Filipiniana at the Ortigas Foundation Library
A RARELY seen collection of fine Cordillera and Southern Philippines vintage wooden and tusk carvings, precious beads, weavings no longer done, amulets, 16th century Chinese porcelain and bowls, and deities called bululs will be on view at the Ortigas Foundation Library from March 12 to April 12 (except Holy Week) from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. There will also be an auction of Filipiniana items on March 12. The artifacts on display are from the Melvin Lam and Jonathan Best collection. To enhance the exhibition, Jonathan Best’s collection of vintage photos puts context to the displays. The Ortigas Foundation Library is located on the 2nd floor of the McKinley Building (above Unimart) at the Greenhills Shopping Center in San Juan. The library is open Monday to Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. It is closed on Sundays and holidays.
Lenten exhibit opens in Ali Mall
CURRENTLY on view at Araneta City’s Ali Mall is an exhibit of religious relics meant to remind the public of the passion and sacrifice of Christ this Lenten season. Titled “Cuaresma,” the exhibit showcases more than 40 religious images and replicas that depict Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and death. Items in the display range from three to five feet tall and were sourced from different parishes around Metro Manila and Rizal. Notable images are a replica of the Nazareno from Manila, and La Esperanza Macarena, to name a few. The exhibit is available for free public viewing until March 17 at the Gen. MacArthur Entrance of Ali Mall.
PPO celebrates Women’s Month with female conductor
IN celebration of the National Women’s Month, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra (PPO) performs under the baton of Dr. Beverly Shangkuan-Cheng on March 17, 8 p.m., at The Metropolitan Theater in Manila. The seventh installment of the PPO’s 38th concert season, the program features pieces by female composers such as Marie Jocelyn Marfil’s Pyagsawitan “Wedding and Harvest,” National Artist for Music Lucrecia R. Kasilag’s “Festival” from Philippines Scenes, and Denise Santos’ The Light of Extreme Darkness. The PPO will also play Ralph Vaughan Williams’s Serenade to Music, accompanied by a 16-voice choir, and Ludwig van Beethoven’s Symphony Number 7 in A Major, Op. 92. Guest conductor Dr. Shangkuan-Cheng is the incumbent president of the Philippine Choral Directors Association, and the artistic director of the Las Piñas International Bamboo Organ Festival. She is an associate professor at the University of the Philippines College of Music, teaching conducting for both graduate and undergraduate music students. She is currently the Philippine representative to the Asia Pacific Choral Council and the Asia Choral Association. Tickets for the concert are priced at P1,500, P1,200, P800, and P500. For tickets and inquiries, call the CCP Box Office 8832-3704 or e-mail customercare@culturalcenter.gov.ph.
Webinar on transportation during World War II
HISTORIAN Ricardo T. Jose will be giving the inaugural talk of the Roderick Hall Memorial Lectures on March 18, “Planes, Trains, and Batels: Transportation in World War II Philippines.” The free webinar is presented by the Ayala Foundation, Inc. and Filipinas Heritage Library March 18, 2-4 p.m., online via Zoom. This talk takes a look at how Filipinos got around before, during, and after the Japanese occupation, including charcoal buses, the “jitney,” and batels. Mr. Jose will also discuss how the Philippines, even before the Second World War, had railways beyond Luzon. He will also discuss transportation’s impact on military strategy and Filipinos’ everyday lives. A wealth of vintage photos will illustrate the story of rail systems across Luzon and of regional lines in Iloilo, Cebu, and Davao. Guests will also learn how Philippine Airlines began soaring in Philippine skies, and how Aboitiz ships started sailing the Philippine seas. For inquiries e-mail asklibrarian@filipinaslibrary.org.ph.
Menarco opens ‘vertical museum’
THE MENARCO Tower — the first Well-Certified Gold building in the region and a Leed Gold Certified structure — in BGC is a “vertical museum.” It is described as such since unlike normal museums which displays their pieces horizontally at select floors, the art at Menarco Tower is exhibited at all office floors of the building, hence guests can appreciate the pieces by going up the various floors. The Jimenez family recently hosted an exclusive tour of the Menarco vertical museum — organized by Carmen Jimenez-Ong — for guests from the diplomatic community and family friends. On view at the museum are 39 pieces of contemporary Filipino art from the Jimenez family collection — more will be added as the collection grows. The pieces were selected through a committee which includes members of the local art community such as Isa Lorenzo from Silverlens. The public can view the collection upon registration, and they will be assisted as they make their way through the museum. The Menarco Tower is located at 32nd street BGC, Taguig City.
