Contemporary Philippine Arts

Contemporary 

Philippine 

Arts

Contemporary Art:

• Art produced at the present period in time.

• Contemporary art includes, and develops from, Postmodern art, which is itself a successor to Modern art.                                 
• In vernacular English, “modern” and “contemporary” are synonyms, resulting in some conflation of the terms “modern art” and “contemporary art” by non-specialists.

Contemporary art forms are the following:

1.Choreography

2.Musical instrument

3.Literary and music composition

4.Visual design

5,Theatrical performance

Contemporary Philippine Arts from Different Regions:

CAR (Cordillera Administrative Region)

• Kalaleng or Tongali(nose flute)

-A kalaleng is a nose flute made from bamboo from the Philippines

-Usually around two feet in length a kalaleng has holes cut in the side, to be stopped by the fingers producing the notes. The player closes one nostril with a bit of cotton, then forces the air from the other into a small hole cut in the end of the tube. This instrument is found mostly in the northern Philippines and is popular with all the native mountain population of the area. It is a usually decorated with etched patterns.

-The instrument is popular with men and is often used in courting.

• Tongatong

-is a percussion instrument made of various lengths of bamboo, which is found in the Kalinga province of the Philippines.It is played by hitting it against the earth.

 -When an entire set of Tongatong is played in interloping rhythm and prolonged with the tribal chanting, it could put the audience and the dancers in a trance

-Traditionally, tongatongs are used by the people of Kalinga to communicate with spirits,particularly as part of healing rituals.In modern times, they are also played recreationally as part of an ensemble and to communicate with spirits during house blessings.

REGION 1 (Ilocos Region)

• The Magdadaran Talip Festival of Carasi

-A celebration of barangays Carasi, Dumalneg and Nueva Era in Adams, Ilocos Norte.

-It aims to commemorate the ancient peace pact that has brought lasting peace between ethnic tribes in the province of Ilocos Norte. It is also celebrated to enhance fellowship and stronger ties among the tribes and Ilocanos intermingling with them.

• Oasiwas

 -A dance in which an oil lamp is balanced on the dancer's head as he swings around lighted lamps wrapped in porous cloth or fishnet. The name of the dance comes from the Pangasinense word for swinging.

-The dance is performed by fishermen of Lingayen when celebrating a good catch. It is accompanied by waltz-like music.

REGION 2 (Cagayan Valley)

• Palu-Palo Festival

-This is a cultural presentation of the municipality of Basco, Batanes, showcasing their ethnic group’’s rugged yet storied existence.

-Palu-palo means sticks or arnis that were used by the native Ivatans to fight the forces of the colonizers such as Spaniards and the Dutch.

-The natives wear the traditional suit made of indigenous materials from the bark of trees which were flattened.

• Sambali festival

-The Sambali or Piat Sambali Festival is celebrated every year in Piat, Cagayan from June 23 to July 2. A spectacle of color, form and movement and songs is to be expected in this celebration, all brought about centuries-old cultural tradition

-The Sambali festival originated from the Sambali dance which is a war dance of the Itawis tribe of Cagayan that was converted to Christianity through the intercession of the Lady of Piat. It was revived in 1989 with the belief that it would promote the identity of the people of Piat, as well as strengthen unity and harmony among its people. Since then, it has been an annual event for the residents of Piat.

REGION 3 (Central Luzon)

• Suman Festival

-A weeklong celebration marked by trade exhibits, fairs and competitions capped by the Search for Ms. Aurora.

-Suman(súmahn) is the filipino steamed rice cake. it comes in as many different forms as there are provinces, but the basic recipe is waxy (sweet) rice wrapped in leaves, then cooked.

-The biggest and grandest of all feasts in Aurora is a parade of floats uniquely designed. Main streets and homes are decked with suman, a native delicacy.

• Pawikan festival

-The Pawikan Festival is held yearly at the Pawikan Conservation Center in Morong, Bataan. The main activity here is the releasing of the baby pawikan, which are hatched in the conservation center.

