CCP launches animated short film ‘Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang’
MANILA, Philippines — The Cultural Center of the Philippines launched a 15-minute animated film featuring the iconic Filipino character Lola Basyang.
“Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang: Ang Mahiwagang Bantay ng Bundok Arayat” follows the adventures of a young boy who discovers a magical world hidden within Mount Arayat. He meets Filipino mythical creatures who will teach him about courage, friendship and environmental conservation.
The film’s launch at the Philippine Normal University is in anticipation of the centennial anniversary of “Mga Kuwento ni Lola Basyang.”
The first "Lola Basyang" story was published in the weekly magazine Liwayway in 1925. Writer and journalist Severino Reyes first published under the series the story “Ang Plautin ni Periking” (Periking’s Flute). According to the CCP Encyclopeida of Philippine Art, the first story tells the tale of three orphaned brothers who caught a fish that turned out to be an engkantado (mythical being).
The animated short film was directed by Nelson “Blog” Caliguia Jr., who collaborated with Dr. Christine Bellen-Ang, an expert on “Lola Basyang” stories.
The production team also collaborated with the animation department from De La Salle College of St. Benilde. Its score was provided by The Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo Ranera, while Pepe Manikan handled sound design.
CCP’s first animated short film is a project of the CCP Board of Trustees led by chairman Jaime Laya. This initiative aims to generate original intellectual property (IP) content that reflects the country’s rich cultural heritage, including its folktales, myths, and legends.
It was launched in 2022 as a grant program that seeks to “stimulate the national creative economy by providing financial, technical, and educational support to local creative businesses, content developers, artists, and students.”
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