Photo: Hector Barretto Calma
Dr. BienvenidoLumbera will be the Guest of Honor during the Opening Program of the 1st National Youth Forum on Heritage (1NYFH) at the Cultural Center of the Philippines this November 11, 2015.
The National Artist for Literature, Filipino poet, critic and dramatist, Ramon Magsaysay Awardee for Journalism, Literature and Creative Communication, co- founder of several cultural organizations, multi-awarded writer of numerous literary awards, including the National Book Awards from the National Book Foundation, and the Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards said, “I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to the discussion of the issues to be tackled in the forum.”
Also in the opening ceremonies are Dr. Victor Emmanuel Carmelo Nadera, Jr., Director of the Philippine High School for the Arts and UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines Commissioner, and Ms. Eva Mari Salvador, Head of Arts Education, Cultural Center of the Philippines.
With the young heritage experts, scholars, advocates and workers who will gather and discuss the youth’s role to the documentation, conservation and promotion of the nation’s natural and cultural heritage through the 1NYFH, Lumbera, a pillar of contemporary Philippine literature, cultural studies and film, will open the 4-day event which will be held from November 11-14,2015 at the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), National Arts Center, Mt. Makiling, Los Baños, Laguna.
After welcoming the delegates in CCP, a flower offering will followat the Young Rizal Monument at Rizal Shrine Calamba. Upon arriving at the PHSA, delegates will proceed with Pares-Parehan, a custom for lodging visitors to make offerings to Maria Makiling (a guardian spirit of nature by the ancient Tagalog.)
1NYFH envisions “A Filipino youth aware of his or her identity by appreciating, conserving and promoting the nation’s past, culture and natural resources and drawing inspirations from these which leads to action” fostering active youth involvement in increasing the community and fellow youth’s awareness on heritage-related laws, and integrating heritage in various youth programs and initiatives, regardless of profession and field.
The theme of the event is “Entering the Future Remembering the Past,” an echo of Rizal’s epigraph to his play, El Consejo de los Dioses: “Con el recuerdo del pasadoentro en el porvenir” (“I enter the future remembering the past”). 1NYFH is designed to serve as platform both for the Filipino youth advocate for heritage and the stakeholders.
According to the organizers, comprising the expectedeighty(80) delegates are 57 youth representatives from the 18 regions along with 23 sectoral representatives, e.g. agriculture, art conservation, health, from the 238 applicants screened by the NYFH Secretariat.
The forum proper is set to start Day 2 for an artful and stately tone the rest of the session. The forum starts with the Keynote Address by FelicePrudente Sta. Maria, an internationally awarded author and former commissioner to the UNESCO National Commission of the Philippines and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, to be followed by four simultaneous forums: Forum on Heritage Contexts (a discussion on diversifying the definition of heritage inclusive of intangible, natural and documentary heritage), Forum on Youth Initiatives on Heritage (looking at current youth initiatives and grant opportunities), Forum on Heritage and Sustainable Development (focusing on sustainable tourism and the role/responsibilities of the creative industries in heritage), and Forum on Heritage Research and Documentation (providing strategies for research and cultural mapping). “MaskiNanu,” a Kapampangan phrase for anything goes will be held at night where the delegates can share to the plenary their advocacies and projects.
Meanwhile, dialogues on Heritage Education, Documenting, Conserving and Promoting Local Heritage fills Day 3. The day ends with a closing program at Makiling, to be followed by a simple candle lighting uttering simple commitments to nation-building and heritage conservation and promotion
Day 4 is the Departing Program, Museum Tour and the Premiere Screening of “Mabini: Talino at Paninindigan,” a belated documentary on Mabini’s 150th birth anniversary at the Mabini Shrine Tanauan, Batangas, produced by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines. The Closing Ceremonies will be held at the National Museum of the Philippines.
The 1NYFH is the brainchild of The Outstanding Students of the Philippines Region 3 Alumni Community of Heroes Inc., in collaboration with Project Saysay and TOSP Foundation, Inc. (formerly RFM Foundation, Inc.). It is co-presented by Philippine High School for the Arts and National Commission for Culture and the Arts, with the support by National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Cultural Center of the Philippines, National Museum of the Philippines, KomisyonsaWikang Filipino, andPhinma National Scholarship Program
Other participating partners areRFM Corporation, Cityneon Philippines, Red Root Artists Cooperative, Creative Voices Production, and Pamana Ph.
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