MANILA, (PIA) — The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) marked the conclusion of National Arts Month with “Pinid,” a closing ceremony held Wednesday at the historic Metropolitan Theater in Manila.
The event, organized by the NCCA’s National Committee on Dramatic Arts, featured workshops, discussions, and performances from various theater groups from Metro Manila and beyond as part of the broader “Tanghalang Bayan” initiative.
“‘Pinid’ is a Tagalog noun referring to the act of closing something, such as a book, that which you can always return to,” explained Eduardo Perez in Filipino, head of the NCCA Committee on Dramatic Arts and Executive Director of ARTIST Inc., in his keynote.
This year’s National Arts Month carried the theme “Ani ng Sining: Diwa at Damdamin” (Harvest of the Arts: Soul and Passion), highlighting the connection between creativity and national identity.
The creativity of a nation springs forth from the spirit and passion of its people, said NCCA Chairman Victorino Mapa Manalo in a statement, who led the celebration alongside Executive Director Eric B. Zerrudo.
The month-long celebration encompassed various art forms including architecture, cinema, visual arts, music, dance, theater, and literature, with events organized by the NCCA’s Subcommission on the Arts and its seven national committees.
February has been observed as National Arts Month in the Philippines since 1991, following Presidential Proclamation 683 signed by then-President Corazon C. Aquino.
A similar closing event is scheduled for February 28 at the Matina Town Square in Davao City, extending the celebration to the southern Philippines. (JCO/PIA-NCR)
