover the repair of facilities such as the hydraulic lift, Freight elevator, LED lights, Rigging system, acoustics.  But given the scale and ambitions for the project, more funds may be needed.

    Throughout the project, CCP reaffirmed that it will continue its operations and will take it as an opportunity to work with artistic communities and bring its programs closer to the people in different parts of the country.  On top of continued live performances and training, CCP will also strengthen its online presence.

    “We hope that through our increased geographical presence and more outreach activities, the public will know that we are relentless in offering arts and cultural experiences for people from all walks of life.  While we are temporarily closing our home, our commitment to fulfill our duties will even be intensified,” said Margie Moran-Floirendo.

    The redevelopment of CCP supports the national priority to accelerate the reopening of travel and the economy and the creation of jobs.  It also aligns with the CCP’s mission as the premier arts and culture institution of the Philippines to strengthen the Philippine brand.

    “We are rebuilding a center for culture and arts that will push the country forward. We request everyone’s support and trust that the endeavor will set the stage for further creative and cultural development as well as international collaborations, showcasing the unique talent and spirit of the Filipino.”

  • Hop-On, Hop-Off Museum Tours at Paseo Museo

    Get ready for two days of unique museum experience with the CCP PASINAYA’s Paseo Museo, slated on February 4 and 5, 2023, at 13 participating museums and galleries in Pasay and Manila.

    One of the festival’s main components, CCP partnered with various galleries, museums, and art spaces around the Paseo Museo Loop to put the spotlight on communal artistic spirit and collaborations. This year, the CCP has five new partners – AIMS Museo Maritimo, GSIS Museum, the Philippine Women’s University (PWU) School of Fine Arts & Design (SFAD) Jose Conrado Benitez (JCB) Gallery, Adamson University Art Gallery, and the Manila Clock Tower Museum.

    Located at the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS) Lighthouse along Roxas Boulevard corner Arnaiz Avenue, Pasay City, AIMS Museo Maritimo put the spotlight on Philippine maritime history, maritime trade routes and the contributions of Filipino seafarers in the global seafaring industry. 

    Launched in 2012, the maritime-themed museum is dedicated to Filipino seafarers and pays homage to their contribution to nation-building from the distant past to the present; utilizing imaginative exhibitions and displays to illustrate what the Philippine seafaring, training, and manning history is and who its pioneers and leaders are. Furthermore, it serves as a repository for valuable collections of marine art, ship models, and nautical artifacts.

    Established in 1996, the GSIS Museo ng Sining is home to some of the best artwork collections in the country. In 2012, however, GSIS turned over the management of the GSIS Art Collection to the National Museum, with around 100 pieces, majority of which were done by National Artists Fernando Amorsolo, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Vicente Manansala, HR Ocampo, Jose Joya, Ang Kiukok, Bencab, and Federico Alcuaz. They also have pieces by visual artists Diosdado Lorenzo, Jose Blanco, Juvenal Sanso, and Rodolfo Ragodon. The collection is currently on display at the 3/F National Art Gallery. Filipino painter Juan Luna’s “Parisian Life” is also entrusted to the management of the National Museum.

    On display for the weekend at the GSIS are some of the retained works of other renowned artists as well as the winning entries of the annual GSIS Art Competition. These pieces are now on display at the GSIS Art Gallery, including the largest mural publicly on display done by Amorsolo entitled “History of Music” that used to adorn the Metropolitan Theater Lobby wall. The Museum still conducts its regular activities like exhibits for new and established groups of artists, lectures and seminars, special tours, concerts and other performances, among others.

    Commemorating its 75th anniversary last year, GSIS put on display some of their memorabilia items on view at the museum entrance hallway. These items are now re-displayed and re-exhibited at the lower gallery of the museum. The space allocated for these items is renamed the GSIS Gallery of Institutional Memory.

