For 18 years now, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts has been organizing the National Arts Month in the month of February with a series of festivities mounted throughout the country celebrating Filipino artistry and promoting the arts and the artists. For 2009, the celebration takes a leap by going international under the name Philippine International Arts Festival (PIAF).
It was during the weekly tri-media forum called Tapok-Tapok sa Kia hosted by Sam Costanilla last week when Presidential Assistant on Culture Cecile Guidote-Alvarez officially launched the 18th National Arts Month celebration next month, February.
Alvarez said that the PIAF will feature the talents and performances of the many artists and art groups in the seven arts on whose trainings, competitions and creative expressions it has invested the past year or so.
All over the country, different arts and culture groups as well as local government units will hold events for the PIAF with funding and support from the NCCA. In Cebu, it will be on Feb. 15 at SM City Cebu. With the theme “Ani ng Sining,” the PIAF has evolved from Manila-centered activities to a truly national event with key activities in all three major island groups (Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao) involving hundreds of artists from different disciplines of arts and reaching thousands of people from all walks of life.
The Cebu event features local talent Budoy and other performers who can do balitaw, balak, etc. while NCCA official and composer-singer Joey Ayala will also appear in the same program.