Apart from being the month of love, February is also designated as National Arts Month (NAM). The importance of the arts in tough times is the focus of this year’s celebration, which has the theme “Sining ng Pag-Asa.” The theme attempts to acknowledge the arts as a source and expression of optimism, as seen by our creative responses to the pandemic’s impacts, natural disasters, and other societal realities, as well as the artists’ role in strengthening our community life as Filipinos.
While the country is still grappling with the pandemic, the celebration of National Arts Month will be fully online, according to the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA). Art enthusiasts and Filipinos from all over the world will have access to these activities through the commission’s various online platforms. In order to fully enjoy these online celebrations, make sure to have an amazing fiber internet from a trusted internet provider in the Philippines.
Why do we celebrate National Arts Month?
The celebration of the Arts Month is in accordance with Presidential Proclamation 683 signed by former President Corazon Aquino, which aims to honor creative brilliance as well as the distinctiveness and variety of Filipino heritage and culture.
For 2022, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts shall highlight the importance of the arts amid difficult times, such as the current COVID-19 worldwide health crisis.
What are the online events for National Arts Month?
In line with the celebration, the NCCA has slated several online activities that people can enjoy from the comforts of their own homes. In fact, the commemoration of National Arts Month started with an opening ceremony on February 4. The NCCA Facebook page streamed the event.
Here are the other activities we should be looking forward to:
1. Architecture and Allied Arts
Four webinar sessions addressing the dynamic change of public and private places in the new normal will be hosted by the National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts.
As part of the committee’s flagship projects, the initiative titled “Saan Ka Lulugar: Creativity as a Catalyst for Recovery,” aims to “promote and popularize the outstanding creations of Filipino artists in times of pandemic, and increase awareness and knowledge of innovations in planning and design as a response to the pandemic, other natural hazards, and the new normal.” The webinar series will be held via Zoom and live-streamed on Facebook from February 11 to March 4.
2. Cinema
The National Committee on Cinema’s flagship project, Cinema Rehiyon: Cinema Society in World Change, will include webinars, roundtable discussions, and talk-back sessions with regional filmmakers. There will also be a screening of the greatest regional films from 2021, including short films from Mindanao. Cinema Rehiyon will be shown from February 16 to February 28.
3. Dance
Sayaw Pinoy is the National Committee on Dance’s longest-running flagship program for National Arts Month. The “Sayaw Pinoy Goes Virtual: Dance of Hope” this year aims to give continuity for dance production while also aiding various dance groups and fostering hope. The program will seek to involve around 80 groups throughout eight events on February 5, 12, 19, 26, and March 5. It will be live-streamed on Dance Xchange Philippines’ Facebook and YouTube pages.
4. Dramatic Arts
The “16th Tanghal National University & Community Based Theater Festival,” a flagship project of the National Committee on Dramatic Arts, will showcase 30-minute school/university-based and collaborative performances from around the country. The initiative will run from February 14 through February 26 under the theme “Theatre Beyond Borders Amidst All Social and Environmental Challenges.”
5. Literary Arts
The National Committee on Literary Arts will celebrate National Arts Month by presenting the “Himaya: Panitikan ng Pagbabanyuhay” flagship project consists primarily of the publication of learning materials and a two-day symposium on March 25 and 26. There will also be a memorial service for late literary giants such as Bienvenido Lumbera.
6. Music
“Musikapuluan: Gems of Contemporary Music in Different Genres,” organized by the National Committee on Music, includes a wide variety of music composed in the previous five or ten years. Choral works/Acappella ensembles, pop-ethnic/protest songs, Philippine music theater, and pop music are among the genres represented. From February 27 to March 20, there will be performances of this program every Sunday.
7. Visual Arts
In the field of visual arts, the project “Bagong Biswal 2022” will have five divisions: exhibition walkthrough, a pop outdoor show, a community project, murals, workshops, and a webinar series. The project will be streamed from March 7 to 12.
Catriona Gray lends her talent to Arts Month
Miss Universe 2018 and NAM Ambassador, Catriona Gray is also using her platform. She aims to inspire the next generation to value our Filipino heritage and identity. Gray released a fashion film specifically shot in the newly restored Metropolitan Theater of Manila. That is for her birthday in early January. The film, which portrayed our fourth Miss Universe channeling stunning, world-class Filipina ladies, also served as the opening salvo for Arts Month, which started on February 4th.
She emulated Filipina soprano singer Jovita Fuentes in a “Sentenarya” couture piece as an “Opera Enchantress”. The latter is our National Artist for Music in 1976. Gray also wore a “Gintong Kabalyero” couture terno and an ostrich feather fan. These are with porcelain hairpieces as homage to Sarsuela Queen Honorata “Atang” de la Rama. Again, the latter is our National Artist for Theater and Music (1987).
SB19 taps social media for Arts Month
On the other hand, global group SB19 recently performed at the NAM virtual news conference. SB19 member Justin de Dios stated that the group will contribute to the promotion of culture and the arts. And this is by working more than they did in previous years.
He said they will not only showcase the country’s beauty in their performances. They will also do in the social media materials that they will create. Their group’s target market is the youth sector. So, they will take advantage of various social media platforms to spread their advocacy for the arts.
Spread the beauty of Philippine Arts via Streamtech
We have the privilege of appreciating the beauty of our culture and heritage as Filipinos. With this, it is essential to actively involve oneself in a variety of artistic endeavors. Of course, we should do those that can contribute to the promotion of Philippine arts. The many online festivities might serve as a jumping-off point for us to do our part. Through these virtual celebrations, we can better appreciate our identity as Filipinos.
To help spread the good news of the occasion’s celebration, it is important to have the ultimate fiber internet. This must also come from a reputable internet provider in the Philippines. Certainly, we can actively engage in various online activities offered by NCCA. And other government agencies also have the same through their websites and social media pages.
Streamtech’s home fiber plans will provide you with a better internet experience at home. You can also upgrade your home connectivity with our high-quality devices such as Streamtech’s Planet Extendifi. This is a wifi extender or wifi mesh. It improves internet connectivity to every area of the house by expanding the wifi signal’s range.
For more details, visit our social media page (Facebook).