    The GSIS Museo ng Sining also handles other artworks and artifacts (antiques, decorative items, pieces of furniture, etc.) from foreclosed and important properties of GSIS such as Puerto Azul, Coconut Palace, and the Metropolitan Theater. Some of these items are also put on display.

    First opened in 2012, the PWU’s SFAD JCB gallery has mounted visual art exhibitions featuring the works of PWU SFAD alumni, students, and faculty, as well as visiting artists. Managed under the Office of the University President, with the supervision of the Dean of SFAD, the gallery provides the confident affirmation of PWU as an avenue for art, culture and heritage that contributes to the expansion of the visual art language. It enjoins other schools within the university, and visiting cultural producers to engage with the gallery to avail its facilities for exhibitions and scholarly discourse related to art, culture and heritage.

    Located at the left side of the AdU Theater, the Adamson University Art Gallery first opened in September 27, 2005, but was renovated in 2013 following the brutalist design with modernists and de-constructivist elements, by Arch. Sylvester Seño, a faculty member of the AdU College of Architecture. From being a part of the St. Theresa’s Auditorium and its surroundings, the art gallery has mounted several arts and photo exhibits and serves as holding area for special guests of the theater.

    The Manila Clock Tower Museum features a variety of multi-sensory exhibits of the historical Battle of Manila highlighted by the Wall of Heroes. Launched in 2022, the museum initiated the adaptive reuse of the Manila City Hall’s clock/watch tower. Under the management of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of the Vity of Manila, the museum has five levels, designed and curated by Ohm David and Elba Cruz, with light design by Meliton Roxas, Jr.

    Other participating museums and galleries, who have been PASINAYA’s regulars, include: National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Casa Manila, Museo de Intramuros, Fort Santiago, and Museo Pambata.

    Paseo Museo, formerly Museum Mile, is in partnership with the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, who provided shuttles that enables audiences to visit the participating museums and galleries. This year, there will be 15 vehicles that will ferry the PASINAYA Paseo Museo viewers to Routes A, B and C* (*Saturday only).

    Paseo Museo is part of the PASINAYA 2023: The CCP Open House Festival, the largest annual multi-arts festival in the country, featuring a wide variety of exciting activities. Audiences can experience-all-you-can, pay-what-you-can with over a hundred shows, workshops, and other various activities in music, theater, dance, visual arts, film, and literature.

    Following the theme “Piglas Sining,” the biggest multi-arts festival returns live with five components; aside from Paseo Museo: Pagtitipon, a gathering of regional partners to share plans and programs; Palihan or workshop-all-you-can in all the art forms to be conducted by experts in their field, Palabas, see-all-you-can performances and film screenings featuring the CCP resident companies, professional, amateur and community-based artists and arts organizations in all the art genres; and Palitan, arts market where artists and art groups can pitch to prospective producers and content buyers.

    With four outdoor venues at the CCP Complex and at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, this will surely be the biggest comeback to live events after the pandemic.

    Follow the official CCP social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates on CCP Pasinaya 2023.

  • Hop-On, Hop-Off Museum Tours At Paseo Museo

    GET ready for two days of unique museum experience with the CCP PASINAYA’s Paseo Museo, slated on February 4 and 5, 2023, at 13 participating museums and galleries in Pasay and Manila.

    MUSEUM TOUR PARTNER for PASINAYA Photo by Kiko Cabuena 14
    AIMS Museo Maritimo (Photo by Kiko Cabuena)

    One of the festival’s main components, CCP partnered with various galleries, museums and art spaces around the Paseo Museo Loop to put the spotlight on communal artistic spirit and collaborations. This year, the CCP has five new partners – AIMS Museo Maritimo, GSIS Museum, the Philippine Women’s University (PWU) School of Fine Arts & Design (SFAD) Jose Conrado Benitez (JCB) Gallery, Adamson University Art Gallery, and the Manila Clock Tower Museum.