-Every year, during the festivities, they invite visitors and thousands of students from the provinces to promote awareness and also be treated to some street dancing, sand sculptures, a showcase of local products, and witnessing how the hatchlings go back to the sea.

REGION 4-A (CALABARZON)

• Kalayaan Festival

-Kalayaan festival, as the name suggests, is a celebration of Philippine Independence.

-Kalayaan Festival is a 2 week-long, province-wide event held annually from May 28 to June 12.

The festival was came to life in 2005 with various programs including street dancing, float parade, beauty pageant and trade fair.

-The Kalayaan Festival aims to showcase a new way of experiencing our history and will hold the promise of adventure and discovery of our glorious past with great pride and enthusiasm.

•  Balsa Festival

-Every year on June 24, Lian celebrates its town fiesta as with the celebration of the birthdate of Saint John The Baptist.

-A festival that centerpieces the Balsa as a way of relaxation by the Matabungkay Beach. The celebration is culminated by a race and decorating contest for the Balsa. The festival is spearheaded by the DOT and the private sector headed by the Matabungkay Beach Resort and Hotel.

MIMAROPA Region

• Malasimbo Festival

-The festival is named after a supposedly mystical mountain in Puerto Galera, Oriental Mindoro. The first edition was held in 2011 and has been held there annually since then.

-Malasimbo is also promoting the visual arts, through exhibits and installations from established and up-and-coming artists, including Gus Albor, Billy Bonnevie, Agnes Arellano, Kawayan De Guia, Niccolo Jose, Risa Recio and many others. Some of the sculptures and installations from previous years are still at the venue for people to check out.

-The festival also organizes heritage workshops and traditional performances from indigenous tribes, including the T’Bolis of South Cotabato. Part of the proceeds from the festival also contributes to efforts to preserve the traditional language and poetry of the Mangyans.

-Upholds sustain eco cultural development and the preservation of the Indigenous culture and heritage of the Mangyan tribes of Mindoro.

• Moriones Festival

-An annual festival held on Holy Week on the island of Marinduque, Philippines. The "Moriones" are men and women in costumes and masks replicating the garb of biblical Roman soldiers as interpreted by local folks. The Moriones or Moryonan tradition has inspired the creation of other festivals in the Philippines where cultural practices or folk history is turned into street festivals.

-One of the most colorful festivals celebrated in the island of Marinduque is the Moriones Festival. Moriones, on the other hand, refers to the masked and costumed penitents who march around the town for seven days searching for Longinus. This week-long celebration starts on Holy Monday and culminates on Easter Sunday when the story of Longinus is reenacted in pantomime. This is a folk-religious festival that re-enacts the story of Longinus, a Roman centurion who was blind in one eye. 

-Legend has it that Longinus pierced the side of the crucified Christ. The blood that spurted forth touched his blind eye and fully restored his sight. This miracle convertedLonginus to Christianity and earned the ire of his fellow centurions. The re-enactment reaches its climax when Longinus is caught and beheaded. 

REGION V (Bicol Region)

• Penafrañcia Festival

-The feast of Our Lady of Peñafrancia is celebrated on the third Saturday of September in Naga City, Bicol. The feast day is preceded by a novena, nine days of prayer, in honor of the Virgin. On the first day, the image of the Virgin, a copy of the Madonna in Peñafrancia, Spain, is brought from its shrine to the Naga Cathedral where the novena is held. On the last day, the image is returned to her shrine following the Naga River route. The colorful evening procession is lit by thousands of candles from devotees in boats escorting the image. When the barge reaches its destination, the devotees shout "Viva la Virgen" (Long live the Virgin!) and the image is brought back in a procession to the cathedral.

-According to locals, a Spanish government official from Peñafrancia, Spain, settled with his family in Cavite in 1712. One day, his daughter fell ill and the family prayed for her recovery to the famous Madonna of Peñafrancia, a picture of whom was in their possession. When the daughter recovered, the father vowed to build a chapel in honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Manila. However, since he was being detained in Nueva Caceras, he built the chapel in that city, now known as Naga, instead.

-The famous Madonna is believed to have miraculous powers. On her feast day, pilgrims gather at her shrine to pay her homage for favors received.

