Manila: Home of the Arts By Sarah Sudario
If California has San Francisco as its "Art Hub", then the Philippines has Manila as its center for culture and arts. Manila almost has the renwned museums, parks and centers which foster the development of the Arts. It boasts of the Film Center, which currently stages the "Amazing Filipino Show" featuring world-class transversities. It also houss the National Museum, ever famous Luneta Park and Intramuros, all of which have had a role to play in the development of culture and arts. Not to be left out is the Cultural Center of the Philippines, known for its world-class shows such as trhe "Miss Saigon" which was staged last 2000. Recently, the National Center for Culture and Arts in associationj with the Cultueral Center of the Philippines launched the beginning of the National Arts Month with the theme " East Meets Wets in the Filipino Artist." February can be considered the busiest time of the year for the artists not only because of the fact that Valentine's Day concerts are almost a-dime-a-dozen, but because of the annual celebration of the National Arts Month which is set on February. CCP Vice President and Direcftor Fernando Josef notes that this year, the objective of the celebration is to look back to the Filipino-American War and weigh out thwe benefits and harms which in turn had an effect on the development of the Filipino culture and arts.
This year's celebration was opened by a multi-media presentation by the country's national artists dubbed "Dangal ng Lahing Pilipino". Other festive activites include "Samu't-saring Tinig", a concert of the country's top High School Choir groups, "Jazz Pinoy" featuring the Philipines Philharmonic Orchestra. TO crash the notion that celebration of the arts is just an elitist celebration, the CCP Foundation is hosting a free concert dubbed "Musiko Mundo: Pinoy World Music Concert II", ath the CCP Front Lawn featuring musical greats Joey Ayala, Grace Nono, Pinikpikan, the Makiling Ensemble and many more.
Since it is the month of Hearts, aconcert party "Something Stupid ( Called Love)" will be shown with Kyla, RJ Rosales, Dessa, The Company ad Jon Santos. Dance performances are not to be forgotten as Ballet Philippines take center stage on "Neo-Filipino 2003:Balikbayan." The Bayanihan Philipine National Folk Dance Company will liven up the dance floor with "Sari-saring Sayaw, Sama-samang Galaw", a dance presentation of the country's leading Folk Dance Companies.
Towards the later part of February, the CCP Front Lawn will again be highlighted with the multi-media presentation entitled "Densities: Making Sense of Dense Cities." It is an interactive exhibit in container vans which aims to address the persistent problems of urban congestion, environmental degradation, health and its relation to population explosion, and the more persistent proble of increasing poverty line.
With the activities lined up this February, it is a sure thing that the arts will not only be developed but accentuated with the different presentations that willm not only attr5act the older griouos but the young as well. I(t also goes to show that art is not simply an art in itself ; rather, it is a collaboration between what is in the status quo and the change that we want to enact from the status quo.
In the end Manila is not simply an artistic city, it is a celebration of life and arts in itself.
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