    Located at the Asian Institute of Maritime Studies (AIMS) Lighthouse along Roxas Boulevard corner Arnaiz Avenue, Pasay City, AIMS Museo Maritimo put the spotlight on Philippine maritime history, maritime trade routes and the contributions of Filipino seafarers in the global seafaring industry. 

    Launched in 2012, the maritime-themed museum is dedicated to Filipino seafarers and pays homage to their contribution to nation-building from the distant past to the present; utilizing imaginative exhibitions and displays to illustrate what the Philippine seafaring, training, and manning history is and who its pioneers and leaders are. Furthermore, it serves as a repository for valuable collections of marine art, ship models, and nautical artifacts.

    MUSEUM TOUR PARTNER for PASINAYA Photo by Kiko Cabuena 2
    GSIS Museo ng Sining (Photo by Kiko Cabuena)

    Established in 1996, the GSIS Museo ng Sining is home to some of the best artwork collections in the country. In 2012, however, GSIS turned over the management of the GSIS Art Collection to the National Museum, with around 100 pieces, majority of which were done by National Artists Fernando Amorsolo, Carlos “Botong” Francisco, Vicente Manansala, HR Ocampo, Jose Joya, Ang Kiukok, Bencab, and Federico Alcuaz. They also have pieces by visual artists Diosdado Lorenzo, Jose Blanco, Juvenal Sanso, and Rodolfo Ragodon. The collection is currently on display at the 3/F National Art Gallery. Filipino painter Juan Luna’s “Parisian Life” is also entrusted to the management of the National Museum.

    On display for the weekend at the GSIS are some of the retained works of other renowned artists as well as the winning entries of the annual GSIS Art Competition. These pieces are now on display at the GSIS Art Gallery, including the largest mural publicly on display done by Amorsolo entitled “History of Music” that used to adorn the Metropolitan Theater Lobby wall. The Museum still conducts its regular activities like exhibits for new and established groups of artists, lectures and seminars, special tours, concerts and other performances, among others.

    Commemorating its 75th anniversary last year, GSIS put on display some of their memorabilia items on view at the museum entrance hallway. These items are now re-displayed and re-exhibited at the lower gallery of the museum. The space allocated for these items is renamed the GSIS Gallery of Institutional Memory.

    The GSIS Museo ng Sining also handles other artworks and artifacts (antiques, decorative items, pieces of furniture, etc.) from foreclosed and important properties of GSIS such as Puerto Azul, Coconut Palace, and the Metropolitan Theater. Some of these items are also put on display.

    First opened in 2012, the PWU’s SFAD JCB gallery has mounted visual art exhibitions featuring the works of PWU SFAD alumni, students, and faculty, as well as visiting artists. Managed under the Office of the University President, with the supervision of the Dean of SFAD, the gallery provides the confident affirmation of PWU as an avenue for art, culture and heritage that contributes to the expansion of the visual art language. It enjoins other schools within the university, and visiting cultural producers to engage with the gallery to avail its facilities for exhibitions and scholarly discourse related to art, culture and heritage.

    MUSEUM TOUR PARTNER for PASINAYA Photo by Kiko Cabuena 24
    PWU-SFAD Jose Conrado Benitez Gallery (Photo by Kiko Cabuena)

    Located at the left side of the AdU Theater, the Adamson University Art Gallery first opened in September 27, 2005, but was renovated in 2013 following the brutalist design with modernists and de-constructivist elements, by Arch. Sylvester Seño, a faculty member of the AdU College of Architecture. From being a part of the St. Theresa’s Auditorium and its surroundings, the art gallery has mounted several arts and photo exhibits and serves as holding area for special guests of the theater.

    The Manila Clock Tower Museum features a variety of multi-sensory exhibits of the historical Battle of Manila highlighted by the Wall of Heroes. Launched in 2022, the museum initiated the adaptive reuse of the Manila City Hall’s clock/watch tower. Under the management of the Department of Tourism, Culture and Arts of the Vity of Manila, the museum has five levels, designed and curated by Ohm David and Elba Cruz, with light design by Meliton Roxas, Jr.

