DIPOLOG CITY (PIA) – It’s an exciting season for local artists and creatives, as the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) hosted “Lagkaw 2024: The Zamboanga del Norte Haraya Grand Creatives Festival”.
Aiming to invigorate and highlight the creatives industries within the province, Lagkaw 2024 features a wide array of events showcasing local talents and bringing the local art scene to the forefront of the public eye.
Starting off strong with a spoken word poetry workshop on November 30, 18 spoken word artists dug deep within themselves as they channeled the theme “Siklabo: Ang Bugso ng Damdamin na Nanghihingi ng Panahon” (Siklabo: a rush of emotions demanding to be felt).
Renowned spoken word artists Antonio “Antonym” Bathan, Jr., semi-finalist of Pilipinas Got Talent Season 6, and Martin Earl Naling, first spoken word artist of Cornerstone Entertainment, attended the event as resource speakers and later performed their own compositions, solidifying their position as spoken word giants.
The DTI partnered with Dipag Ink, a group of local performing and spoken word artists from the cities of Dipolog and Dapitan, in organizing the event.
After hours, both Dipag Ink and the participants gathered at a local coffee shop where they got a chance to perform old pieces, as well as the poems they made during the workshop.
Martin Earl Naling expressed his appreciation for the local art scene, saying that he felt that art was truly alive within the city.
“I hope you don’t waste it, because from where we’re from, it’s slowly dying,” he stressed. “Or at least, it’s not as inclusive as it is here,” he added.
Meanwhile, Antonio “Antonym” Bathan shared that he was touched to see the willingness of local artists to learn more about the craft.
“It’s an honor and a privilege to teach people who truly want to learn,” he said.
Both artists expressed their desire and eagerness to return to Dipolog in the near future.
Ten participants from the workshop were also selected to be part of the “Lagkaw Poetry Slam” on December 7.
Other upcoming events include a cosplay competition on the same day as well as a Pop Music Festival and Lagkaw Songwriting competition on December 8.
The project is funded by Fiesta Haraya Project under DTI-Competitiveness and Innovation Group, through Republic Act 11904 or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act.
The said events are only held in Zamboanga del Norte, as other provinces are catering to other sectors in the creative industries. (EDT/PJF/PIA9-Zamboanga del Norte)
