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KAmpBATAAN

Campers listen to a presentation at KAmpBATAAN

During the third week of May, the Youth Council (composed of youth leaders from the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts, Little Children of the Philippines and Gender Watch Against Violence and Exploitation) hosted over forty high school aged youth for Consuelo Foundation Life Skills Plus Program’s KAmpBATAAN. The youth came from across Dumaguete to spend a week at the Consuelo Multi-Purpose Center. As part of the camp, the participants would learn various life skills in addition to forming a strong community. As part of the community formation, the campers were divided into four different groups, or families, on the first day. Over the course of the week, each family had multiple opportunities to compete against each other for points. Additionally, the families prepared their own food and constructed the tents they slept in all week. By the end of the camp, everyone had formed strong bonds with the other campers in their family. When not bonding with each other or competing against other groups, several visitors came to lead discussions on various issues, including the national situation, environmental protection, reproductive health, child sexual abuse and organization, to name a few. These experiences combined to create a well-rounded experience for every camper.

Every day at the camp began at the crack of dawn. Following a 5 a.m. wake-up call, camp director Nikki Cimafranca led everyone in a quick round of zumba. Following zumba, most members of the family went to another part of the compound to compete for points against the other families in the obstacle course. Those that remained prepared breakfast for everyone once they returned. After everyone had eaten and gotten ready for the day, a camp facilitator led the campers in a devotional for the day. The first workshop of the day commenced following the devotional. For lunch, the campers once again prepared their own food. A second workshop occurred in the afternoon. Additionally, the afternoon also hosted opportunities for crafting. Following dinner, the families once again competed against each other in cheering and trivia competitions. Once all the points had been awarded, the campers went to sleep in the tents they constructed. The week concluded with everyone reflecting on how they had grown and what they had learned from the week and receiving a certificate of completion.

Campers begin building their tents that they will sleep in for the rest of the week.

Kisaw Events Animate Public Spaces

Local singer/songwriters serenading the public at the BellTower plaza during the Huni sa Kampanaryo last Feb. 10, 2017

For two consecutive weeks, the Dumaguete City public has been regaled with the offering of talents as part of KISAW, the local celebration of the National Arts Month brought into fruition by the combined efforts of the Dumaguete City Tourism Office, the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts (YATTA), BellTower Project and Gugma Gaia with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Last Feb. 10, 2017 a concert at the foot of the Belltower dubbed Huni sa Kampanaryo celebrated local songwriters and singers, many of whom performed their original compositions. Glynda Descuatan opened the program with a brief introduction of the celebration, followed by performances of Kaykay and Chelsea, Ally Ellewood (Venus Veritas), YONA, Simon Alvarez (Intermissioner), with Istorya Isla closing the evening with their music that aimed to reflect culture and human experience.

On Feb. 17th, the power of poetry, music and drama captivated and titillated the hearts of those who filled up the tempurahan seats last Friday, during the Balak, Balitaw ug Uban Pa sa Tempurahan program. Hosted by ever witty and personable Nicky Dumapit, the performing artists included Balitaw pairs and accompanists from Asian College (Raymark Ablong, Jessel Sabandal and Jeshua Masicampo), Piapi High School (Francois Emia, Jonessa Deromol and Jessa Ledeama), Camanjac National High School (Ina Respuesto, Allison Aranas, Ana Asoy, Earl Tilos and Maricel Lubo) and last year's winning team from Foundation University (Shawn Bilacol, Engrid Benedico, Elcid delos Reyes and Evans Dizon), and readers and poets Glynda T. Descuatan, Enchi 's Bembem Timtim, Kenneth Catipay, Jamcee Catubig, Faith Cuenca, Lendz Barinque, Doem John Oguilla, as well as songwriter Jesza Lirazan with keyboard player Ramon Cuartela and folk singers Iquit, Elsa and Felix Alcaide from Bgy Bantayan.