    MUSEUM TOUR PARTNER for PASINAYA Photo by Kiko Cabuena 37
    Manila Clock Tower Museum (Photo by Kiko Cabuena)

    Other participating museums and galleries, who have been PASINAYA’s regulars, include: National Museum of Fine Arts, National Museum of Anthropology, National Museum of Natural History, Museum of Contemporary Art and Design, Casa Manila, Museo de Intramuros, Fort Santiago, and Museo Pambata.

    Paseo Museo, formerly Museum Mile, is in partnership with the Museum Foundation of the Philippines, who provided shuttles that enables audiences to visit the participating museums and galleries. This year, there will be 15 vehicles that will ferry the PASINAYA Paseo Museo viewers to Routes A, B and C* (*Saturday only).

    Paseo Museo is part of the PASINAYA 2023: The CCP Open House Festival, the largest annual multi-arts festival in the country, featuring a wide variety of exciting activities. Audiences can experience-all-you-can, pay-what-you-can with over a hundred shows, workshops, and other various activities in music, theater, dance, visual arts, film, and literature.

    Following the theme “Piglas Sining,” the biggest multi-arts festival returns live with five components; aside from Paseo Museo: Pagtitipon, a gathering of regional partners to share plans and programs; Palihan or workshop-all-you-can in all the art forms to be conducted by experts in their field, Palabas, see-all-you-can performances and film screenings featuring the CCP resident companies, professional, amateur and community-based artists and arts organizations in all the art genres; and Palitan, arts market where artists and art groups can pitch to prospective producers and content buyers.

    With four outdoor venues at the CCP Complex and at the Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez, this will surely be the biggest comeback to live events after the pandemic.

    Follow the official CCP social media accounts in Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates on CCP Pasinaya 2023.

  • The CCP Pasinaya is Back, and it’s Better & Bigger

    AFTER three years of cancellation and online editions, the CCP Pasinaya Open House Festival – the largest multi-arts festival in the country organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines – returns this year on February 3 to 5, 2023 in various venues inside the CCP Complex, located along Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.

    The festival highlights the different outdoor venues such as the CCP Front Lawn, Liwasang Kalikasan, Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez and its surroundings, and parade ground of Vicente Sotto Street, among others.

    PASINAYA 2023 Piglas Sining Poster APPROVED 1

    “This year, Pasinaya follows the theme ‘Piglas Sining.’ We are breaking away from the notion that the CCP is just the building.  We are emphasizing that CCP can be anywhere,” said CCP artistic director Dennis N. Marasigan.

    Pasinaya continues its experience-all-you-can, pay-what-you-can scheme.  For a suggested donation price of P50, participants may go in and out of the different CCP venues to attend the 30-minute workshops in various art disciplines conducted by leading artists, resource persons and teachers, or watch as many shows, screenings, and activities as they can.

    Registration starts at 6:30am, at the Bukaneg side of the Front Lawn and at Vicente Sotto Street.

    On February 3, there will be a Pagtitipon, an invitational gathering of the Kaisa sa Sining (KSS) regional partners.  There are 59 regional partners from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in the KSS network, with three new partners joining.  A program of the Cultural Exchange Department, the KSS aims to further strengthen the CCP linkages and cooperations with local organizations in the different regions of the country.

    Palihan and Palabas happen on February 4 and 5, with the opening salvo kicking off at the CCP Front Lawn with a parade and special program.  In Palihan, audiences can join the different workshops; while they can watch unlimited shows, featuring more than 3,000 artists from different art fields, in Palabas.

    Festival programmers and art groups will meet in Palitan on February 4 and 5, on-site at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) and online via Zoom.

    The open house festival partners with various galleries, museums and art spaces around the metro to put the spotlight on communal artistic spirit and collaborations. For this segment, the Paseo Museo, there will be hop-on, hop-off shuttle vans that will go around the participating arts spaces for free on February 4 and 5.

