Meet Biñan’s advocate of cultural revival

MANILA, Philippines — Colorful and lively folk dances opened the Puto Latik Festival in Biñan, Laguna in May last year. The festival won a special award at the ATOP-DOT Pearl Awards as Outstanding City Tourism Event that year. In the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Biñan, a new exhibit showcasing Lenten icons and statues was inaugurated on March 31. At the city’s Bahay Pag-asa, children in conflict with the law presented a puppet show to guests in celebration of World Theater Day on March 27. And, last February, Biñan’s version of Vigan’s Calle Crisologo was officially opened to the public.

These events are just few of the many signs proving that Biñan is experiencing a cultural renaissance.

For many years, the city’s residents seemed to have forgotten its history and heritage as the demands of a growing city has shifted its focus on commerce and entrepreneurship. This changed during the administration of Mayor Arman Dimaguila, who appointed a young Biñanense, Bryan Jayson Borja, known as “BJ” to many, as the City’s Tourism and Cultural Affairs officer.

Under Mayor Dimaguila’s term, a new office, the Biñan Culture, History, Arts and Tourism Office (BCHATO), was created to spearhead the preservation of city’s history, culture and arts and its promotion to locals and tourists alike. In a few years, Borja, equipped with his knowledge of the arts, skill in communicating with the youth, and his leadership abilities, was able to revive the city’s cultural and historical activities.

Passion for culture and the arts

Borja’s propensity for the culture and the arts has grown in him since his childhood days.

Born and raised in the city, Borja had a profound understanding of the city’s historical and cultural identity, through visits to the city’s historical landmarks such as the Alberto Mansion, Plaza Rizal and the old municipal building.

His active participation in church-based organizations and his exposure to theater arts and dance in university also honed the young Borja’s passion for culture and the arts where he naturally gravitated later in life.

At 18, he established the Biñan Youth Performance Council (BYPC), a local theater group. It created a platform for the reawakening of culture and re-exposure of Biñanenses to the arts.

“BYPC advocates community awareness and is responsive not only to current pertinent issues involving the City of Biñan, but the whole country as well,” Borja said.

Henceforth, the activities of the group gave rise to increasing awareness of the importance of culture and the practices it entails. It led to the formation of other cultural groups within the city, with Borja as the essential consultant or either co-founder for each.

One important event that rose out of this awareness was the creation of the United Artists for Cultural Conservation and Development Inc. (UACCD).

The creation of the UACCD was spurred by the impending demolition of the 200-year-old Alberto Mansion. It was the oldest building in Biñan, built in the 17th century and the only original surviving structure related to Dr. Jose Rizal — the house where his mother Teodora Alonso grew up.

Through various efforts of UACCD, the issue surrounding the Alberto Mansion received international and national media attention. Amid all these, the national government did not dip its finger into the issue. Low in morale, UACCD did not give up; they petitioned the local government to purchase and restore the property.

Today, the local government efforts led by Mayor Dimaguila and former mayor and Rep. Len Alonte to restore the mansion are underway after a successful expropriation case and its designation as a local heritage site. The project, which was launched in May 2017, will be completed by August.

Reviving Biñan’s culture and identity

UACCD’s successful petition for the restoration of the Alberto Mansion proved Borja’s mettle in organizing and launching campaigns for the promotion history, culture and arts, which led to his appointment as City Tourism and Cultural Affairs officer and head of BCHATO.

The office is a first for Biñan despite being one of the oldest towns in the province, as it previously didn’t have an official department that caters to cultural and artistic needs of its citizens. Nevertheless, Borja’s experience would prove valuable in achieving his office’s goals — cultural heritage and artistic creation, historical conservation and preservation and tourism development and promotion.

Among the first projects of the BCHATO under Mayor Dimaguila’s term was the conversion of the Old Municipal Building of Biñan into a library and museum, now named the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Biñan and also serves as BCHATO’s headquarters. The building is now the main venue for events that promote cultural and historical awareness, create artistic skills and develop the city’s tourism potential.

Aside from the Sentrong Pangkultura ng Biñan, another venue that houses local performing arts groups as well as trains and supports local artists and talents — the Biñan City Center for Performing Arts Inc. — was also established through Borja’s bidding. It now has a total of seven performing groups under its umbrella catering to the fields of theatre, dance and music totaling to almost 200 members.

As with any campaign, branding is essential. To sell Biñan as a tourist destination, Borja saw the need to rebrand the city’s tourism slogan. He recommended the new branding for Biñan, which is “City of Life” and its tourism slogans “Experience Biñan” and “Sa Biñan Buhay ang Nakaraan, Sumasalubong sa Hinaharap.”

As BCHATO head, Borja also founded other groups that would support Biñan’s various thrusts toward the promotion of culture, history and the arts. These include the Samahan ng mga Nangangalaga ng Poon sa Biñan, Friends of the Biñan City Museums Inc., Likhaan Biñan and Rotaract Club of Biñan Babaylan.