After
a dazzling opening salvo of National Arts Month in Luneta on February first,
and a series of parallel celebrations in Davao City, Butuan, and the various
Art FriDates across Angono, Rizal; Bulacan; Biñan, Laguna; Quezon Province; and
Muntinlupa—each organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts
(NCCA) in cooperation with local arts stakeholders—the Visayas took its turn in
Palo, Leyte. There, the event matched up the energy and creativity of the other
events, showcasing the town’s rich cultural talent while hosting an insightful
dialogue on the ways in which local arts might be further nurtured and
championed across the archipelago.
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| Palo shows that local arts program benefits the youth as evidenced by these amazing performances from various homegrown artist groups |
Capping
February’s National Arts Month, a cultural showcase titled “Pagsalin-urog”
brought together homegrown artists and performers from across Eastern Visayas,
offering audiences an evening of music, dance and visual expression rooted in
the region’s heritage.
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| Theater groups from schools in Palo also performed |
The
program highlighted the depth of the Visayan arts scene while giving local
audiences a chance to see their own cultural traditions interpreted onstage.
For visitors, it offered a glimpse into the region’s artistic identity through
Waray songs and dances.
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| Performers from various festivals in Leyte also participated |
Music
anchored the evening, with performances by ensembles including the Leyte
Kalipayan Dance Company musicians, the Palo National High School Rondalla, LNU
Dumagsa, Palo Cathedral Grand Choir, LNU Philharmonic Singers, the Palo
Ambassadors Orchestra and Brass Band just to name some. Dance groups such as
the Leyte Kalipayan Dance Company, the Leyte Dance Theater, Shadow Arts Theater
of Palo, and the Leyte Normal University Dance Company added movement and
narrative, joined by performing arts groups and secondary schools across Region
VIII.
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| You will be amazed about the thriving arts program in the province of Leyte |
The
program unfolded in four segments: Paglingi (“Looking Back”), Pagpukaw
(“Awakening”), Pagtindog (“Standing Up”), and Pagpadayon (“Moving Forward”).
Inspired by the experiences of communities that endured the devastation of
Typhoon Haiyan in 2013, the performances reflected memory, resilience and
renewal, a reminder of how culture sustains communities long after disaster has
passed.
Insightful
Art Talk
Before
the night’s performance, an informative talk was held, hosted by the local
government of Palo and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA),
with participation from students of various local schools. The invited speakers
included Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua, NCCA’s Head of the National Committee on
Music and Dean of the UST Conservatory of Music; Jenelyn Garcia, member of
Katig Writers and representative of the National Committee on Literary Arts;
Dr. Dennis Montera, former Head of the National Committee on Visual Arts; and
Mr. Victor Hao Cuenco, who delivered a talk titled Staging a Dance Production.
Visual
Art Bridges Past and Present
One
is struck not only by the iconic MacArthur Landing Memorial cast in bronze but
by the stories it carries. “They do not simply commemorate an event,” said
Dennis “Sio” Montera, a practicing visual artist and educator. “They transform
history into form, gesture, and presence.”
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| Dr. Dennis Montera, visual artists and educator |
The
Philippines’ visual culture, from precolonial tattoos to Spanish-era churches,
reflects a deeply ingrained sense of meaning. Tattoos, once symbols of courage
and rites of passage, “were not merely decoration. Every ink or image
represents a ritual passage, a lived experience,” Montera explained. Bestowed
from adolescence to elderhood, these markings charted both personal and
communal identity.
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| The speakers Dr. Dennis Montera, Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua, Jenelyn Garcia and Victor Hao Cuenco |
“Objects
created in the past were not merely for decor but for purpose,” he added,
pointing to early Chinese trade and ritual objects. These artifacts, now
displayed in several museum in the country, connect Filipinos to centuries of
cultural memory.
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| Jenelyn Garcia, member of NCCA's National Committee on Literary Arts |
The
colonial period introduced new forms, particularly in religious architecture.
Churches across the archipelago, with cruciform designs, grand altars, and
retablos, served as visual sermons. “Faith is something that cannot be seen,”
Montera said, “but man needs proof. When you need proof, you build this—an
edifice, a painting, a sculpture.” Art became a vehicle for belief, community,
and continuity.
Montera
also highlighted contemporary artists from Leyte who continue to shape the
nation’s visual vocabulary. Works by Rico Palacio of Palo and Dante Enage of
Tacloban, whose Patterned Paradise represented the Philippines at the 2025 Art
Biennale in Beijing, show that local creativity is alive and globally
recognized. “Art began as meaning, not decoration,” he concluded.
Rethinking
Music in the Classroom
Music
education in the Philippines has been steadily curtailed, folded into the
broader MAPE curriculum and often limited to a single monthly session. “Music
is being put as part of MAPE, wherein you meet once a month, that is a very
limited level of training,” said Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua. Students rotate
between music, arts, physical education, and health, leaving little room for
practice, exposure, or mastery.
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| Dr. Maria Alexandra Chua, Dean of UST's Conservatory of Music |
Yet
Filipinos remain passionate listeners. A recent survey found the country leads
the world in daily music-listening time, averaging 126 minutes. “Music in the
Philippines serves as a rich source of cultural and creative capital, nurturing
generations of musicians and performers,” Chua said.
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| We have many talented kids who will excel in the arts for sure |
Access,
however, remains unequal. Lessons in piano, violin, or voice are often reserved
for those who can afford them. “Not everyone can afford piano lessons or violin
lessons. Access to music should not depend on income,” Chua emphasized.
Untapped talent is lost not for lack of ability, but opportunity.
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| From theater, painting, sculpture, music and more |
Compared
with neighbors like Singapore and Malaysia, where music is core to early
education, Philippine students face a shortened experience. “When you remove
arts, you remove music, you remove our own identity,” Chua warned. “Creation is
the highest level. We must create our own music.”
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| Starting em young is the key |
Music
is more than a subject: it is identity, culture, and imagination. Neglect it,
and both talent and heritage go unheard.
Reasons
to Celebrate Philippine Arts more
In
a session designed to spark creativity, Jenelyn Garcia encouraged students to
write freely, urging them to produce fiction that she would gladly critique.
She also highlighted the works of Merlie Alunan, the Visayan writer nominated
this year for National Artist for Literature, offering a tangible example of
literary achievement from the region.
Meanwhile,
Victor Hao Cuenco presented a master class titled Staging a Dance Production,
delving into the complexities of festival planning. He emphasized the critical
role of production elements and the ways choreographers and festival organizers
can elevate their craft, ensuring that performances resonate authentically with
the communities they represent.
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| Invest more in Philippine arts, talk more about Philippine arts, support more the Philippine arts |
The talk concluded with a lively Q&A, showing that the students’ curiosity had been piqued by the speakers. To wrap up the discussion, Montera asked why many Filipinos seem to know more about artists from other countries, such as Vincent Van Gogh. He explained that it is because other countries produce more writing about their artists, while the Philippines has very few writers focusing on its own. “That should change,” he said, “as we find more reasons to celebrate our artists.”
This article first appeared on BusinessMirror