    Through the Pasinaya, the CCP aims to provide a platform for the artists and cultural groups to showcase their talents while nurturing the broadest public and creating new audiences through interactions and performances.  Attracting more than 27,000 people with approximately 75,000 audience viewership pre-pandemic, Pasinaya is undoubtedly the biggest multi-arts festival in the country, and still getting bigger and better on its 18th year.

    Follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for the latest updates.

  • Pasinaya is Back, Better And Bigger!

    After three years of cancellation and online editions, the CCP Pasinaya Open House Festival – the largest multi-arts festival in the country organized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines – returns this year on February 3 to 5, 2023 in various venues inside the CCP Complex, located along Roxas Boulevard, Pasay City.

    Pasinaya 2023

    The festival highlights the different outdoor venues such as the CCP Front Lawn, Liwasang Kalikasan, Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez and its surroundings, and parade ground of Vicente Sotto Street, among others.

    “This year, Pasinaya follows the theme ‘Piglas Sining.’ We are breaking away from the notion that the CCP is just the building.  We are emphasizing that CCP can be anywhere,” said CCP artistic director Dennis N. Marasigan.

    Pasinaya continues its experience-all-you-can, pay-what-you-can scheme.  For a suggested donation price of P50, participants may go in and out of the different CCP venues to attend the 30-minute workshops in various art disciplines conducted by leading artists, resource persons and teachers, or watch as many shows, screenings, and activities as they can.

    Registration starts at 6:30am, at the Bukaneg side of the Front Lawn and at Vicente Sotto Street.

    On February 3, there will be a Pagtitipon, an invitational gathering of the Kaisa sa Sining (KSS) regional partners.  There are 59 regional partners from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao in the KSS network, with three new partners joining.  A program of the Cultural Exchange Department, the KSS aims to further strengthen the CCP linkages and cooperations with local organizations in the different regions of the country.

    Palihan and Palabas happen on February 4 and 5, with the opening salvo kicking off at the CCP Front Lawn with a parade and special program.  In Palihan, audiences can join the different workshops; while they can watch unlimited shows, featuring more than 3,000 artists from different art fields, in Palabas.

    Festival programmers and art groups will meet in Palitan on February 4 and 5, on-site at Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater) and online via Zoom.

    The open house festival partners with various galleries, museums and art spaces around the metro to put the spotlight on communal artistic spirit and collaborations. For this segment, the Paseo Museo, there will be hop-on, hop-off shuttle vans that will go around the participating arts spaces for free on February 4 and 5.

    Through the Pasinaya, the CCP aims to provide a platform for the artists and cultural groups to showcase their talents while nurturing the broadest public and creating new audiences through interactions and performances.  Attracting more than 27,000 people with approximately 75,000 audience viewership pre-pandemic, Pasinaya is undoubtedly the biggest multi-arts festival in the country, and still getting bigger and better on its 18th year.

    Follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and TikTok for the latest updates.

  • The Philippine Madrigal Singers to Perform at the Lipa Cathedral This January

    The Cultural Center of the Philippines presents the Philippine Madrigal Singers in cooperation with the City Government of Lipa, Batangas in a night of beautiful and uplifting choral music on January 18, 2023, Wednesday, 7pm at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, Lipa City.

    MADZ at Lipa Cathedral 1

    Together with the “Madz’” choirmaster, Mark Anthony Carpio, the concert features crossover violinist Jobry Cimafranca. This special outreach concert is a project of the Cultural Center of the Philippines that aims to cultivate and enhance public interest and appreciation for the arts and culture, bringing them closer to the people, especially to the regions.

    Tickets are free and are open to the public. It will also simultaneously be live-streamed via the Cultural Center of the Philippines Facebook page.

    For more information, visit the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.

  • CCP Partners with TikTok in Championing Filipino Arts & Culture

    The Cultural Center of the Philippines collaborates with TikTok through a partnership to pursue opportunities to champion the best of Filipino arts and culture.

