Abunda named arts festival envoy

MANILA, Philippines - Television talk show host Boy Abunda has been named ambassador of the 2011 Philippine International Arts Festival. Malacañang clarified he is not a presidential appointee but merely designated for the particular event.

“It may be an informal designation by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) similar to that of ambassador of goodwill to promote the arts,” deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said.

The Palace official said she checked Abunda’s name at the office of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa Jr., where the list of all presidential appointees are screened, but this yielded negative results.

“I went through the list given by the OES and I didn’t see his name,” Valte said.

The NCCA made the announcement in time for PIAF in February next year, where they said “Mr. Abunda will add color to next year’s month-long celebration” by virtue of his advocacy in Philippine arts and culture.

“Dubbed as local show business’ ‘King of Talk,’ Mr. Abunda’s ability to clearly communicate ideas makes him the perfect spokesperson to promote Philippine arts and culture to Filipinos around the world,” a portion of the NCCA statement read.

Prior to TV hosting, Abunda worked as assistant stage manager at the Metropolitan Theater under the tutelage of Conching Sunico.

“Art, for me, is a way of life; it is our story; it is that something that defines us, and we should cherish and celebrate it,” he said during a press conference held at the NCCA building in Intramuros.

The PIAF event will coincide with the National Arts Month, dubbed “Ani ng Sining” (Art’s Harvest).

It will be the country’s biggest arts festival and will gather thousands of artists all over the country to promote Filipino culture in the seven arts.