TRUE to its theme “Sulong,” Pasinaya: The CCP Open House Festival forged ahead and pushed through with its regional edition in Tagum City on February 3 to 6, 2024 despite the heavy rains and floods that hit the Davao region in recent times.

With safety as the top priority, CCP Pasinaya 2024 gathered more than 300 artists, performing groups, production staff, and Kaisa sa Sining (KSS) representatives from Luzon, National Capital Region, Visayas and Mindanao and continued with its four-day festival programming.

While the three venues, namely, Tagum City Historical & Cultural Center, City Hall Atrium, and Meditation Center, became inaccessible to the public, the production managers and organizers decided to bring the festival and various performances to flood victims at the four evacuation centers in Barangay San Miguel, Bingkungan, Cuambogan and Mangkilam, including the Tagum City Cathedral.

Although most of the activities and shows did not push through, the warm response and smiles of the evacuees made the CCP Pasinaya in Tagum even more meaningful.

The regional performing groups under the CCP Ugnayan sa Sining Visayas and Mindanao presented their original performances of “Hinablon: Threads of Visayan Creativity” and “Bunnal: Breaking New Grounds for Mindanao” for Davaoeños in the municipalities of Asuncion and Dujali, Davao de Oro on February 6.  The various art forms of dance, music, drama, and visual arts including the KSS collaborative mural paintings under beam posts of the Tagum City flyover served as inspiration and call to the Tagumeños, Davaoeños and the public on the importance of intense conservation of nature and propagation of art and culture.

CCP extends its heartfelt gratitude to all the artists and performing groups who participated in the first Mindanao edition of CCP Pasinaya in Tagum City.  The Kaisa sa Sining visual artists from Luzon included: Marlin Lopez (Nueva Vizcaya), Brendale A. Tadeo (Zambales), Tristan Bamba (Mauban, Quezon), Carlo Dimaano (Laguna), Johnley Mayorga (Marinduque), Salvador Ching, facilitator (Bulacan), Roen Capule, facilitator (Bulacan), Jonathan Carpio, facilitator (Bulacan).

Visual artists from Visayas who also joined were Lloyd Develos (Roxas City, Capiz), Brent Naranja (Murcia, Negros Occidental), Engelbert G. Ramirez (Himamaylan City), Efraim Alfaras (Iloilo City). The Mindanao visual artists were Sarsalem Malekysu (General Santos City), Xyla Sumalinog (Tagum City), Ejay Que Doronio (Tagum City), Reymart Ursabia (Tagum City), Ruben Langamen (Tagum City), Lestine Sarillana (Tagum City), Maegz Ordoña (Tagum City), Jamedith Abuan (Tagum City).

The following performing groups from Luzon also participated: Ari Tau Folkloric Society (Nueva Vizcaya), Bataeno Lahing Magigiting Vocal Ensemble (Bataan High School for the Arts), Likhang Sining Dance Company (Batangas City), Pundaquit Virtuosi (Zambales).

Four groups from the Visayas joined as well, namely the Iloilo National High School (Iloilo City), Leyte Dance Theater (Tacloban City), Kasing Sining (Bohol), Kultura De Artes (Himamaylan City), Mandaue Children & Youth Chorus (Mandaue, Cebu).

There were a number of performing groups from Mindanao – AORNHS Rondalla (Maco, Davao de Oro), Kathara Dance Theater Collective (Davao City), Kaliwat Performing Arts Collective (Davao City), University of Mindanao Chorale (Davao City), RMMC Sinag Laya (General Santos City), RMMC Teatro Ambahanon (General Santos City), Mindanao Hiphop Collective (General Santos City), MSU Tambuli Cultural Dance Troupe (Tawi Tawi), MSU Sining Kambayoka Ensemble (Marawi City), MSU Sining Kandidilimudan Ensemble (Maguindanao), Mandayanayaw (Tagum City).

The CCP Cultural Exchange Department (CED), in collaboration with the Tagum City local government, the Tourism and Cultural Office, the Musikahan sa Tagum Foundation, and the Tagum City Council of Women Foundation, managed all the activities for the KSS general assembly and CCP Pasinaya in Tagum City and neighboring communities.  The CCP sends its appreciation to all volunteers and production-technical staff from Tagum, Ozamiz, Iligan, General Santos, and Agusan del Sur.