    Through a Memorandum of Understanding, both CCP and TikTok aim to create a digital innovation for audience reach, interaction, and appreciation in keeping up with the times, as well as pave the way for CCP to become relatable to the youth, and serve as a medium in flourishing the youth in preserving Filipino arts and culture.

    TikTok is a video-sharing app that allows users to create and share short-form videos on any topic. It is mainly mobile-based, although one can still watch TikTok videos using the web app. The platform allows users to get creative with their content using filters, stickers, voiceovers, sound effects, and background music. 

    Present at the MOU signing held on December 14, 2022 at the CCP were (Seated, left): CCP Board Trustee and Vice Chair Michelle Nikki Junia, Ms. Alexis Soon (Community Operations Manager for Entertainment, TikTok Philippines), Mr. Kristoffer “Toff” Rada (Head of Public Policy, TikTok Philippines), CCP President Margie Moran-Floirendo, CCP Board Trustee Junie del Mundo, Atty. Lorna Kapunan (CCP Board Trustee); Standing, left: Atty. Krischelle Matas (CCP Legal Office), Alexander Cortez (CCP Technical Advisor for Artistic Matters), CCP Board Trustee Benedict Carandang, CCP Board Trustee Marivic del Pilar, CCP Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan.

    Homestream photo taken by Kiko Cabuena/CCP.

  • CCP’s Himig Himbing Showcases Local Lullabies through Music Videos

    Taking care of children can be very challenging to parents or babysitters, especially when lulling them to sleep.  At times, the efforts become increasingly difficult when the kid cries or even throws a tantrum that makes one wonder when it would ever end.  Talking to them could be a challenge, but singing to them might probably be just the solution.

    Crooning “Rock-A-Bye-Baby”, “Twinkle Twinkle Little Star” or any popular English nursery rhyme to pacify an infant is one thing, but how about singing a lullaby in a Tagalog, Visayan or Mindanaoan language?  It was a calming experience for audiences to hear such lullabies at the recent launch of Himig Himbing: Mga Heleng Atin (CCP Indigenous Lullabies) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

    A project of the CCP Arts Education Department through its Audience Development Division, Himig Himbing featured eight music videos of lullabies from different regions of the country.  The project is aimed at reintroducing the Philippine indigenous lullabies to contemporary audiences and developing nurturers that are grounded in Philippine songs and heles.

    In realizing Himig Himbing, eight music videos of eight lullabies from the regions were developed based on the research of ethnomusicologist Sol Trinidad and arranged by musical director Krina Cayabyab.  Eight filmmakers, namely Sigrid Bernardo, Alvin Yapan, Carla Ocampo, Teng Mangansakan, Milo Tolentino, Mes De Guzman, Thop Nazareno, and Law Fajardo created their respective film interpretations of the featured lullabies.

    The following videos are “Sa Ugoy ng Duyan” (a Tagalog lullaby composed by National Artist for Music Lucio San Pedro with lyrics by National Artist for Music and Literature Levi Celerio), “Katurog na, Nonoy” (a Bicolano lullaby sung by one whom a little boy looks for to put him to sleep), “Wiyawi” (a traditional Kalinga lullaby often sung by caretakers, usually Cordilleran fathers), “Aba-aba” (a lullaby indigenous to Southern Mindanao, particularly sung by the indigenous group Subanon), “Hele” (a lullaby from a 1986 field recording of Dr. Elena Mirano taken in San Mateo, Rizal), “Dungdungwen Kanto” (translated as I Will Love You, the first line of an Ilocano wedding song also often sung as a children’s lullaby), “Tingkatulog” (translated as ‘Sleeping Time’, a folk lullaby from the area of Bohol), and “Ili, Ili, Tulog Anay” (translated as ‘Little One, Go to Sleep’, a Visayan lullaby sung by a caretaker to a child and mentions a mother who is out buying bread).