• Kasanggayahan Festival

-The Kasanggayahan Festival, which is listed by the Department of Tourism as one of the annual Philippine Festivals, is celebrated with a series of cultural, historical, religious, agro-industrial and economic activities, showcasing Sorsogon as abundant agricultural products, particularly food and decorative items from the versatile Pili tree, which is indigenous to the province.

=The word Kasanggayahan is one of the local words that could mean anything, from kagandahan to kasiyahan, the word only conveys one thing; a positive and optimistic celebration of life in peaceful Sorsogon. It is celebrated every year to mark the separation of Sorsogon from Albay more than a hundred years ago.

-The Festival is highlighted by the inimitable Pantomina sa Tinampo. Pantomina, a traditional Bikol dance, is known as a dance of love and courtship  actually the dance of the doves or  sinalampati  ( salampati is Bikol for dove), as it was then known before the coming of the Spanish colonizers.The Pantomina, or  pantomime, imitates, in dance, the courtship and lovemaking of the doves. But it is only in   Sorsogon where this is danced in the streets, or tinampo, by droves of eager dancers wearing colorful native attire, as they cajole and coax tourists and onlookers to join in the fun and merrymaking, partake of tuba, the native coconut wine, and lechon, or roast pig, carried by dancers as they swing and sway and do their love dance down the streets of Sorsogon.

REGION VI (Western Visayas)

• Pintaflores Festival                         

-Pintaflores festival is an annual event that is held in the beautiful city of San Carlos, in Negros Occidental. The festival is marked every 5th November.

-The festival’s name is unique, one that piques the interest of many a traveller. This name is a derivation of the Spanish word ‘pinta’ which loosely translates to tattoos, and ‘flores’ which means flowers. This festival, in essence, is all about a fusion of arts and nature, making for a very interesting theme.

-The storyline behind Pintaflores revolves around the adversity and victory of a princess who took the challenge to go to unexplored lands. Legend has it that Princess Nabingka who hailed from Cebu City, chose to take the journey from the city to a close island alongside members of her royal fraternity. The region was named after the princess, and is today known as San Carlos City.

• Manggahan Festival

-An identity festival commemorating the anniversary of the province as being an independent province. It is held every 22nd day of May which depicts the cultural heritage of the province and also to emphasize the promotion of Guimaras as the "Mango Country of Western Visayas". It is a week long celebration that showcases the products of the province, its cuisine and services.

-Manggahan Festival is a month long celebration of Guimaras’ rich culture, and their feast of thanksgiving for having bestowed a rich land where delicious mangoes are being grown. Manggahan Festival is a month long celebration of Guimaras’ rich culture, and their feast of thanksgiving for having bestowed a rich land where delicious mangoes are being grown.

REGION VII (Central Visayas)

• Sandugo Festival

-Sandugo Festival is a yearly historical event that takes place every year on the month of March, in the island of Bohol. This festival honors the celebration of a local Philippine leader Datu Sikatuna's blood compact and association or treaty of friendship with the Spanish king conquistador, Captain General Miguel López de Legazpi in March 16, 1565.

               
-The Sandugo treaty is called a blood compact because the participants each drink a small amount of the other's blood. ("Dugo" means blood in the Visayan language.) This was a traditional way to formalize treaties of friendship in the Philippines. Magellan himself took part in several of these ceremonies before attacking Mactan Island.

• Guihulugan Festival

-Guihulugan Festival of Guihulngan is usually celebrated on the 25^th of May. This festival is also referred to as the Cara-Bell Festival because of a story about a bell that saved the lives of the natives.

-The gruesome incident in the 19th Century when the Philippines was a colony of Spain. Men, women and children were said to be captured, beheaded and thrown into the sea, now known as Tañon Strait, by the Moros. Other accounts claim that the Moros dropped a bell into the sea when they found out that it was used by the lookout to warn the townsfolk of their coming. Since that time, the place has been called “GUIHULUGAN” which means, “Place where a thing was dropped”. But in the Spanish writing, “U” and “N” are similar, which is why it became commonly written and known as GUIHULNGAN.