Other events that took place were the Teatro Kilat sa Tiangge (an invisible/mob theater) by YATTA and Asian College thespians at the “putohan” lining the market place, and the Sayaw Pinoy, a dance festival featuring groups from around the country brought to Dumaguete by the NCCA Committee on Dance and featuring the local MEV Dance Company. Still to come are the Putting Tabing sa Terminal on Feb. 24 at the Ceres Bus Termina, the Dagit Arts Fest, an art exhibition featuring more than 40 artists and a crafts fair, from February 25-28 at the Robinsons Place, and the Tayada sa Parke on Feb. 26, Sunday at 5PM at the Quezon Park featuring some of the best performing groups in Dumaguete City.

Performers and organizers of the KISAW Balak, Balitaw sa Tempurahan last Feb. 17, 2017 along the Rizal Blvd’s waterfront

Creative Industry, Quad Media Trainings Concluded

Resource persons, participants and organizers of the MUGNA Creative Industry Consultation held Nov. 4, 2016 at the PHCCI Ballroom.

Two activities recently concluded as part of the NCCA-initiated project for Negros Island called MUGNA, implemented locally by the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts (YATTA) in Dumaguete, Amlan and Bais. Last Nov. 4, 2016, a Consultation/Workshop on Creative Industry was hosted by the Perpetual Help Cooperative (PHCCI) and attended by participants involved in various creative industries such as arts and crafts, pottery, paper products, weaving, food, among others. Sharon Rose Dadang Rafols, Marites Ebasan , and Jeremias Perez took turns in presenting an overview of creative industries in each site, followed by DTI representatives talking about their initiatives especially in setting up Trabaho Centers in various local governments. PaPeMelRoTi designer and owner Robert Alejandro shared as well his comments on the products presented and shared their experience as a family business. He introduced Jetro Rafael, owner of Van Gogh is Bipolar which has become a prominent niche restaurant in Quezon City.

Four days later on Nov. 8, 2016, a Training on How to Harness Quad Media (Integrated Marketing Communication) was hosted by the Sillliman University College of Mass Communications with one of its alumnus, DTC Promos CEO Ed Dames leading the whole day workshop attended by more than forty participants from the three sites. Combining hands-on activities with inputs and samples, the participants designed their own creative presentations promoting local heritage. Closing the program was Glynda T. Descuatan of Sky Cable.

Lead Trainer Ed Dames (seated fifth from left) is flanked by participants and organizers of the MUGNA Quad Media Training held Nov. 8, 2016 at the SU Multi Purpose Room

MUGNA Integrated Arts Workshop Held in Amlan

YATTA, in conjunction with the MUGNA project and the municipality of Amlan, led a Sectoral Arts Based Workshop-- Integrated Arts Workshop for the community youth. The workshop occurred October 6-7th, 2016 at the Dreamland People's Hall. The arrangers of the day invited 87 students from 3 high schools in the community, Amlan National, Silab Community, and Jantianon National High Schools, to attend sessions on theater, dance, creative writing, visual arts, and singing over the two day event. The MUGNA Project aimed to use these art forms to explore and celebrate the cultural and natural heritage of Amlan. The first day began with workshops focused on theater and dancing. MUGNA Site coordinator Hope Tinambacam and Silliman dance faculty member Aljana "Cheenee" Vasquez, respectively, led these sessions. The afternoon included sessions on cultural mapping, led by Hope and Loushan Pis-an, and indigenous musical instruments, led by Nicky Dumapit. For the second day, the organizers divided the participants into five groups based on what art form they'd be learning more about. Silliman professor Ian Casocot led creative writing, YATTA Executive Director Dessa Quesada Palm led theater, entrepreneur Sharon Rose Dadong-Rapols led visual arts, choreographer Angelo Sayson led dance, and Hope Tinambacam led another session on singing. Each instructor taught their art form to illustrate how it can be used as a means of conveying a powerful message, such as the preservation of their culture and identity. The event concluded with each group showcasing what they learned. Each presentation focused on what they considered to be significant parts of life in Amlan. The subjects included everything from guavas, Amlan's namesake, to their strong anti-smoking campaign. Amlan mayor Gino Dela Cruz, who was present in the audience for the final performances, commented how proud he was to see the municipality's ban on smoking portrayed and celebrated by the youth of the community. The event concluded with every participant receiving a certificate commemorating what they learned.