    CCP Board Trustee and Vice Chair Michelle Nikki Junia, who initiated the idea in the form of a lullaby, explains how both adults and children can benefit from this unique endeavor.

    “We want to make sure that we have good research,” Junia elucidates.  “I requested to take a look at unpopular lullabies, not just the ‘Bahay Kubo’ (Nipa Hut) version, and dig deeper for a representation from various regions as we believe the country is very rich in traditions.  We have to embrace and make that known.”  She is also impressed with the production of the eight videos, which were integrated in the folk tales, putting an added value to the lullabies as well.  “That’s the beauty of it,” she says of the flicks.  “They were very creatively done and in high quality.”

    Being an early childhood music educator, Junia observes that there is scarcity in terms of Filipino lullabies in her classes.  “Most of the lullabies Filipino music teachers would use as available resources are western repertoire, she notices.  “There are more western lullabies while traditional Filipino lullabies are very few.  I see that the importance for the mothers, the elders, the caregivers is to be aware and to share our traditional lullabies, especially that we are giving value to developing in the young our own language.  We are Filipinos, but sadly, the younger generation now are more eloquent in speaking English than in our own language.”

    Regarding Filipino traditions, Junia does not want them to die.  “They have to be present up to this time and they need to be reborn.  That’s why the way Himig Himbing was arranged, and the way the music videos were produced somehow integrated the technology for it to be relevant to the young parents at this time,” she continues.  “Probably due to disconnection or lack of interest, they cannot relate to the way it sounds because it has a different ‘taste’.”

    Junia also feels that something must be done in order to find a middle ground to reach out to the young parents, and ensure that Filipino traditional lullabies will stay, progress, and be made aware to the public.  “The importance of these oral traditions through lullabies is that the exposure of the infants at a very young age already gives them an idea of their identity,” she adds.  “We know that most of the time, when we have social events with other nationalities, there is some level of envy, because they really know who they are.  But the Filipinos, because many foreign countries have colonized us, there is a confusion of who we really are.  We have to accept this problem.”

    Another purpose of CCP for pursuing Himig Himbing is to promote musical awareness, especially for the young ones in terms of its effect on brain development.  “There have been a lot of studies that show that music has positive effects on brain stimulation, even before they are born.  That’s why I encourage the moms to already listen and sing to lullabies during pregnancy,” Junia avers.  “It’s because the vibration of the voice resonates down to the unborn child through the umbilical cord.  That’s why it is amazing that when the baby comes out into the real world, and when you play the lullabies you have been listening or singing to when you were pregnant, the babies would respond to it.  It’s because they already sense familiarity with what they heard.  And this is very important in stimulation, because the way young children would learn successfully in the different stages of their development.  All areas of the brain need to be stimulated.  Music is actually more attractive to children because it has melody, it has beat, it has rhythm, as compared to just merely talking or speaking, this is how the young ones get attracted to it.  This is a step for speech development,” she quips.

    Junia feels that it is very important that CCP is aware of the situation, of how music and the arts can help in academic learning or preparedness later on.  “Since the ear is the closest sensory organ to the brain responsible for distributing information to the important regions of the brain, it therefore needs to be stimulated.  It makes sense, the first sensory organ developed in an unborn baby are the ears, so it’s really auditory,” she muses.

    “As the ear is the first one to be developed and the last one to shut down, one would know how important it is, bridging the information, the knowledge grasped from the outside, from the environment being absorbed by the brain through music,” she enthuses.  “The lullaby is a soothing form of music suitable for infants, for very young children.  There is a bit of trauma when the unborn baby comes out of the womb.  And that trauma can be helped by music because of its soothing effect.  The music itself gives comfort to the inner, biological or physiological needs of the baby.”

    Junia clarifies that the soothing outcome reduces anxiety as well.  “It helps in reconnecting, due to the trauma upon birth and the baby reconnects.  The baby needs security, comfort, and knows the ways of the mother.”