REGION VIII (Eastern Visayas)

• Tinikling

-This is the most popular and best known of the Philippine dances and honored as the Philippine national dance. The dance imitates the movement of the tikling birds as they walk between grass stems, run over tree branches, or dodge bamboo traps set by rice farmers. Dancers imitate the tikling bird's legendary grace and speed by skillfully maneuvering between large bamboo poles. Tinikling means "bamboo dance" in English.

-Considered as one of the oldest dances from the Philippines, this dance was originated in the islands of Leyte in the Visayan Islands.

• Pasaka Festival

-is a yearly town festival held at Tanauan, Poblacion from the 14th to the 16th of August, commencing at Canramos on the 14th, Licud on the 15th and culminating in San Roque on the 16th.

-During the 15th of August there is a big festivity held at the town center, composed of two parts, the ritual presentation and the street dancing parade. It is has three categories, the junior (elementary) division, the senior (High School) division and the Merry Makers. They dressed in colorful costumes performing dances and routines that follows a street parade around the municipality. The festival is called "Pasaka" which is a waray word meaning invitation to progress, health, and luck for the inhabitants for the coming year.

-Pasaka Festival is a socio-cultural presentation depicting a people paying homage to the town's Patronage, Our Lady of Assumption as she is assumed into Heaven. It is also an act of thanksgiving for the blessings receives and a way of welcoming the visitors into the homes of the Tanauananons.

REGION IX (Zamboanga Peninsula)

• Hermosa Festival

-Every October the scenic city of Zamboanga, as the "City of Flowers", celebrates its grand annual Zamboanga Hermosa Festival or the popularly known as Fiesta Pilar with 12 days and nights of events and celebrations. The beautiful city of Zamboanga welcomes thousands to the region's biggest, most extravagant celebration of the year.

-The two day celebrations are mainly in honor of the miraculous image of Our Lady of the Pilar Nuestra Señora del Pilar de Zaragosa, which is also commonly known as the “Fiesta Pilar” at the legendary Fort Pila who has a special fiesta in October. The people of Zamboanga passionately believe that the lady has served as their unifying cultural and historical symbol.

-In tribute of her feast day, Zamboanga displays its loyalty and enthusiasm with a nine-night procession, the event includes live music, cultural performances; street parades, fireworks displays and one of the most amazing aspects of the festivities include a wonderful regatta with old sailing ships and yachts sporting red, yellow and other brightly colored sails. There are also art exhibitions and colorful flower shows displaying the botanical wonders of Mindanao's tropical vegetations. (Watch out for the orchids, which are particularly striking). 'Hermosa', which means beautiful, is an appropriate term for this visually dazzling event. This festival runs from October 1 to 12.

• Hudyaka Festival

-A week long celebration from May 29 to June 7, show window of Zamboanga del Norte’s best, agri-tourism booth, costume, of the fair ladies, street dancing and face off participated in by the different municipalities of the province. 

-The celebration centers in the historic Shrine City of Dapitan where National Hero Dr. Jose Rizal lived in exile for over four years in the early 1800s.

REGION X (Northern Mindanao)

• Lubi-Lubi Festival

-Sayaw “Lubi-Lubi” (coconut dance) is an indigenous fun dance (street parade) utilizing the city’s abundant coco plants and materials.

-It is a celebrations of peace, love and unity among the Gingoognons done every May 22nd to pay honomage to the local patroness Sta. Rita de Cascia on her annual feast day. It involves the city’s rural and urban barangays.

• Higalaay Festival

-Cagayan de Oro's annual fiesta celebration, popularly known as Higalaay Festival, is a week-long festivity filled with a series of colorful, culturally-rich and fun-filled core events that culminate on the 28th of August , the feast day of the city's patron saint, St. Augustine.

-The celebration has grown not only as the customary day of thanksgiving but also as a rallying point for a campaign to promote Cagayan de Oro City and the surrounding areas globally as an investment and tourism destination.

REGION XI (Davao Region)

• Kadayawan Festival

-Observed every third week of August, Kadayawan Festival is Davao City’s biggest and grandest festival.

