impressions on library
Due to erratic schedule last June 5 and June 12 to give way to two important national holidays, we were able to observe and experience alternative activities such as museum hopping and opening of Ternocon. Since the Cultural Center is implementing a four-day working week, Monday is the second Colloquy with Gurus. This time, we went to the University of Philippines to interact with the National Artist for Music, Dr. Ramon Santos. And finally last Wednesday, during the commemoration of the 121st Independence Day, we went to SM Mall of Asia for the opening of Ternocon. One day after the orientation, it was not only a holiday for our Muslim siblings but also a chance to immerse to the museums in Intramuros. I went alone at first to the newly opened “Museo de Intramuros.” I also went to Casa Manila and on my way across to Museum de San Agustin, I saw my co-apprentices. So I tagged along with them to San Agustin Church, Manila Cathedral and finally at Fort Santiago.
specific assignment
Last Tuesday, I was able to watch “Tuklas Sining” documentary series at the audio-visual section. Mang Dany assisted me in searching for the Video materials, after locating the VHS tapes he set up the television and video player. I was able to see at least three out seven arts from the series:
Dulaan, Musika and Sayaw. Earlier, I found some materials related to the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group and the launching Jose Maceda’s book “Gongs and Bamboo.” The video materials were a bit raw, unedited and with no credits. T
he ROFG performance was dated December 1996 marking its 25th year of existence. Among the few patrons and distinguished guest was National Artist for Music Lucrecia Kasilag. It was good good supplement to the Colloquy with Gurus when we visited ROFG. I appreciated National Artist for Dance Ramon Obusan better although I verified that the cultural mapping conducted in Pasay did not include the national artist under personalities or did they dedicated a page or two for ROFG as a cultural institution.
I was also glad that the venue for the next Colloquy with Gurus was held at Jose Maceda Hall, the Center for Ethnomusicology has just transferred from its original location. I got to see Dr. Ramon Santos who was then the artistic director of the Cultural Director in 1998 during the launch of the national artist for music Dr. Jose Maceda. It was pleasurable to watch the culmination of avant garde composer’s career with performances of gangsa from the North, wind and bamboo instruments by indigenous peoples with kulintang in the South.
Finally, it was good to note that aside from Sining Kambayoka and religious theater in Marinduque was featured in the documentary series, Dulaan. I also benefited from the complete set of the CCP encyclopedia for the arts, both the first and (1994) second (2017) edition. I was able to locate the luminaries from dance, music and theater like Ramon Obusan, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Jose Maceda, Ramon Santos and the UP Center for Ethnomusicology.
learnings/ insights
It was during the centenary of the archipelago’s revolution, Dr. Jose Maceda launched his life’s work “Gongs and Bamboo” at the cultural center which was jointly published by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and the University of the Philippines Press. When I went to Sagada as a cultural mapping facilitator, not as a tourist anymore, I was able to get a deeper appreciation of the Cordillera culture from the said book by the National Artist for music. I understood the interconnection between the musical instruments in the country such as gangsa, the kulintang, gandingan and agung. I am delighted that kalutang was also included in the book, however I learned that the Mangyan is also making use of the instrument apart from the townsfolk of Gasan, Marinduque.
Likewise, I also enjoyed the very detailed book “Sinaunang Habi” by Marian Pastor-Roces. I was trying to relate the different weaving traditions in the North and from the South. Weaving is both tangible and intangible, the knowledge about the patterns, technique and craftsmanship is indicative of expressive cultures and also the aesthetic value of the finished product is priceless. I was also trying to locate the tradition of weaving in Marinduque between the long and great traditions of the Cordilleras and Mindanao. Although I was not able to find out at the moments, perhaps the weavers from Marinduque can learn much from the folk practice featured in the book by Pastor-Roces.
While interacting with Mam Alice, she told us about the challenges and issues between the first edition and the revised edition of the CCP encyclopedia of the Arts. Just like the “Tuklas Sining” monograph series on the seven arts: architecture, theater, music, literature, film, dance, and visual arts, the volume was edited by Dr. Nicanor Tiongson. I could just imagine with the process of updating the entries in the encyclopedia, the main challenge is not the dearth or lack of information but on the contrary, the verification and culling of credible data. My main realisation, while looking for Marinduque entries in the rich library and archives, I did not found much. But on the other hand, I was able to understand more and more the interface of archipelagic configuration like the function of the UP Center for Ethnomusicology. According to Dr. Ramon Santos, it can only be attributed to only one man’s initiative, this can be attested with more than 3,500 hours of sound recordings, thousands of pages of field notes and detailed photographs along with musical notations of at least 87 ethnolinguistic groups in the archipelago.