ASEAN cultural affairs/Australian ethnic art

 Last Monday, on the occasion of the 40th ASEAN Ministerial Meeting in Manila, Mrs. Rosie Lovely T. Romulo, wife of FA Secretary Alberto Romulo and, I might add, pride of Filipino womanhood, gave a luncheon honoring ASEAN delegates’ wives at the Manila Hotel. In her welcome speech, Mrs. Romulo introduced her visitors from Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Thailand, Laos, Singapore, Malaysia, Myanmar and Vietnam, and pointed out the many similarities between the Philippines and her Asian neighbors, while stressing unity in diversity.

Guests included diplomats and government officials, among them Ambassador Victor and Connie Garcia, FA Usec Esteban and Celine Conejos, Consul Fortune Ledesma, Ada L. Mabilangan, Pennie Farolan and Alice Guerrero.

The Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group performed dances of Mindanao (pre-colonial), Luzon and the Visayas (colonial), thus introducing to the foreign audience the varied influences and aspects of our culture.

Last Sunday, it was the other way around. During the television program of Presidential Assistant for Culture and NCCA executive director Cecile G. Alvarez, ASEAN representatives gave demonstrations of their music, dances and visual arts. We are thoroughly conversant with the performing and visual arts of the West, and the Asian samplings were highly illuminating, however brief.

The Office of the Presidential Assistant on Culture and the Philippine International Theater Institute are currently holding a workshop at the James B. Reuter Theater in St. Paul’s U in QC until Aug. 8. About 40 multitalented artists from the ASEAN member countries are in a two-week intensive, live-in training and production program in performance and media arts toward the UN Millennium Development Goals. The program is linked with the Cine Manila International Film Festival from Aug. 8 to 19.

Observes Alvarez: “This is a primary example of applying culture as an essential ingredient to promote peace and sustainable development. It profiles the dynamic application of culture as a force for education, an engine for the creative industries, a catalyst for regional solidarity.

“It is a modeling of an inter-cultural, inter-faith, inter-civilization dialogue and encounter among ASEAN youth, a training for ‘Theater for All’, showcasing an effective cultural care-giving service designed to demonstrate a poverty alleviation program through the arts.” Alvarez concludes: “This historic event will surely highlight the Philippines as a cultural gateway to ASEAN.”

An ASEAN Editorial Cartoon Competition on the theme “One ASEAN at the heart of a Dynamic Asia” is open to all editorial cartoonists whose works are published from July 20 to Aug. 12, 2007.

The criteria: relevance to the theme, aesthetic appeal, technical quality of the cartoon, its significance to the ASEAN ideals and programs, and the cartoonist’s insight ­— a short commentary or explanatory note in English.

First prize is P15,000; second, P10,000; third, P5,000. Entries must be submitted together with the entry form to the NCCA office, 633 Gen. Luna St., Intramuros starting Aug. 1 up to midnight of Aug. 15, 2007. Inquire from William Maglente, 5275529 or Maricel Diaz, 5272175.

*   *   *

Ambassador Tony Hely and Ambassador Alfonso Yuchengco officially opened Australia’s indigenous exhibition “Gelam Nguzu Kazi – Dugong My Son” at the Yuchengco Museum. The show is on-going until tomorrow, Aug. 2.

It is the first exhibition of limited edition linocuts by the artists of the Mua-Mualgau Minaral Artist Collective from Mua Island, north of Australia’s mainland. Drawing on their carving traditions, the artists have pioneered in a unique style to tell their ancient history and stories in contemporary form. Through “Gelam”, artists explore their social and physical environment, reclaiming and reaffirming their culture for future generations.

Multi-awarded artist Billy Missi held talks and lecture-demonstrations with the cooperation of noted Filipino printmakers Ambie Abano, Pandy Aviado, Phil Delacruz and Raul Isidro.