    She sees the better way to communicate with babies is through singing lullabies, reading a book, and the like.  “We have to promote our own lullabies and make sure they remain as they are,” she emphasizes.  “It flows through our bloodstream so we have to make sure that they know their roots.  That’s the importance of it.  You’re using music because it’s what is interesting, and stimulating the young ones.  These are tools to help.”

    Audiences who get to watch the videos will surely have a memorable takeaway.  “I think the young parents would be very excited to have a fresh and new set of repertoire to sing to their babies,” Junia advises.  “There are not many activities that you can do for infants.  It’s really a repertoire of songs that can truly help them in this stage to nurture their young ones.  They will be proud that they know something indigenous.”

    The videos of Himig Himbing: Mga Heleng Atin can be viewed on the CCP Facebook page.

    For more details, check out the CCP website (www.culturalcenter.gov.ph) or follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. (R.E. Asis)

  • CCP Met Opera Live in HD Season 7 Presents Donizetti’s La Fille Du Régiment

    The CCP Met Opera in HD kicks off the New Year with the special screening of Italian composer Gaetano Donizetti’s La Fille Du Régiment on January 10, 2023, 5:30pm, at Greenbelt 3, Ayala Malls Cinemas in Makati City.

    Bel canto stars Pretty Yende and Javier Camarena team up for a feast of vocal fireworks on the Met stage.  Baritone Maurizio Muraro plays Sergeant Sulplice, with mezzo-soprano Stephanie Blythe as the outlandish Marquise of Berkenfield.  La Fille Du Régiment is an opera in two acts conducted by Enrique Mazzola.

    It tells the story of an adopted daughter of the 21st Regiment of the French army, named Marie, who fell in love with a boy (Tonio) who saved her life in spite of him being a part of the nation’s enemy.  While fighting for their love for each other, their plans of getting married were torn into pieces as the true identity of Marie got exposed. 

    The marquise, Marie’s mother, wishes her to marry the nephew of the Duchess and dismisses her love with Tonio.  Catch how Tonio fights for his love and rescues Marie from the chaotic situation.

    In its seventh season, the CCP Met Opera in HD is a special program of the CCP Film, Broadcast and New Media Division, Production and Exhibition Department, in partnership with the Metropolitan Opera of New York, the Filipinas Opera Society Foundation, Inc. and Ayala Malls Cinemas.  The series showcases operatic productions through the high-definition digital video technology and Dolby sound, recreating the experience of watching an opera production at the Met “live.”

    For more information, visit the CCP website and follow the official CCP social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for the latest updates.

  • CCP Calls for 2023 Earth Day Outdoor Installation Proposals

    The CCP Visual Arts and Museum Division (CCP VAMD) calls for proposals for the 2023 Earth Day Outdoor Installation, as part of the center’s Earth Day Celebration. Deadline for submission is on January 9, 2023.

    Proposals should follow this year’s World Earth Day theme, which is “Invest in Our Planet,” and should highlight relevant environmental issues through public art.

    Interested artists must submit their installation concept, with description of the project and the idea/s behind it.  It should include the background information of the artist/curator/artist group, as well as the contact details of the proponent/s, and documentation of past works.  Preliminary studies/works-in-progress and similar past works should be included in the proposal.

    Proposals (should be in a single PDF file) must be sent via email: ccp.exhibitproposal@gmail.com.

    Proposals will be evaluated based on quality and maturity of artistic skills, innovativeness and contemporaneity, sensitive awareness of the artist’s responsibility to the Philippine art society, consistency with the Earth Day theme, and appropriateness, feasibility and adaptability to specified venue/site.

    The selected proposal will receive a grant to cover the cost for professional fees, materials, and preparations, among others. It will be presented from April to May at the CCP Front Lawn during the Earth Day Celebration.

    For more information, contact the CCP VAMD at (632) 8832-1125 loc. 1504/1505 and (632) 8832-3702, email vamd@culturalcenter.gov.ph.  Follow the CCP and CCP VAMD official social media pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tiktok for the latest update.