GMA, artists vs. Poverty/Albert Tiu in concert/Cesare Syjuco’s ‘Raid’

In a moving flag ceremony at the Malacañang grounds this month, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo launched Philippine participation in the UN’s global campaign "Stand up Against Poverty, Stand up for the Millennium Development Goals" which had more than 1,500 participants including singers, a choir and a rondalla. The historic occasion was initiated by the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, with the Office of the Presidential Adviser on Culture and the NCCA as host.

The UN Pledge Against Poverty, translated into Pilipino, was read by President Arroyo, signaling the simultaneous recitation in different Pilipino dialects by students in school campuses organized through the DepEd and CHED, and in local government units through the League of Municipalities. National government agencies also replicated the reading of the pledge in various languages and dialects as translated by the Pambansang Komisyon ng Wika (PKW).

At the flag ceremony, President Arroyo was joined by UNRC Nileema Noble, cabinet secretaries, Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita and Secretary Arthur Yap, representatives of the 14 sectors of the National Anti-Poverty Commission led by Convenor Zamsamin Ampatuan, NGO, business and religious leaders, LGU representatives, members of the diplomatic corps and of the President’s Office.

The blessings of Pope Benedict XVI were conveyed by Papal Nuncio Archbishop Fernando Filoni through his deputy Mons. Wojcrech Caluski.

"Telenovela Songstress" Faith Cuneta, who won in the World Olympics of the Performing Arts held in Hollywood, was joined by the Cercado sisters, adjudged WOPA Junior Division Champions, in rendering the national anthem. A special cantata to fight poverty composed by award-winning artist Leo Quinitio was performed by the St. Paul U. of Manila Chorale under Sr. Anunciata Marie, and interpreted by the Philippine ITI Earthsavers Dreams Ensemble UNESCO Artists for Peace and the NCCA Kalahi Rondalla consisting of street children, out-of-school youth and blind musicians under the baton of Prof. Enrico Toledo. The performance reflected the government’s policy of mobilizing cultural talent as an essential element in fighting poverty. In this regard, the President’s Kalahi Cultural Care-giving Program gives free arts training to the talented among the disabled and underprivileged.

The successful staging of the event at Malacañang was under a Coordinating Committee headed by Presidential Adviser on Culture/NCCA Executive Director Cecile Guidote Alvarez, and consisting of Frank Rivera, Gigi Velarde-David, Bong Embile, Rose Mercurio, Sr. Anunciata Marie, Lupita Aquino Kashiwahara, Wilyan Maglente, Usec Antonio Inocentes and Alice Peñares of the DepEd, LMP SecGen Mayor Gerardo Calderon, Commissioner Jose Lad Santos, Fidel Sarmiento and Robert Deniega of the AAP, Beng Puyat, Sylvia Lopez Lacuna, Chairmaine Cu-Unjieng, Ruth Honculado and Agnes Aliman of UNRC.

The spirited "emceeing" by the multi-awarded artist and wife of Secretary Heherson Alvarez, Cecile Guidote Alvarez, created a festive mood which was heightened by the Manila City Band’s charming rendition of Philippine marching themes, and the appearance of dancing higantes.

An exhibition by artists who donated works for the benefit of a disaster fund, was on display at the Malacañang Museum. Among the donors were National Artists Arturo Luz and Abdul Mari Imao, and other artists — Oscar Zalameda, Claude Tayag, Roderick Macutay, Maestro Orobia, Maying Nakpil, Raphale Pacheco, Manuel Gamboa and Abe Luna Orobia.

Reports reaching the UN Resident Coordinator’s office in Manila point up the rousing success of the launching event. The Philippines is expected to exceed the target of one million participants because Filipino students alone number 20 million.

The global advocacy effort to have the greatest number of people stand up against poverty and for the Millennium Development Goals expects that people from all over the globe will physically stand up and communicate their desire to win the war over poverty – enough in numbers to attempt setting an official Guinness World Record for the Philippines and for the UN System.

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The following announcement will be of considerable interest to music lovers, musicians, particularly pianists, and music students aspiring to be professional pianists.

The Metro Manila Community Orchestra under Conductor Josefino Chino Toledo will feature internationally-acclaimed pianist, Albert Tiu on Sunday, Oct. 29, CCP main theater at 7 p.m. The concert "Rach Pius" is the second concert of the sixth MMCO season.

Albert Tiu has been described as an outstanding pianist of "fantastic virtuosity". His career has taken him to five continents, appearing as soloist with the St. Petersburg Philharmonic, Hamburg Symphony, Finnish Radio Symphony, Northern Sinfonia (England), Calgary Philharmonic, Winnipeg Symphony, Louisiana Philharmonic, Michigan Chamber Symphony, Johannesburg Philharmonic, Cape Town Philharmonic, and the Guangzhou Symphony. Also an accomplished chamber musician he has played in festivals worldwide, collaborating with the St. Lawrence String Quartet, Ysaye Quartet, Muir String Quartet, Academia Wind Quintet Prague, violinist Robert McDuffie, clarinetist Charles Neidich, flautist Carol Wincenc and tenor Robert White.

His eclectic repertoire ranging from Sweelinck to Stockhausen has been heard around the world, and broadcast live over WQXR New York, CBC Canada, SABC South Africa, BBC, and Radio YLE in Finland.

Born in Cebu, Tiu studied at the Boston Conservatory, the Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts and at the UP under Nita Quinto. A graduate of Juilliard where he studied with Jerome Lowenthal, Tiu received the Juilliard William Petschek Award, which led to a debut recital in Lincoln Center in New York. He is also First Prize winner in the UNISA International Piano Competition in Pretoria, South Africa, and a prizewinner in competitions in Calgary, Santander (Spain), Helsinki and Seoul.

Tiu taught in the Juilliard Pre-College Division before moving to Singapore as Assistant Professor at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music. Since then, he has actively contributed to the cultural scene, performing in New Zealand, Manila, Kuala Lumpur, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China and Macau. In 2005, Tiu gave the Singapore premiere of Samuel Barber’s Piano Concerto with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra under Tang Muhai, and rendered the Rachmaninov Second Piano Concerto with the Conservatory Orchestra during its debut concert at the Esplanade Concert Hall. Recently, he played the Mozart Concerto K595 with the Gstaad Festival Orchestra at the National Library in Singapore during the Swiss-Singapore Festival, and he also presented Chopin and Scriabin recitals in Singapore, Spain, Finland and the US.

After the MMCO performances of Bacchanale from Samson and Delilah by Saint-Saens, and Buwan sa Kabundukan by San Pedro and Les offrandes obliees by Messiaen, Tiu will cap the RACH plus concert with the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini.

For inquiries, call 5805400 Music Center, or CCP 8321125.

The following announcement will be of considerable interest to lovers of the avant-garde and its devotees.

"Raiders of the Lost Art", the "Best of Cesare (Syjuco) and the Underground Collective" will be presented at the Riccio-Renzo Galleries, Nicanor Garcia St., Bel-Air 2, Makati, on Friday, Oct. 27 at 9 p.m.

Spoken performances will be given by Maxine Syjuco, Ian Madrigal and Mitch Garcia, Jevijoe Vitug, Angelo Suarez, Danny Sillada, Frank Rivera, Yanna Acosta and Sruvaleh, Bob Balingit, Elemento, Lorina Javier, Sarge Lacuesta, Mannet Villariba, Tata Funilas, Ronadae Paula and Ronaldo Ruiz, Roxlee, Benedict Ros, Natasha Betita, Nimbus 9, The Blame.

Expect the unexpected in the performance which will be hosted by Trix Syjuco and produced by Jean Marie Syjuco.