Art school confidential

MANILA, Philippines - We arrived at the campus of the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) on a drizzly Thursday morning, working our way up the mystical Mt. Makiling in Laguna. It was our photographer, Edric, who pointed out that the school seemed like an Imelda baby. And he was right — PHSA has been here for around 35 years, born under the rule of Ferdinand Marcos in 1978. With notable alumni like visual artist Leeroy New, singer Grace Nono, filmmaker Raymond Red, independent theater group Sipat Lawin Ensemble (who put together that interactive Battalia Royale), and Lelia Florentino (who played lead in the Broadway run of Miss Saigon) — we were definitely curious about this mountaintop art school that has honed child prodigies into industry figures.

There is magic in the mountains, the students would say. And yes, there is something alluring about the place. The campus is enveloped in a forest, secluded from the noise of the city and with a gorgeous view of neighboring mountains. The classrooms and dormitories sit on stilt frames. There is a common thread of passion that invigorates the students. Plus, meals are subsidized, and they’re even provided a stipend. It’s a haven for any burgeoning artist, but very difficult to get in. Every year, of the thousands who apply nationwide, only around 50 make it. And because it is a scholarship program, those who are unable to meet the caliber of excellence required, drop out. The school churns only the crème de la crème.

We talked to some of the most promising wunderkinds from the senior batch of PHSA — and then felt very small afterwards. See for yourself why.

Jo Marguerite Sebastian 16, Ballet

With her petite frame, long legs, and sharp features, Jo is what any aspiring prima ballerina would want to look like. She’s also a natural performer. “When I was younger, I liked to perform in random places. Anywhere! I’d dance and make my family watch me.” Ballet, she’s learned, takes a bit more grit. “Ballet is very competitive. It’s hard to separate the competitiveness of ballet from dancing for the sake of dancing. You end up doing it to be better than others, then not wanting to do it anymore, because you get so frustrated.” Add to that the fact that she cried for “two weeks straight” her freshman year because she was so homesick. Most would have just given up and gone home. So what gives Jo her strength? “I have to remember why I do it. I watch videos of the Royal Ballet or San Francisco Ballet. That’s what I think of, and I start doing it for myself again.” —ARIANNA DEL ROSARIO

Rafael Maria Tibayan 16, Theater

Rafael has since built himself a pretty impressive portfolio of experience. Before reciting two monologues (one in Tagalog and one in English) to get into Makiling, Rafael was already training under Repertory Philippines. By his second year, he was invited by a teacher to act in a film for Cinemalaya. And while most acting rookies have a hard time internalizing certain roles, Rafael faces a very different challenge. “As an actor, I accept the emotion of a character into myself. Now I’ve got all these mix emotions inside me!” He had to play a three-roles-in-one character for the recent Ondie: Ang Nimfa ng Lawa. Rafael played Apo, the God of the Seas, who transforms into a magician and fisherman. “I had to portray all those different characters, who were all Apo. That was confusing.” Laughing and shaking his head he says, “I really have to bring myself back, so I don’t float away.” The way we see it, he’s already floating to the surface. —ARIANNA DEL ROSARIO

Mark Neal Alday 15, Visual Arts

Art school can be tough, we learned from Mark. At 15, he is one of the youngest Visual Arts majors graduating from PHSA. “We’re 35 now as a batch but we started with 52. There are a lot who drop out for various reasons.” Mark thought of going to Makiling when his grade school got an e-mail inviting its promising students to apply. He was asked by his principal to submit a portfolio in the hopes of making it to the auditions. He made it beyond the auditions and from that humble portfolio years ago, Mark is now moving on to grander things. “For my thesis, I want to talk about freedom, how society in general keeps demanding more and more freedom but at the same time, there’s a conflict because without rules and limitations, society won’t be able to function properly. I want to show this through a pen and canvas.” Strong words, but in this case, Mark’s pen really is mightier than the sword. — JONTY CRUZ

Meeko Angela Camba 17, Music

Meeko discovered that there are blurred lines when it comes to defining art. “The real definition of art is that it has no definite one,” she says. The graduating student plans to take her vocal talents right to the heart of España — UST — and after four years in the demanding art school, she seems more than prepared for what’s in store for her. Meeko shares with us the grueling routine they have to go through, with daily schedules from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. and sometimes even beyond. All the labor though comes with the fruit of experience. “What’s great about this school is you get exposed to the different arts as well and not just your particular field. Being here, lumalim yung understanding mo and you discover that art has bigger purpose talaga.” The school has made her stronger, spiritually, and musically as well. ‘Cause boy, can Meeko belt out a tune: a classical one. “We find inspiration in the mountain itself,” she says. “Cheesy as it sounds, the mountain is really magical.” — JONTY CRUZ

