Man for the Arts

Too often, corporate support the arts is given as a token gesture, part of corporate social responsibility or a corpoate communications/public relations program. Artists, arts organizations and cultural institutions, perennially cash-strapped, depend to a large extent on such corporate largesse which, in these times of fiscal crisis–real, rhetorical, theoretical or virtual–is a sadly shrinking pie.

As artists and cultural workers fight to claim their place as a vital and integral part of national development, many in government, business, economic planning and even education still see art and culture as a luxury, a pursuit of the wealthy, a frivolity even, that comes only as a bonus after food, shelter, jobs, roads and debt service. This perception leaves arts on the bottom rungs of budget and funding allocations.

But even in this dark and dismal scenario there is light. Banker, telecommunications and media industry leader, and reluctant celebrity Antonio O. Cojuangco has, unbeknownst to many, set an example of involvement in the arts that is finally being recognized. On September 8, he will receive the "Tanging Parangal ng CCP" during the Gawad CCP Para sa Sining awards ceremonies, the first from the corporate world to be so honored since the awards were first given in 1977.

That highest honor is given by the Cultural Center of the Philippines to "individuals or organizations in the government and/or private sector in recognition of their outstanding services/efforts/contributions which have significantly affected the development/support of the arts and/or other cultural activities in the country".

The reasons Cojuangco is being cited for this distinct honor are threefold:

"Leadership. As chairman of the National Museum, Ballet Philippines, Tanghalang Pilipino, and Radio Veritas, (he) has been largely responsible for the organizational and financial sustainability of these organizations.

"Support for the arts. During his tenure as president and ceo of PLDT, he institutionalized the corporation’s support for the arts which benefitted hundreds of artists and arts organizations and which set an example for the business sector to follow. Among the beneficiaries of this is the CCP, which was able to develop the Liwasang ASEAN through a generous grant from PLDT. Today, (he) continues to support the arts from his personal funds.

"Cultural promotion. He continues to help promote Philippine arts and culture through film and broadcast media. He refurbished the CCP Tanghalang Manuel Conde into the CCP Dream Theater. He established the CCP Dream Channel for Filipino art films. The First Philippine Independent Film Summit scheduled for February 2005 is his brainchild. His forthcoming programs for ABC-5 will include arts and culture."

The depth and extent of Cojuangco’s involvement in the arts may come as a surprise to many, even to some in the arts community who may not have been aware of what Cojuangco’s proverbial "right hand" has been doing. In an exclusive interview with STARweek, Cojuangco discusses

Funding the arts was not a "good citizen" corporate decision for Cojuangco; it began much earlier, back in college at the Ateneo (where he finished his Bachelor’s degree, summa cum laude), when he and some friends supported theater stalwart Rolando Tinio in his efforts to translate theater classics–plays of Shakespeare and the ancient Greek dramatists–into Filipino and present them to audiences not usually in attendance at the theater, like students from public and private schools, people from the provinces.

Back in the country after getting an MBA at Stanford University, he continued to support Tinio in his CCP-based Teatro Pilipino, until Tinio’s death ended the company’s missionary efforts. Today, Cojuangco sits as chairman of Teatro Pilipino’s successor, Tanghalang Pilipino, the resident theater company of the CCP which presents plays in Filipino as well as English–sometimes both language versions of the same play.

Often caught in a swarm of professional as well as personal controversy despite his very pronounced preference for keeping away from the limelight, Cojuangco laughs when asked if he ever took his turn on the stage, even in a school play. "I have stage fright," he guffaws, but he did his bit in the production staff, doing lights and props.

"You know, people who watched Shakespeare’s plays at that time were not the elite but everyday people.The language (of the plays) sounds strange to us, but that was the way they talked," he says, bolstering his view that "everyday people" are not averse to watching plays or dance or other art forms when it is something they understand.

Exposure is also important, he points out. "You show people the classics, and you teach them to distinguish between a good production and a bad production," he says, adding that his newly acquired television station, ABC-Channel 5, will devote "a certain number of hours a week to arts and culture shows–whether they rate or not".

It is the only way the masa will get that all-important exposure to arts and culture. "Even if they just stay for five minutes before they change channels," he ventures. "Maybe next time it’ll be 15 minutes."

What came as a surprise in this rare interview with one of the most sought after but elusive figures was learning how close he came to turning his back on the corporate world. The tectonic shift in connection with the ownership and management of telephone monolith PLDT sent Cojuangco into a closed retreat with his old Jesuit schoolmaster; he considered leaving the convoluted world of business-politics and doing ngo work full time. A bosom buddy sought spiritual guidance for the same yet opposite dilemma: to leave ngo work and start earning a good living to support his family.

Fortunately the wise Jesuit realized that each had something to say to the other, and both left deciding to stay each in his field of competence–Cojuangco in business and the other in developmental work–but both working together to make a difference.

projects with admirable enthusiam and commitment. They started a project that pooled small community radio stations to get better ad rates and provide them with access–via Cyberdyaryo– to up-to-date news content instead of three-day-old news reports read on air. They provided farmers with computers to access relevant information like prices of crops and farm inputs, also through Cyberdyaryo. To empower the "poorest of the poor" they provided marginalized fisherfolk with bancas.

Experience being the best teacher, Cojuangco learned from all these noble but unfortunately not entirely successful projects, and decided to stay within his fields of expertise, settling into what seems to be a good balance of business and developmental work, with a good dose of the arts.

Today he actively heads a bank (the medium-sized but rapidly growing Bank of Commerce), a television station (ABC-5, set to take a path different from inane programming), a satellite television outfit (Dream Satellite TV, which reaches parts of the country free and cable television do not), as well as a dance company (Ballet Philippines, the country’s premiere professional dance company), a theater company (Tanghalang Pilipino) and the National Museum, a three-building complex which he envisions as a showcase for Filipino culture. Despite funding that fell drastically short of what was pledged, the Museum of the Filipino People housed in the former Finance Building continues to draw students and tourists, while the Gallery of the Masters housed in the former Executive House is scheduled to open in February 2005.

Cojuangco is also the main backer of Cinemalaya, an independent film festival set for 2005 which features competitions for independent short- and full-length feature films. To date, 193 entries have been received for the full-length category; the short-film category is still open until Sept. 15.

His goals for these diverse enterprises are two-fold: that they are–or become–economically viable and that they make a positive difference in their field, by elevating standards of excellence or by a positive influence on the lives of Filipinos.

"The remarkable thing about Tony is that he does all of these things with no fanfare," says CCP president Nestor Jardin about the Tanging Parangal to be given to Cojuangco. "In fact, he hides from publicity. You’re lucky he agreed to talk to you!"