February is National Arts Month!

By: Brian Jules Campued

While the most famous and celebrated occasion every February is Valentine’s Day, we must also extend and spread our love for the arts because this month is also the National Arts Month (NAM)! With the spearheading of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the raving support of several art groups and enthusiasts alike, we’re in for a fun-filled nationwide celebration of all things art. From art markets and workshops to exhibits and conventions, our hearts will never feel incomplete this love month.

This year’s fete, “Ani ng Sining: Philippine Arts Festival,” symbolizes the abundance of creative endeavors in the Philippines, the continuously booming Filipino artistry, and the passion of Filipino artists and cultural workers for the seven arts—cinema, architecture, dance, music, dramatic arts, literary arts, and visual arts.

The month-long Ani ng Sining features a plethora of events and activities in line with the flagship projects of NCCA’s Subcommission on the Arts’ (SCA) seven national committees which all aim at celebrating the Philippine arts and encouraging Filipinos to engage in and appreciate the diversity of cultural expressions the nation has.

Film enthusiasts will be amazed at the National Committee on Cinema’s 11^th Cinema Rehiyon Film Festival which provides a platform for filmmakers in the different regions to showcase their works to a wider audience.

The National Committee on Architecture and Allied Arts, meanwhile, will travel around the country to hold an exhibit and forum titled “Loob at Labas: Talakayan at Pagpaparangya” that aims to increase awareness and appreciation on Philippine architecture.

The rich tradition of Philippine dances will once again entertain the public as the National Committee on Dance conducts the “Sayaw Pinoy” across the country. Sayaw Pinoy is a month-long dance tour that brings together several dance forms performed by our very own dance companies and different local dance troupes.

Apart from dancing, Filipinos surely do love music, no matter the genre. That’s why the National Committee on Music will conduct a music festival filled with performances, lectures, and workshops all intended to celebrate the colorful local music we are proud of. Called “Musicapuluan: Music of the Philippine Islands,” this fest will surely make you shout “support Filipino music!” until your lungs are out.

Moreover, the National Committee on Dramatic Arts is set to conduct Tampok, an event to gather key theater pioneers and practitioners in the regions and is consisting of performances, discussions, and workshops.

On the other hand, food and literature, an iconic duo that’s been part of our lives especially in our pastimes, are the highlight of NAMnamin, the program of the National Committee on Literary Arts.

Workshops, art talks, exhibits, and several more activities will comprise the Philippine Visual Arts Festival by the National Committee on Visual Arts. Art lovers will marvel at the spectacle of different artworks made by Filipino artists around the country. Maybe make your art-hop bucket list more magnificent by going to this festival.

The annual celebration for the arts began with the signing of Presidential Proclamation 683 in 1991 which declares February as the National Arts Month. Since then, the Philippines annually gets to celebrate its rich culture and creativity as well as the arts and self-expression. However, the appreciation and recognition for the craft must continue even when February ends—for the love of arts doesn’t die, the flame keeps on burning, and art lives on.