Galleria Duemila pays tribute to Edwin Coscolluela
TO PAY homage to the late artist Edwin Coscolluela, Galleria Duemila presents a solo show of his collages and digital prints called In Synch until March 31. “… When people look at my works, I want them to feel and not just understand my compositions,” a statement quoting Mr. Coscolluela said. Edwin Yap Coscolluela was born in 1953 in Ermita, Manila. A painter, photographer and digital artist, he had more than 100 exhibitions in his lifetime. The most notable ones were in the Lopez Museum, Fil-Am Life, the Heritage Art Gallery, and several solo and group exhibits in Luz Gallery. Mr. Coscolluela had three one man exhibits at Galleria Duemila and two important group exhibits with highly regarded modern artists. His computer had become his mini studio since he started making digital art in 2000. To book a reservation, visit the exhibit, access https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdkSZmdDlWQOQU4-Hlq_gAzRU7Xix5bhdDtuhIi1ZK8fsWF0A/viewform.
Shangri-La Plaza exhibit marks Women’s Month
SHANGRI-LA Plaza mall marks National Women’s Month with The Artologist Gallery’s presentation of the first solo exhibition of sculptor Karen Castrillo-Villaseñor, “Glamorosa,” at the East Atrium until March 19. The collection is composed of copper artworks depicting the beauty and strength of women. Meanwhile, Ikebana Manila will have an exhibit of stylized Japanese flower arrangements at the Grand Atrium on March 21-26. For updates and inquiries of mall events this month, follow Shangri-La Plaza on Facebook at www.facebook.com/shangrilaplazaofficial and on Instagram @shangrilaplazaofficial.
CCP presents exhibit at Yuchengco Museum
THE VISUAL Arts and Museum Division of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) celebrates National Women’s Month with the exhibit “WOMAN: Thesis and Antithesis,” featuring selected artworks from the CCP 21AM Collection. The exhibit will be on view from March 21 to June 24 at the Yuchengco Museum in Makati City. Curated by museum director Jeannie Javelosa, the exhibit highlights pieces that explored women as subject matter in the “Women In Society” component, as well as works created by Filipino female artists in “Women Expressions.” The museum’s entrance fee for adults is P100, with a discounted price of P50 for students, seniors, and PWDs. Free admission days are April 29, May 27, and June 24 as there will be public programs on these dates. The Yuchengco Museum is open Monday to Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The museum is located at the RCBC Plaza, corner Ayala Ave. and Senator Gil J. Puyat Ave. in Makati City.
The National Museum to hold the Ilustrado gala
NATIONAL Museum of Fine Arts will host the Ilustrado fundraising gala of the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines (FCCP) on March 27. The gala will benefit the FCCP’s scholarship program which covers the tuition and/or travel expenses of 26 scholars, pursuing their undergraduate and graduate studies in the visual and performing arts here and abroad. Gala attendees will get a unique tour of the museum with site specific performances featuring past, present, and future FCCP scholars bringing life or a different perspective to the artworks in six of the museum’s galleries or halls. The featured artists are Madeline Jane Banta, pianist/harpist; Vien Ignacio, harpist; Lance Capitan, guitarist; Michael Valenciano, keyboard; Giuseppe Diestro, cellist; Donna Baluyut, soprano; the FEU Dance Company (FDC); Jezreel Mangui, tenor; Joshua Mondares, tenor; Kris Gonzales, baritone; and the FEU Guides. Dinner will be catered by the Ilustrado restaurant in Intramuros. Launched in 1979 as the Friends of the Cultural Center of the Philippines, patterned after the Friends of the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC, the organization has raised funds for the CCP Orchestra (which became the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra) and the CCP Summer Outreach Concerts. In 2001, it became the Friends for Cultural Concerns of the Philippines to widen the scope of its contributions. In succeeding years, it donated P3 million pesos to the National Museum in return for which the “Introduction Room” of the National Art Gallery was named after the FCCP in perpetuity. For tickets, contact Angie Godoy via text or Viber at 0927-229-2128.
