Cultural Center of the Philippines president and National Commission for Culture and the Arts chairman Arsenio “Nick” J. Lizaso recently represented the Philippines in the Ninth ASEAN Ministers Responsible for Culture and Arts (AMCA) Meeting and the AMCA Meetings with Dialogue Partners, including the ASEAN Plus Three, China, Japan and the Republic of Korea, which were held online via Video Conference, on October 22, 2020.
In his speech during the said virtual event, Lizaso urged his ASEAN cultural sector to explore and discover new modalities of expression in bringing its creative products to a wider public via the digital platform in the face of challenges brought about by the pandemic.
He underscored the NCCA’s shift to digital platform and cited the various cultural activities online of the NCCA in response to the “new digital normal.”
Among these activities he cited were Padayon: The NCCA Hour, a daily e-cultural show in partnership with the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), to underscore the relevance and enrich the understanding of Philippine culture to Filipinos in and outside the country and Arts Online, a bi-weekly video stream of educational materials for students, arts enthusiasts, and the general public.
In a joint statement issued later after the conference, the participants reaffirmed their commitment to the advancement of culture as one of the foundations of the ASEAN Community’s dynamism and of building harmony among the peoples of ASEAN, guided by the ASEAN Strategic Plan for Culture and Arts 2016-2025.
This plan aims to engender among its peoples a sense of ownership of the preservation and conservation of ASEAN’s cultural heritage and promote the use of culture for creativity, innovation and livelihood-creation.
