Shakespeare goes to Paco Market

MANILA, Philippines - The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) in partnership with ABS-CBN Foundation has launched the “Phil Art Festival/National Arts month” in line with Paco Market’s “Livelihood though the Arts” Program.

Gina Lopez, managing director of ABS-CBN, is spearheading the major task of cleaning the Pasig River under the Kapit Bisig Para sa Ilog Pasic (KBIP).

The nearly-completed historic 100-year-old market was designed and redeveloped by Maja Olivares-Co of SSOA (Sonia Santiago Olivares & Associates Inc.). The market targets five major goals: Historic preservation and green design, commercial sustainability and stall standardization, development of an activity center for education and cultural preservation, to provide an authentic Filipino palutuan and to develop products from waste

The accomplishment of all five major goals will maximize Paco Market’s potential in becoming a major local tourist destination.

The Paco Market before it was rebuilt

Aside from redesigning the market, Maja Olivares-Co, as culture and education director of Paco Market, has developed the very unique concept of for the activity center.

“This activity center at the core of the market has been created as a place for learning, healing and enriching the spirit with the joys of our culture. With the help of foundations and NGOs we will bring to the community on a daily basis small format workshops for art, crafts, music, nutrition, healthcare, and values formation. Most programs geared towards a livelihood,” said Maja Olivares-Co.

The program, which is ongoing until Feb. 24 focuses on “Livelihood Though the Arts” with focus on music, art, literature, theater, film, architecture and dance.

Though most of the activities focus on livelihood, it doesn’t mean it can’t be fun and experimental. There will be workshops that will introduce Shakespeare. There will also be yoga for kids, wearable art from trash with fashion inspired by deconstructivist designers like Issey Miyake or Rei Kawakubo and music produced from blowing recycled Coke bottles with carefully calibrated water levels.

The Paco Market as it looks today was redesigned by Maja Olivares-Co of Sonia Santiago Olivares & Associates Inc.

Rappers from Tondo will perform and there will be a jazz concert focusing on jazz in the ‘20s to ‘40s, the era when the building was built. The culminating event will be a classical concert with Raul Sunico on the piano and Andrew Fernando as baritone.

For information, call Pearl Lleno at 0926-782 5819, Nel Inigo at 0917-8175560, PAF media director and NCCA-Public Affairs and Information Office (PAIO) head, Rene Sanchez Napenas at 527-2192 or 0928-5081057, or PAF festival manager, Vanessa Nicolas at 0918-6380412, visit www.ncca.gov.ph or e-mail ncca.paio@gmail.com.

At the launching of the Philippine Arts Festival Month recently are Nina Lim-Yuson, Mayor Alfredo Lim and Maja Olivares-Co