MUGNA Cultural Mapping Held in Dumaguete City

MUGNA Cultural Mapping organizers and participants at the Dumaguete City Conference Hall last Aug. 11, 2016

Last Aug. 11, 2016, select artists, cultural workers, educators and leaders gathered at the Dumaguete City Hall Conference Hall for a preliminary Cultural Mapping hosted by the City Tourism Office of Dumaguete led by Ms. Jacqueline Veloso Antonio to create a list of cultural resources in the form of natural, movable, built, intangible heritage as well as creative industries. YATTA Executive Director and Mugna Area Director Dessa Quesada Palm gave an orientation of the project called MUGNA, which is initiated by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and managed by the Negros Cultural Foundation and Teatrokon for the Negros Island, with the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts (YATTA) as its implementing partner in Negros Oriental. For 2016, six cities/towns of Negros Island have been selected for its pilot run, namely Dumaguete, Bais and Amlan (for Negros Oriental) and Calatrava, Kabankalan and Murcia (for Negros Occidental).

MUGNA is the outcome of a regional and national planning process involving the various NCCA sub-commissions with the end view of expanding the contributions of culture to national growth and development. At the same time, the programs and projects identified envision a generation of greater positive impacts of culture and arts on the lives of men and women, most especially the vulnerable and marginalized sectors in the various regions of the country.

The Cultural Mapping Session was facilitated by MUGNA Site Coordinator Hope Tinambacan with participants including media personality Glynda Descuatan, artist-educators Ian Casocot, Angelo Sayson and Gerard Pamate, balitaw performer Enriquita Alcaide, retired sociologist Lorna Makil, Sports and Youth Development Officer Ike Villaflores, Rosell Marie Garcia who leads the City’s Environment and Natural Resource Office, choreographer and City Tourism Officer Engel Boen Zerna. The initial findings will be a reference for the succeeding MUGNA activities such as a two-day Integrated Arts Workshop, Creative Industry Consultation, Heritage Preservation and Climate Change Adaptation, Quad-Media Planning and a MUGNA Festival of Performances and Creative Industry Exhibit.

MUGNA Integrated Arts Workshop Held

Trainors and participants of the MUGNA Integrated Arts Workshop gather under the canopy of Silliman University’s acacia tree.

Sixty five participants from different schools including Silliman University, St. Paul University Dumaguete, Asian College, Negros Oriental State University, Negros Oriental High School, Piapi High School, Camanjac National High School, Junob National High School, Hermenegilda Gloria Memorial High School, Dumaguete City High School, Taclobo National High School and YATTA gathered for two days from Aug. 29-30, 2016 at the Silliman University for the MUGNA Integrated Arts Workshop.

Convened by the Dumaguete City Tourism Office headed by Jacqueline Veloso Antonio, the workshop is part of MUGNA (Towards a Sustained Cultural Development of Negros Island), an integrated cultural development program initiated by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) which aims to establish a pro-active culture-based development that links arts and culture to poverty alleviation, heritage preservation (HP) and disaster risk reduction/management (DRRM). The project is being coordinated by the Negros Cultural Foundation, Inc., in partnership with the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts and Teatrokon. Dumaguete City is one of six sites that include Bais City, and the towns of Amlan, Calatrava, Murcia and Kabankalan.

The Integrated Arts Workshop drew its inspiration from the cultural heritage and resources of Dumaguete City exploring the sounds, shapes and texts of the city during the first day through improvisation and a creative sharing of Nicky Dumapit. On the second day they were divided into various tracks including creative writing, visual arts, music, dance and theater with a reputed team of artist-teachers including Ian Rosales Casocot, Sharon Rose Dadang-Rafols, Jeremias Perez, Dessa Quesada-Palm, Engel Boen Zerna, Hope Tinambacan, Onna Quizo, Nikki Cimafranca and France Gregorio.

