by Geri Matthew “Choi” Carretero (Kurit Lagting/ CAP Bicol)
The rich cultural tapestry of the Philippines, found throughout the archipelago, holds unique stories, traditions, and artistic expressions often overlooked on the national stage. For far too long, the vibrant world of Philippine art has been largely centralized in Metro Manila, but thanks to the initiatives of various art groups in Sorsogon, we are witnessing a transformative shift. This transformative shift is happening at a grassroots level, setting the stage for a cultural renaissance. While the concept of decentralization isn’t new in the Philippine art scene, what’s unfolding in Sorsogon is revitalizing this idea. Driven by the belief that art is intrinsic to society, local art groups are working tirelessly to tap into the province’s creative potential. Their initiatives aim to empower local artists and bring art closer to the community, fostering a culture of appreciation and innovation. One such initiative focuses on promoting indigenous art forms, ranging from traditional dance, poetry, folktales, community theater, and vibrant woven textiles to intricate ceramics. Artists and art groups are committed to preserving and reviving these traditions, passing them down to future generations through heritage talks, community projects, art fairs, films, and workshops. Community engagement is pivotal. Art exhibitions, murals, collaborative artworks, and cultural events are held in public spaces, ensuring accessibility for all. Artist-run exhibits, independent galleries, and art spaces are now open to the community, not just the urban elite, allowing underprivileged communities to engage with creativity. The digital age also plays a significant role in amplifying Sorsogon’s art scene and social issues. Social media and online galleries provide a platform for local artists to share their work with a global audience, granting them visibility and participation in a broader artistic discourse and advocacies. Decentralization isn’t just about shifting the geographical focus of art; it’s about creating an inclusive and participatory culture of creativity. These local art groups’ initiatives have the potential to reshape the dynamics of the entire Philippine art world, inviting diversity, amplifying unheard voices, and revealing artistic expressions previously hidden in the shadow of the metropolis. As we celebrate the democratization of art in Sorsogon, it’s essential to acknowledge the challenges and opportunities this transformative journey presents. Both financial and moral support are vital for these initiatives to thrive, and local and national governments should recognize Sorsogon’s potential as a cultural hub and invest in its growth. Sorsogon’s “art renaissance” illustrates the power of local communities coming together, marking a significant step towards decentralizing and democratizing Philippine art, offering a vision of a more inclusive and diverse cultural landscape. # # # About the writer: Geri Matthew “Choi” Carretero is a Bicolano multidisciplinary artist, independent curator, and community development worker. He is the co-founder of the Kurit-Lagting Art Collective and a member of the Concerned Artists of the Philippines.
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Poverty is arguably the most pressing challenge we face today. However, engaging various government agencies, civil society partners, and key sectors, especially the youth, in governance remains a crucial endeavor for poverty eradication. Crafting policies tailored to their needs is essential.
Historically, the market-oriented and neoliberal economic policies in the Philippines have significantly impacted vital sectors, resulting in economic backwardness and the concentration of political power among a few, making economic growth exclusionary. For sub-sectors like children and youth, who are particularly susceptible to economic turmoil, active participation in shaping community policies and programs is imperative. In reality, Filipino youth are highly vulnerable to economic and political policies. In the 1970s, radical youth organizations initiated protest activities against the Marcos regime. Comprising mostly students in solidarity with the impoverished masses, these groups rallied around issues such as academic freedom, poverty, and other social concerns. Even after Martial law, youth organizations continued to grapple with challenges in dealing with government policies, highlighting the need to address lingering issues to ensure the rights of all youth and their access to opportunities in society. I concur that the concerns of youth must be fully integrated into national policymaking in the Philippines. The formulation of mechanisms among youth organizations to lobby for a more significant political voice should be facilitated to enhance participation. Their involvement in all governance and development spheres, particularly in policymaking, must be institutionalized with clear goals and objectives. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) estimates that millions of children and youth are considered out-of-school. Common reasons for non-attendance include marriage or family matters, the high cost of education, financial concerns, and lack of personal interest. Therefore, youth policies and plans should recognize multidimensional approaches, including coordination mechanisms between the government and youth organizations, gender equality, poverty alleviation, and securing their rights. While a detailed action plan is necessary for policy implementation, specific programs and plans tailored to meet the youth's demands and aspirations must be developed. Active youth participation in governance is possible through the establishment of more democratic governance structures, relevant education, and skills development to safeguard and enhance the youth's contribution to shaping the Philippine economy. In conclusion, addressing poverty as our paramount challenge necessitates a comprehensive and inclusive approach. Engaging various stakeholders, including government agencies, civil society partners, and crucial sectors such as the youth, is not just important but crucial for effective poverty eradication. Tailoring policies to meet the specific needs of these diverse groups is imperative to ensure their active participation in governance. For months, the COVID-19 pandemic created