Everyone's Cultural Center

Any student of the University of the Philippines in Diliman will be happy to share that aside from the privilege of being a scholar ng bayan, an additional perk is to be able to get away for a while from too much academics and enjoy the music and shows at the other side of the former CAS (College of Arts and Sciences), now known as CSSP (College of Social Sciences and Philosophy).

The Abelardo Hall and the UP Theatre allowed those in UP Diliman to enjoy local and global music and shows scheduled throughout the year. What a happy treat to have watched and heard the world-renowned Madrigal Singers as well as other globally recognized artists, even up and coming local beginners in the campus! The UP theatre also boasted of the best local and foreign movies and performances.

UP Diliman continues to offer not only the best quality education to deserving top scholars of our country. UP Diliman continues to ensure holistic development for scholars by providing music and culture as added inspiration.

Galleries and libraries were also all over the campus. Award-winning as well as budding artists had their art pieces displayed for everyone to enjoy viewing. Libraries, ah, libraries were all over the campus for those who loved, who savored learning more.

All these nostalgic memories came to mind when, finally last Wednesday morning, March 13th, I was able to enter what was intended to be everyone's cultural center located within the UP Cebu campus.

In 1992, fresh from UP Diliman, I was sad to see the beautiful art pieces of our UP Cebu Fine Arts students left unattended, even left to be damaged by occasional floods and rains that would enter the basement of the main building. There were also very few areas, if at all, for those who loved music to sing their hearts out, during their free time, within the campus then. One also had to go far, to the heart of the city, to enjoy local and foreign cultural shows. Oh, if only we could have a place then for art, music, and culture to be shared and made accessible to all, within the UP Cebu Campus just like at the UPD campus!

When the news reported that former Cebu Governor Tingting de la Serna was looking for an area to construct his plans for a performing arts center and a coed dormitory for the best and the brightest minds among the poor scholars of Cebu and other regions, after consultation and with the permission of UP officials, with President Jose Pepe Abueva's ready yes, we entered into consultations and negotiations to have the two much-needed cultural center and the scholars' dormitory within the UP Cebu Campus.

Then UP Visayas Chancellor Dodong Nemenzo provided the wise counsel that such a move could subject UP Cebu to political winds. And how right he was when de la Serna's plans were shelved by the succeeding officials of Cebu.

UP Cebu paid for and converted the scholars' dorm to rooms and offices for UP scholars, faculty, and staff. The performing arts center became a white elephant for so long, the original dreams and plans to have a special place to allow Cebu and this region's culture to soar and be shared with the rest of the Cebuanos and with the rest of the Filipino people, through UP Cebu, lost and mired in politics and power play.

The original plan was for the governments of Cebu and Cebu City to be active partners with UP, whose task, especially through the Humanities Division, was to allow for the flowering and the continued promotion of Cebuano, regional and national culture and arts and making all these accessible to everyone, to all Filipinos.

Among the earlier plans for the inauguration was to invite all Cebuano artists and performers to share their gifts and talents and work, at the cultural center's gallery and stage for our people to enjoy and appreciate. Among the earlier dreams was to inspire beginning artists and performers to share their talents and work, at the then performing arts center, now called Cebu Cultural Center, for all to enjoy.

Will the present cultural center continue to be open and be made accessible to everyone, through UP Cebu, or will the political winds again close the doors for culture and arts to be shared only for a select few, not with every Cebuano, every Filipino, everyone?

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