Culture-Based Choreography Training Held

Participants, facilitator and organizers of the MUGNA: Culture-based Choreography Training last Sept. 17, 2016 at the SU Ballet Studio.

The City Tourism Office of Dumaguete in cooperation with the Mugna Project organized a one-day Culture-Based Choreography Training last September 17, 2016 at the Silliman University Ballet Studio facilitated by Ronnie Mirabuena of the Cultural Center of the Philippines and participated in by fifty choreographers, dancers, teachers, and students from all over the city.

MUGNA is a project initiated by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and managed by the Negros Cultural Foundation, Teatrokon and the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts and being implemented in Dumaguete City, Bais City and the municipalities of Amlan, Calatrava, Kabankalan and Murcia.

The training utilized the outputs from a previous rapid Cultural Mapping session that identified natural and cultural heritage of Dumaguete City. At the end of the day, the participants created seminal dance pieces related to the BellTower, the Boulevard, the pedicab, and the city’s hospitality and spirituality. City Tourism Officer Jacqueline Veloso Antonio expressed her office’s aim to make festival entries more rooted in and inspired by the distinct cultural resources that Dumaguete City offer. (MUGNA PR)

MUGNA Seminar on Heritage Preservation and DRRM/CCA Held

Guest speakers Lutgardo “Gardy” Labad and Oscar Lizaro (fifth and sixth seated from the right) flanked by Amlan Mayor Gino dela Cruz (seated fourth from left) and other participants from Amlan and MUGNA organizers. Below are the participants from Bais City and next below from Dumaguete City.

An NCCA-initiated cultural program for Negros Island called Mugna, coordinated by the Negros Cultural Foundation with Teatrokon and the Youth Advocates Through Theater Arts and in partnership with the local government units and cultural workers of Dumaguete City, Amlan and Bais City for Negros Oriental gathered more than one hundred participants composed of tourism officers, artists and cultural workers, educators, media, environmental groups, rescue workers, scholars, youth, community and LGU leaders including Amlan’s Mayor Gino dela Cruz for a one-day seminar/workshop on Heritage Preservation, Disaster Risk Reduction and Management and Climate Change Adaptation last September 14, 2016 at the Bethel Guest House in Dumaguete City.

The program commenced with an overview of NCCA’s aims in the project by MUGNA Area Director and YATTA Executive Director Dessa Quesada Palm. This was followed by the morning session’s speaker Lutgardo “Gardy” Labad who led the participants in a rapid cultural mapping and assessment and discussed the value of heritage preservation as well as stewardship of the natural environment. Mr. Labad is a theater director, composer and musical director based in Bohol who heads Teatro Bol-anon and Kasing Sining Bohol, but was also the former head of Bohol’s Cultural Office and the NCCA Committee on Dramatic Arts. He is currently a member of the NCCA Curriculum Committee for the Special Program for the Arts and the Technical Working Group for Cultural Mapping. He emphasized the mutual value of both nature and culture, stating that where nature is an essential giver of life, arts and culture is important in giving meaning and nurturing the soul of a nation.

The afternoon discussion on Disaster Risk Management and Climate Change Adaptation was led by Oscar Lizardo who serves as External Affairs Head of the Department of Science and Technology’s Project NOAH (Nationwide Operation Assessment of Hazards). Mr. Lizardo said it is important to make the distinction between hazard and disaster, and challenged the participants to communicate risks more effectively through disaster awareness programs, visual information, bridging the gap between media and science, localizing information, learning from disasters that did not happen, and utilizing ambassadors to get the message across.

Glynda Descuatan of Sky Cable and YATTA gave the closing remarks, thanking all the resource persons and the participants and calling on everyone to become champions of preserving our cultural and natural heritage which defines our identity as a people. (MUGNA PR)