Our country’s redemption lies in our artists

I made a short work trip to Manila last week that turned wonderfully enjoyable because of a Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) event that I got to attend. I tagged along with my wife who went to the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awarding ceremonies, upon the invitation of CCP resident conductor Dr. Herminigildo Ranera. The whole program turned out to be a feast for the senses that satisfied the mind’s craving for creativity.

The Gawad CCP Para sa Sining is the highest award conferred by the CCP to Filipino individuals and institutions for their outstanding achievements and contributions to Philippine arts and culture. It is given only every three years, and last week’s awarding ceremonies were held for the 2020 honorees. The pandemic delayed the conferment of the awards.

There was a total of 14 awardees, two of whom were posthumously honored, and two were bestowed on institutions. The awardees were the following: Rafael Catalino “Nonoy” Froilan for dance; Raul M. Sunico for music; Felix “Nonon” Padilla for theater; Luis “Junyee” Yee Jr. for visual arts; Lualhati Bautista for literature; Clodualdo “Doy” del Mundo Jr. for film and broadcast arts; Cristina Turalba for architecture; Kenneth Cobonpue for design; Nestor Horfilla for cultural work and research, and; Danilo Dolor for Tanging Parangal for the development and support of the arts.

Those who were posthumously awarded were Antonio Fabella for dance, and Alice Guillermo for cultural research. The institutions, which were awarded, are the Integrated Performing Arts Guild (Ipag) for Culture of its Region, and the Liwayway Magazine for development of Philippine culture.

The short videos that were shown for each awardee depicted the struggles and eventual achievements attained by each honoree (The CCP writeup for each of the awardees can be read at https://culturalcenter.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/GAWAD-AWARDEES.pdf). The video presentations depicted stories about young people who defied the wishes of their parents to pursue their burning passions like in the case of Rafael Froilan (dance) and Luis Yee (visual arts). A good number of the awardees came from the provinces who clawed their way up in the Manila arts and culture scene.

There are awardees who chose to work with rural communities or based themselves in the provinces, and who still gained recognition for their exemplary work. Their achievements prove that one doesn’t have to be based in Manila to attain excellence. An outstanding example is the Ipag, which is the resident dance and theater group based at the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology, and whose acclaimed productions integrate the dance, music, and art traditions of Mindanao. The Ipag is proud of its repertoire of over 40 full-length productions performed in extensive tours here and abroad, “making it the most-traveled Philippine repertory company, having performed in over 100 cities in Europe, Asia, the Pacific, and North America, besides its wide tours in the Philippines.”

The common denominator among the awardees is that they’ve all dedicated their lives passionately documenting, enriching, expanding, and showcasing our country’s unique arts and culture. They have either gone to the grassroots or have mined our grassroots in order to elevate the various expressions of creativity in our way of life. From the way they pursued their passions, all the awardees fulfilled the yearning of their souls, and ended up elevating our country’s arts and culture in the process.

The awarding program was a complete production that showcased impressive performances by pianist Aidan Ezra Baracol, soprano Stefanie Quintin, the Madrigal Singers, and multiple numbers by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra led by Maestro Ranera. It was so refreshing and pride-enhancing, listening to the elegant form and beautiful substance that our Filipino language was spoken in the speeches and emcee presentations.

Attending events like the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining, one cannot help but realize that our country’s salvation will not come from our politicians and business leaders. Our nation’s redemption lies in our artists, cultural advocates, and creative talents.

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