By Brian Jules Campued
President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. stressed that the government should take the lead in supporting Filipino artists as he assured them of a “nurturing environment” where they can further hone their craft.
President Marcos made the remark during the 16th Ani ng Dangal awarding ceremony held at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila on Tuesday.
“Government must take the lead and the reason why I consider it very, very important and I’ve always done so, is because the culture of a country is the definition of its people,” Marcos said.
The President urged talented Filipinos to continue creating, innovating, and excelling in the arts as what they create adds to the country’s “gross national happiness”.
“So please act on your dreams, believe in your talent, dare to break ground, tear down the walls that cage your creativity, hone your craft,” he continued.
He emphasized the importance of the arts in serving “as a unifying influence for our country” which means the government must support their endeavors as it is crucial to the preservation of the Philippine culture, arts, and tradition.
“Artists define our culture and the culture is the shared consciousness of the Filipino and it is the answer to the question what is it to be Filipino,” Marcos said.
The President conferred the 16th Ani ng Dangal awards to at least 26 Filipino talents – individual or group – who have earned various international accolades in categories such as Architecture and the Allied Arts, Cinema, Dance, Dramatic Arts, Literary Arts, Music, and Visual Arts.
While they showcased their “luminous performances” abroad, Marcos noted it is time to honor them in their homeland.
“Rest assured, your government in the Bagong Pilipinas will create a nurturing environment that will see your talent fully and finally bloom,” the chief executive remarked.
“We know that art can only flourish under an atmosphere of freedom, and under Bagong Pilipinas, this is something that we will guarantee.”
The winners are as follows:
- LPPA Design Group/LP Pariñas and Associates (Architecture and Allied Arts)
- Sam Manacsa (Cinema)
- “The River That Never Ends” (Cinema)
- “HITO” (Cinema)
- “Bold Eagle” (Cinema)
- “When You Left Me On That Boulevard” (Cinema)
- “Did It Hurt?” (Cinema)
- “Blue Room” (Cinema)
- La Salle Folk Dance Company (Dance)
- Legit Status (Dance)
- HQ Dance Collective (Dance)
- Rhea R. Marquez (Dance)
- Julius Jun Obero (Dance)
- Edelyn P. De Asis (Dance)
- Folk Jumpers (Dance)
- Kristel de Catalina (Dance)
- Halili-Cruz School of Ballet (Dance)
- Dr. Jesus Insilada (Literary Arts)
- De La Salle University Chorale (Music)
- Jose Emmanuel D. Aquino (Music)
- Kammerchor Manila (Music)
- Anthony Villanueva (Music)
- Young Voices of the Philippines (Music)
- Jannina Eliana G. Peña (Music)
- Albert Emir B. Reyes (Visual Arts)
- Domcar Calinawan Lagto (Visual Arts)
Established in 2009, the Ani ng Dangal or the Harvest of Honors is a state recognition bestowed by the government through the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as the highlight and concluding event of the National Arts Month. – avds