CCP Performatura goes pop
PERFORMATURA, the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) festival of written words and performances, returns on March 31 to April 2 with live and on-site activities happening from 10:30 a.m. onwards, at the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez (CCP Black Box Theater). With the theme “Performatura Goes Pop,” the three-day event presents performances, poetry readings, multi-arts workshops, literary talks, spoken word sessions, a poetry contest, film screening, book launches, a book and art fair, and interviews with renowned writers. Headed by its festival director Dr. Vim Nadera Jr., the first day of festival — dubbed Unbox@Blackbox — focuses on literature on social media in its morning session. Vlogger entrepreneur Carlo Ople launches his creative non-fiction book Suweldo is Not Enough. There will be a panel of speakers, a sneaker auction, and a poetry performance by Hannah Leceña. The afternoon session celebrates the National Women’s Month, with a turnover ceremony of printed copies of the book In Certain Seasons: Mothers Write in the Time of COVID with the PEN Philippines and Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines’ Bureau of the Copyright and Related Rights. It will be followed by the launch of the Lila Mga Tula, a poetry book written by women from the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika at Anyo. There will be a special screening of Brutal, a film directed by National Artist for Film Marilou Diaz Abaya and written by National Artist for Film and Broadcast Arts Ricky Lee, who will do a talk back session after the screening. The second day centers on the art of spoken word, headlined by the Ampalaya Monologues, the spoken word collective headed by its founder Mark Ghosn. At the Spoken Camp, a page-to-stage writing workshop, participants will have the chance to develop their writing skills. There will also be a talk on performing written poetry by National Artist for Literature Gemino Abad. Spoken Fest will feature hottest spoken word artists, backed by indie music. Spoken Night, an open mic session, will give a platform to aspiring poets. Dubbed Araw ni Balagtas, Performatura pays tribute and celebrates the 149th birth anniversary of Francisco Baltazar on the last day of the festival. The Makatas with Ingay Likha battle rap artists Tulala, Zantasa, and D.O.C. will perform, while Singaporean literary artist Chris Mooney Singh will talk about “Balagtasan in the World Literature.” National Artist for Literature Virgilio Almario will speak about the significance of Bataan in the life of Balagtas; followed by performances by teachers and students of Bataan High School for the Arts, and multi-arts workshops at 2 p.m. Capping the festival will be the KamPerformatura’s offering of poetry and performances by the youth participants, which will kickstart the Tanghal Makata 2023 competition. Mr. Ghosn, poet performer Kooky Tuason, and mambabalagtas from Bulacan Melandro Pascual are some of the judges. Artist Mimi Tecson will hold a mini-exhibit at the lobby of the CCP Tanghalang Ignacio Gimenez. Her art materials include book pages. Thirty artists, writers, and publishers, organized by Pia Perez of The Indie Publishers Collab PH and Mark Ghosn, will sell their works at the venue on the first and second days. Artists and entrepreneurs from the Unbox team will sell their works at the venue on the last day. Remote Performatura events will also take place. These include a book club discussion on Lualhati Bautista; the book club Flips Flippin’ Pages will hold an online book discussion on The Reddest Rose Unfolds comics via Zoom on April 15 (interested parties can get in touch with Gege Sugue, the discussion moderator, on Facebook). The Poesia poetry reading will be held face to face on April 26, 3 p.m., at the Zaguan of Museo de La Salle in Dasmariñas, Cavite. While Performatura is open to the public, visitors are encouraged to donate a book, which will serve as an admission ticket to each segment. Collected books will go to CCP’s partner libraries. For queries, e-mail ccpintertextualdivision@gmail.com, call 8832-1125 local 1706 or 0919-3175708.
Metrobank search on for exceptional visual artists
THE CALL for entries for the 2023 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) is open until March 31. All qualified Filipino visual artists are invited to submit their painting and sculpture. On its 39th year, MADE seeks to build a stronger creative community by fostering deeper connections between creatives as the country navigates through uncertainty in this post-pandemic era. Through the years, the competition has proven to be a great venue where art is used as a tool to stir conversations and challenge actions for national transformation. Even the pandemic did not impede the success of MADE which has received 701 and 537 entries in 2021 and 2022, respectively. Taking off from the theme “Connect: Stronger Ties, Bolder Strides,” this year’s MADE Competition invites young artists to be courageous in taking advantage of new opportunities to unleash their hidden potential. All Filipino citizens aged 18 to 35 years old (18 years old as of March 31, 2023 and 35 years old as of Sept. 21, 2023) may join the 2023 MADE Painting Recognition Program. The entry must be an original artwork, wholly conceptualized and executed by the entrant. Meanwhile, the 2023 MADE Sculpture Recognition Program are open to all Filipino citizens aged 18 to 50 years old (18 years old as of March 31, 2023 and 50 years old as of Sept. 21, 2023) who have not won in the past MADE Sculpture Competitions. Entries must be submitted on or before March 31. Interested entrants must fill out the e-entry form over at the Metrobank Foundation website (https://www.mbfoundation.org.ph/art-design/about-the-metrobank-art-design-excellence-made/) and submit the requirements to hello@madeartdepot.ph. The 2023 MADE Painting and Sculpture Competition Guidelines can be viewed here: https://issuu.com/metrobankartanddesignexcellence/docs/2023_made_painting_guidelines and https://issuu.com/metrobankartanddesignexcellence/docs/2023_made_sculpture_guidelines. Two Grand Awardees for the Painting Recognition Program will each receive P350,000 and support for the Awardee’s artistic development initiative plus a scholarship to the Linangan Art Residency amounting to P150,000. One Grand Awardee for the Sculpture Recognition Program will be given P500,000 in cash. The Grand Awardees will be recognized in an awarding ceremony during Metrobank’s 61st anniversary in September.
