Sayaw Pinoy wows Zambosurians

By Alma L. Tingcang

PAGADIAN CITY, February 22 - - The National Commission for Culture And the Arts (NCCA) in cooperation with the province of Zamboanga del Sur,  through the indisputable leadership of Governor Antonio H.Cerilles brought  world-class dancers who performed at the Megayon Stage, Dao, this city during the Philippine Visual Arts Festival (PVAF) on February 7-11, 2013.

Dubbed “Sayaw Pinoy,” one of the seven flagship projects of the Philippine Arts Festival, it is a dance concert that tours all over the country to showcase the Pinoys’ talent in dance featuring ballet, hip-hop, folk and contemporary dance forms.

The dancers, from the Halili-Cruz Dance Co. and other prestigious learning institutions wowed the audience with their excellent performances and a colorful showcase of dance forms which depict the diverse culture of Filipinos.

Ms. Adel Suemith, NCCA Program Monitoring and Evaluation Division chief, said these dancers are among the finest in the country, having won international competitions. “We bring world-class performances to the communities for them to appreciate more about the culture and arts of our country,” she said.

“Competition now depends on our creativity. If you are creative, you can invent and create more products. You have an edge. The young people of today should understand their own culture, so as not to adopt the culture of other nations and appreciate our culture more,” Ms. Suemith  clarified.

Ms. Shirley Halili-Cruz, head of the National Committee on Dance was extremely grateful to Governor Antonio H.  Cerilles for hosting the memorable event in partnership with NCCA and for the  tremendous support he has extended for the success of the PVAF.

Meanwhile, Governor Cerilles said these God-given talents should be cultivated and young people must look up to them for inspiration. “This is also one way of preserving our culture, and for Zambosurians, we are lucky enough to witness these great performances because not all of us can travel to Manila to watch them perform,” said the governor.

NCCA spearheads various activities in celebration of National Arts Month this  February including the International Gongs and Bamboo Music Festival which opened in Dipolog City on February 17.

In his message read by City Councilor Roque Yamba, Vice Mayor Romeo Pulmones said, “the Sayaw Pinoy is  a way of preserving our cultural uniqueness, and yet it must also be seen as a unifying factor in the scheme of human affairs.”

The seven flagship projects of the Philippine Arts Festival 2013 are:  Music, Dance, Theater, Visual Arts, Literature, Cinema and Architecture. (PIA9)