different nuances of adapting to the “new normal” for individuals, communities, the economy, and the entire public life. In the Philippines, plastered all over social media is an upsurge of musical creativity by people making music from their balconies and homes defining the “new normal”. From solo acts, musical groups to bands, the potential of making music and having their performances digitally available to the public have spread virally with higher contagion rates than the COVID-19 virus itself. While the pandemic has wreaked havoc on the musical community, this not only affected the sphere of music all over the globe but the entire art world with many independent artists who earn through small gigs, exhibits, public concerts, tours and festivals are currently ruled out jeopardizing their only means of income. This led many artists and musicians to devote their creative resources to the production of art through visual arts exhibits, and creating musical online content such as music videos, virtual concerts, and organizing donation drives. Sorsogon City: An Emerging Music Hub
In Sorsogon City, “Matugtog Kita”, a collaborative project of Sorsoganon musicians launched their first online concert entitled “ISURIYAW TA: Palayaon an Musikang Bikolnon!” on Independence Day, June 12. With the general public taking part which has been truly overwhelming, musicians who performed composed, and crafted innovative Bicolano lyrics, interpreted well-known Bicolano classic hit songs and even released their official music video promoting a call-to-action for musicians and artists to help one another create music that is relevant and meaningful to society. OPM Icon, Chickoy Pura Jr. of the Jerks delivered his own resonant rendition of the classic Bicolano love song, Sarung Banggi (One Night/One Evening) composed by Potenciano Gregorio Sr. Pura, who hails from Bulusan, Sorsogon has penned his share of classics:“Romantic Kill,” “Reklamo nang Reklamo,” “Sayaw sa Bubog,” “Rage” and many other hit songs. Plagpul, on the other hand, sang a playful version of Kudot-Kudotan (The Pinching Game), a Bicolano folk song reminiscing childhood love. Plagpul is a progressive rock band with members from Sorsogon City. Plagpul is also the band behind the viral parodies of Bella Ciao, an Italian protest folk song into Walang ma-Chow and the hit pop song Señorita. Notable original compositions filled the concert with Vulkitan by Je Sipoy, Yen Llanera and Gary Dioquino; Ted Aldwin Areola’s acoustic version of his original song, Kitang Duwa; Ilusyon by Save It For The Last and Bjorn Salvador’s Tingog kan Balud that talk about places, life and death, relationship, social class, and gender which are heavily embedded in our culture. Other musicians also performed lyrical rap and spoken word poetry. As most of the musicians who participated were all self-taught and are currently looking for ways or a platform to express themselves to cultivate their talents, the concert reverberated very raw performances in terms of musicality and production but their messages are very clear. They also share this unique bond to be heard and invite others to join them which in a way can be seen as representations of the modern aspects of Sorsoganon way of life and also of their changing attitudes and collective cultural expression through music. Instead of “performing live”, there are these recorded performances streamed live together with a donation drive and a Q & A session with musicians. Technically, these are not live performances but in the context of the challenges faced by our performers in terms of internet connectivity, face-to-face interaction and the risk of contagion, it is also important to understand the multitude of ways in which music is used, recorded and experienced during livestreaming of performances. These circumstances provide an opportunity for musicians to deal effectively with a threatening situation such as COVID-19 and this might help others involved in production to be better equipped should a similar situation occur in the future. It is also important to note the Public service announcements they conducted during the event where music has become embedded in our responses to disrupted lives. With music, Matugtog Kita is also able to advocate for a cause- an innovative digital mediation to making, sharing and experiencing performances. Defying the status quo It is also worth mentioning that Matugtog Kita came to fruition because in the past few years up to now, music and performance in Sorsogon in terms of public platforms are limited only to a few battle of the bands, elections, town festival gigs and a handful of songwriting competitions dedicated only in entertaining people as a SPECTACLE. Like COVID-19, it is also like a virus that plagued our culture for years and there is this danger for what this spectacle expresses because instead of uplifting creativity and unity among musicians, there is always this priority to compete. Oftentimes the intention of the organizers is for self-vested interest thus these platforms always become an instrument for corruption and electioneering instead of giving support to artists and musicians. Tired of the status quo? Perhaps it is now time for artists to unite and stand up against music that only entertains to attract people into our society’s consumerist culture and not really as an essential need for cultural upliftment. It may also be good in the future for Matugtog Kita to partner with community-based art groups in Sorsogon to further educate the people about music by conducting workshops, forums and performances that encourage other sectors such as the youth, women, PWDs, and the like. There is a necessity to involve or extend ourselves in the community to understand the relation of music with the people in the evolving conditions of the Sorsoganon society. There is therefore a need for Matugtog Kita to also re-educate the audience about the essence of music and its significance to the society particularly to the Sorsoganons. Definitely, music should be safeguarded for the generations yet to come! |
AuthorKurit-Lagting co-founder, Geri Matthew “Choi” Carretero is a multidisciplinary artist and community development worker. He has exhibited his artworks in various museums and galleries with themes about migration, displacement, and disability. Archives
November 2023
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