The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the country’s leading government agency for arts and culture headed by its chairman Felipe de Leon, Jr. and executive director Emelita V. Almosara, continues its mission of developing and promoting Filipino culture and arts, as well as encouraging artistic creation and cultural undertakings. Numerous projects are being partly funded and supported by the NCCA all over the country.
For the first half of the year, the NCCA has funded and supported many arts and culture events and endeavors including the major projects, The Philippine Arts Festival, Dance Xchange 2012: The Philippine International Dance Workshop and Festival, and the National Heritage Month celebration. For the following months, projects are lined up.
The NCCA strongly supports the country’s cultural communities and their traditional arts and culture. In early July, two Schools of Living Traditions (SLT) were launched in Batanes—Sabtang vacul making and Ivatan songs. The School of Living Traditions is one of the major programs of the NCCA to perpetuate knowledge on traditional performances, crafts, oral traditions, indigenous language, etc. It involves cultural masters teaching the young generation of their traditions, which are in danger of vanishing. Other SLTs all over the country have just concluded their trainings or are currently under implementation. These include SLTs on Gad-dang dances and musical instrument in Cudal, Tabuk City, Kalinga; Isnag indigenous music playing, dances and songs in Atok, Flora, Apayao; Tingguian dance, oral traditions and musical instruments playing in Danglas, Abra; Maranao dumpas (mat) weaving in Malaybalay, Bukidnon; Higaonon mat weaving in Sayawan, Impasug-ong, Bukidnon; Sangir pottery in Camalian, Jose Abad Santos, Davao del Sur; Subanen sapyay (rattan) mat weaving in Bantal, Bayog, Zamboanga del Sur; Mansaka clothing and accessories in Pantukan, Compostela Valley; Maguindanao kulintang playing in Lower Campo Islam, Labangan, Zamboanga del Sur; Subanen dances and musical instruments playing in Guinicolalay, Dinas, Zamboanga del Sur; Yakan songs and instruments in Sumisip, Basilan; Subanen music and oral traditions in Purok Waling-Waling, Napolan, Pagadian City; Ati language in Tobias Fornier, Antique; performance of Bukidnon folktales and Hinilawod chant in Jaena Sur, Capiz; Panay Bukidnon panubok in Masaroy, Calinog, Iloilo; Panay Bukidnon panubok and basketry in Binolosan, Pequeño, Calinog, Iloilo; Jama Mapun bag and mat weaving in Isumbo, Sofronio Española, Palawan; and Batak handicrafts and performing arts in Concepcion, Puerto Princesa, Palawan.
The NCCA also supports the holding of the Bakle Festival of Kiangan, Ifugao, from August 11 to 12, 2012, as well as the Am-Among Festival of Bontoc, Mountain Province, on September 16.
The NCCA is also preparing a grand celebration of indigenous cultures in October—the Dayaw: Indigenous Peoples Festival 2012.
The NCCA likewise champions literary endeavors, partly funding projects such as the National Book Awards of the National Book Development Board; the publication of Mga Kwento ni Datu Lubay by Alex delos Santos; the Creative Writing Workshop III of University of the Philippines Baguio; the J. Elizalde Navarro Art Criticism Fellowship at the University of Santo Tomas; the Bikol Literature Development Project for 2012; and the Davao Writers Workshop and the omnibus program Keeping the Literary Flame in Davao.
The NCCA also supports scholar Ma. Cecilia Locsin-Nava in her research on the komedya in Antique. Moreover, workshops, conferences and seminars in different fields are also encouraged by the NCCA such as the Lingkawasan sa Tagum sa 2012: An Arts Therapy Programs for Tagum City and its nearby locality; the first Basilan Arts Conference for Cultural Education and Peace Building; Sining Gawa: Workshop for Youth Cultural Workers; and Training on Library Records Management for Librarians in Davao City.
As the NCCA celebrates its 25th year, it has grown more robust and vibrant. Through the years, it has been instrumental in many important cultural and artistic undertakings and has sparked creative activities as evidenced by the ever increasing number of projects, ever mindful of its vision of “a Filipino nation united, empowered, and sustained by its cultural and artistic life and heritage” as well as a “Filipino culture as the wellspring of national and global wellbeing.”
http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca/press-releases/press-release.php?i=131