-The term “Kadayawan” is derived from the Mandaya word “madayaw”, a greeting used to explain a thing that is good, valuable, superior, or beautiful.

-It is a week-long celebration and thanksgiving for nature’s harvest. During this time, locals and tourists flock the streets of the city to witness major events such as the Indak-Indak sa Dalan and Floral Float Parade.

• Pasko Fiesta sa Davao

-Filipinos are known to celebrate the longest Christmas holiday season in the world, and Davao is no different. For an entire month, the city beats with exciting festive and competitive Christmas activities for Pasko Fiesta sa Davao.

-During this season, the city is filled with colorful lightings and array of decorations. There’s also a series of competitive performances to showcase the community’s creativity and talents while keeping Christmas traditions alive.

REGION XII (Soccsksargen)

• Munato Festival

- Cultural festival commemorating the “First people” of Sarangani Province. Sarangani was made into a separate province only in 1992, however, the findings of the anthropologic burial jars in Maitum proves community life as early as 500 BC. 

-This is a festival that embraces the different Indigenous People of Sarangani and their heritage.

• Kalilangan Festival

-General Santos City marks its foundation anniversary on February 27 with various activities culminating the weeklong celebration of Kalilangan Festival. The anniversary celebration commemorates the landing of the city's founder, General Paulino Santos, along with the first settlers from Luzon, at the shores of Sarangani Bay.

-Is a street dance competition starting from the historical Lion's Beach to the Oval Plaza where the final showdown is held, Performers, representing each of the city's barangays, outwit each others in this cultural competition, showcasing marvelous performances to the delight of the crowd.

REGION XIII (Caraga)

• Kahimunan Festival

-The Kahimunan Festival is an annual event on the occasion of the fiesta celebration of the Sto Niño in Barangay Libertad founded in 1987 by Father Juanito "Nito" Belino, first Parish Priest of Sto Niño Parish.

-The Kahimunan is a traditional ritual performed by the natives before the start of the planting season, characterized by chanting, singing and playing accompanied by indigenous musical instruments such as the gimbor (drum), gong and bamboo instruments called Kalatong and Kotik. 

• Naliyagan Festival

-The Naliyagan Festival, unlike the usual Catholic-themed Filipino fiesta, does not celebrate a patron saint nor revolve around a parish church. It is a commemoration of the founding anniversary of Agusan del Sur, and it pays tribute to everything indigenous and local about the province and its culture. 

=The Naliyagan is relatively a recent annual tradition.  It started in 1993 when the incumbent governor conceptualized a festival that aimed to recognize the indigenous people and their contribution to the culture and progress of the province.  To be able to come up with an appropriate name for the festival, the governor consulted the elders of the main tribe of the land, the Manobo, and they chose the name "Naliyagan" which means the "chosen one, and the most loved."

ARMM - Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao

• Kubing

- It is a type of jaw harp made from a hand carved piece of bamboo. Found all over the Philippines, this traditional musical instrument is called kubing among the Mindanao tribes (Maguindanao and Maranao), kulaing in Cotabato, subing in Visayas, barmbaw among the Tagalogs, kollibaw among the Negritos, kinaban among the Hanunoo Mangyans, afiw (made of metal) among the Bontocs, and coding among the Ibaloys and Kalingas. The indigenous bamboo instrument comes in various designs throughout Southeast Asia. It is known by different names according to the culture that uses it.

-A kubing is played with the epidermis side facing the audience. The holding hand firmly holds the instrument with thumb and forefinger opposing each other, very near, but not interfering with the free end of the reed. This firm clamping of the bamboo adds the mass.

-Traditionally considered an instrument , usually used as communication between family or a loved one in close quarters.

• Sahunay

-Tube with six fingerholes; mouth piece of bamboo with cut out reed; mouth shield made of coconut shell; bell made of leaf (probably bamboo) and blue plastic ribbon.

Dimensions:

Total length: 28,4 cm. diam. tube with fingerholes: 0,65 cm. widest diam bell: 3,7 cm

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