Paola Mauricio 17, Creative Writing

At 17, Paola is a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. “What if this whole idea of anarchy was actually possible? That would be pretty cool,” says Paola of Palahniuk’s novel Fight Club. And when she talks admirably about the author, her own brilliance shows too. “His ideals that provoke radical change, it’s something I’ve always wanted to see happen here. His revolutionary ways of thought strike me as interesting,” she says matter-of-factly, and I can tell she’s itching to shake things up. “I’m into the Riot Grrrl culture,” she quips, referring to the underground-feminist-punk-rock-movement. “I want to write something that will make people realize that the things you like, and how you dress, should only be for yourself, what makes you happy, and not for the sake of satisfying another view.” Well, hallelujah. Let the riots begin. —KARA ORTIGA

Camille Cabatingan 16, Visual Arts

There are some people who are just bound to make it big. Camille proves to be bigger than big. Hearing her talking about her thesis already sounds like art in itself. “It’s about the concept of faith and art,” the 16-year-old says. “If you look back in history to things like the manunggul jar, our ancestors made it to be more than just a jar. They don’t see it only as objects. They see it as something more, sort of like illusions. My aim is to concretize something you can’t see. The fact that you can see an object as another thing, it’s like you believe that it’s something else. It’s like an act of faith.” There’s a maturity to Camille that a lot of young people might still be searching for in themselves. What she used to call a hobby is now something she wants to explore further. “There are more opportunities out there. Art is a huge part of that. We don’t all have to be accountants.” Yes, if there’s one thing we pray for, it’s that Camille does not choose to be an accountant. — JONTY CRUZ

Neil John Casagan 15, Folk Dance

It was an elementary school crush that got folk dancer Neil to start dancing. â€œThe only way to get to her was to dance, so I joined our dance troupe in Batangas.” While he didn’t get the girl (she had a boyfriend), Neil found he was actually good at hip-hop. Wait, hip-hop? “I think dancing different genres is cool. I don’t care what genre I’m dancing, as long as I’m dancing.” He auditioned as a hip-hop dancer, but has been tackling other styles since. “We have to take up jazz, ballet, contemporary. Folk dance is my favorite.” He talks about his teacher Victor Emmanuel Flor. “He’s a disciplinarian. He’s tough. So I had to be passionate.” Neil’s put in four years of hard work, but his talent was evident from the very beginning. “My first year, I got two lead roles in a major production. To be a first-year and achieve something like that… it’s like, ‘Whoa! Bow down!’” We were thinking more along the lines of “standing ovation.” — ARIANNA DEL ROSARIO

Patricia Samantha Narvaez 15, Creative Writing

In Albay, where Patricia grew up, exposure to art was rare. Although she entered PHSA as a creative writing major, she didn’t even know what the word “literature” meant. It was “disastrous,” she recalls, shaking her head. But now, she’s grown to love playwriting, and tries to veer away from writing stories that are just about herself; she thinks they’re childish. “Theater is about the extremes. It should tackle serious issues.” Her favorite play is Rene Villanueva’s May Isang Sundalo, about a prostitute and a soldier’s conversation on the state of the nation.  “Ang short lang ng play, pero may insight kang makukuha. May meaning siya.” She hopes to remind people that art should be taken more seriously. “Some artists take years to create one piece of work. Hindi siya ganyan-ganyan lang, pinagiisipan siya.” — KARA ORTIGA

Matthew Calderon 16, Music

There is a poster on the wall bearing Matthew’s portrait, serious and sophisticated, promoting his upcoming performance at the Ayala Museum, a gig he earned from being the sole winner of the 2nd Thailand International Piano Competition. But during the interview, he is nervous, almost short of breath, when he admits things like his love for K-Pop music. He does play classical piano though, and his favorite composer is from the Romantic era: Robert Shumann. “Kasi ano siya eh, passionate. Kahit schizophrenic. ’Pag naririnig ko music niya, parang nababaliw din ako. Yun din yung gusto kong repertoire sa recital ko: things that will make you think, which can also be a bit crazy. Mood changes.” Matthew says he doesn’t just “play the piano”; he embodies the music, attempts to do justice to the composer, and tries to imagine the emotions put into the crafting of each masterpiece. When Matthew gets on the piano, he transforms. — KARA ORTIGA


Ruthy Mae Valdez 15, Theater

Ruthy Mae “Kitty” Valdez is a long way from her home in Cagayan de Oro, where it was a grade school science teacher that actually pushed her to audition. “Before, I didn’t know what I wanted to be. I started studying with no theater background.” This left her feeling nervous among peers and teachers who were much more experienced than she was. Fast forward to present day: Kitty’s senior year. She has more than a few productions under her belt, including Ang Baldado ng Isla Palasan, Basyang, and Lukaret ng Intramuros. Her favorite production was Ondine: Ang Nimfa ng Lawa, in which she scored the lead role and brought the audience to tears. “We just wanted the people to feel something, and some said they cried after the show. So I felt like we met our goal.” And while she may have been undecided before, she now confidently says, “I want to be an actor.” — ARIANNA DEL ROSARIO