Encantada opens 2023 dance season
NATIONAL Artist for Dance Agnes Locsin’s award-winning Filipino dance masterwork, Encantada, returns to open the 2023 dance season. A collaboration with Joey Ayala for music, Al Santos for libretto, and the late National Artist Salvador Bernal for production design, Encantada features the artists of the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Professional Artist Support Program and Alice Reyes Dance Philippines. To celebrate Earth Month, Encantada goes on stage at the Samsung Performing Arts Theater on April 14-15 and at the Metropolitan Theater on April 21-22, with evening shows at 7:30 p.m. and matinees at 2 p.m. The production was last staged in 2011 to critical acclaim, garnering 10 Gawad Buhay Awards, including Best Modern Dance Production, Best Choreography, Best Musical Composition, Best Production Design, as well as citations for Georgette Sanchez-Vargas for Female Lead Performance and Carissa Adea for Female Featured Performance. Both of them will reprise their roles for the current 2023 production. Also joining the cast is Kris-Belle Paclibar-Mamangun, a former member of Cirque du Soleil, who will be alternating the role of Babaylan with Carissa Adea. The dance season will continue with Alice Reyes’ Ramahari (Sept. 15-16), Carmen and Other Spirits (Oct. 27-28, Nov. 3-4), a mixed bill featuring Alice Reyes’ Carmen and new works by young Filipino choreographers, and the celebration of the Filipino Christmas with Puso Ng Pasko (Dec. 2-3, 8-9). For season subscriptions and ticket reservations, contact Kurt Copon at ardancephilippinesinc@gmail.com or subscribe online through google form here: https://forms.gle/9wMV1Vfw91orBcjo8
Coffee table book on Senator Tomas Lluisma Cabili
IN A time of great political upheaval and uncertainty, one man stood firmly for the rights of his people. Senator Tomas Lluisma Cabili, hailed by the Maranaos as “Sultan Dimasangkay ko Ranao,” was the lone delegate who stood against the First National Assembly by refusing to sign the 1935 Constitution, which failed to provide adequate protection for Muslims. He never wavered in his conviction; his bold decision cemented his place in history. To chronicle his life and legacy, genealogist Nasser Sharief and The Royal House of Cabili have co-written the coffee-table book, HRH Tomas Lluisma Cabili and The Royal House of Sultan A Dimasangkay Ko Ranao. It was launched on March 7 to coincide with Mr. Cabili’s birthday. The 60-page hardcover book features personal stories and photographs from his childhood, his years as an assemblyman, senator, and sultan, to his last moments when he and 23 others perished in a fateful plane crash in 1957 which killed President Ramon Magsaysay.
Dulaang UP returns with Karera si Rosang Taba
DULAANG UP’s second offering for its 45th theater season is an adaptation of Dean Francis Alfar’s children’s story “How Rosang Taba Won a Race.” The play, Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba, is written by award-winning playwrights Maynard Manansala and Rody Vera, and directed by José Estrella in collaboration with her mentees Issa Manalo Lopez and Mark Dalacat. It tells the story of how a woman’s courage, cleverness, and determination altered history. In the adaptation, Rosang Taba’s feat is recounted by her great grandchildren in the hope that her legacy lives on in the modern times. The play stars Kiki Baento, Jojo Cayabyab, Skyzx Labastilla, Peewee O’Hara, Victor Sy, Aldo Vencilao, Quinea Babas, Ynna Rafa, Dyas Adarlo, Mari Palaganas, Owel Pepito, and Pau Vengano. The proceeds of the show will be used for the rehabilitation and renovation of the Wilfrido Ma. Guerrero Theater, the home of over 150 Dulaang UP plays in the last four decades. Kung Paano Nanalo sa Karera si Rosang Taba is set to run from March 23 to April 2, 2023 at the UP Theater Main Hall Stage, University of the Philippines Diliman, Quezon City. Tickets are available at https://ticket2me.net/e/36951 and at the Dulaang UP ticket booth at Palma Hall Pavilion 3 every Tuesdays to Fridays at 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For inquiries, contact Camilo De Guzman at 0917-881-1591 or e-mail dulaangup.upd@up.edu.ph.
Ateneo presents KALAS: A Devised Twinbill Production
KALAS: A Devised Twinbill Production is an undergraduate acting thesis production under the mentorship of actress Missy Maramara. It features two one-act Virgin Labfest plays: Dingdong Novenario’s Daddy’s Girl, directed by Jenny Jamora, and Carlo Vergara’s Kung Paano Ako Naging Leading Lady, directed by Raflesia Bravo. It will have performances on March 29 to April 1 at the Fine Arts Theater, Gonzaga Hall, Ateneo de Manila University, Quezon City. This is a blank ticketed show with a floor prize of P350. RSVP for tickets at https://forms.gle/1UxdAXfBHKwkFti4A, and for show buyers, e-mail kalastwinbilladmu@gmail.com. For more information, visit https://www.facebook.com/kalastwinbilladmu.
