Pasinaya 2016 centers on "Family and Children"

As the CCP Pasinaya Open House Festival, the biggest multi-arts festival in the Philippines dedicates its last year of “childhood” to kids and their families when its 12^th edition happens this February 7, 2016 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines and other satellite venues.

With the theme Family and Children, Pasinaya 2016 highlights include youth choirs singing Bata ang Bukas by Ryan Cayabyab, children’s drum and lyre corps, screenings of Cinemalaya and Animahenasyon films, puppet shows, storytelling and poetry reading sessions, balagtasan for kids, and stage productions of Pinocchio, Alice in Wonderland, and many others.

Four groups who were victorious at international competitions last year, namely Boscorale, the Ligao National High School Choir, Baao Children & Youth Choir, and Triple Fret will be among the acts to watch out for at the CCP Little Theater which is designated as the festival’s Music Zone.

From Don Bosco Technical Institute in Makati, Boscorale, conducted by Alvin Paulin, bagged the top prize at the Vocal Ensemble Category at the Andrea O. Veneracion International Choral Festival beating 11 other choirs from various parts of the country along with those coming from Indonesia and Italy.

The Ligao National High School Voice Chorale from Albay conducted by Celger Villacampa Venzon was the Grand Prix winner at the Bali International Choir Festival beating 14 choirs in the Folklore Category and 22 choirs in the Teenager Choir Category, and emerged as the Grand Champions during the finals.

The Baao Children and Youth Choir from Baao, Camarines Sur, conducted by Hermelino B. Briones, were triumphant at the 11^th  Busan International Choir Festival and Competition winning the top prize in the Youth Choir Category, 2nd prize in the Ethnic Category as well as the Audience Prize.

The all-female guitar trio Triple Fret, composed of Jenny de Vera, Iqui Vinculado, and Marga Abejo, won the top prize at the 27^th Japan Guitar Ensemble Festival, the Japan Guitar Association Award, and the Harumi Award for Best Performance of an Original Contemporary Composition for Guitar.

Aside from the four aforementioned groups, other music acts are scheduled to perform at the CCP Little Theater/Music Zone throughout the day. In keeping with this year’s Pasinaya theme, most of the performers are children/youth groups.

The schedule of performances at the CCP Little Theater/Music Zone are as follows:

9:00 AM Kabataang Gitarista

9:40 AM PTGP Youth Piano Ensemble

10:20 AM Baao Children and Youth Choir

11:00 AM Orchestra of the Filipino Youth

11:40 AM Makiling Singers

12:20 PM PHSA Grade 10 Graduating Scholars

1:00 PM Timoteo Paez Elementary School Rondalla

1:40 PM Children’s Marimba Ensemble

2:20 PM Ligao National School Voice Chorale

3:20 PM Triple Fret

4:00 PM Bianca Camille Lopez

4:40 PM Boscorale

5:20 PM Silangcruz Family Flute Ensemble

Aside from the Music Zone, there will be other zones dedicated to various art forms like dance, theater, film, and visual arts housed at different spaces, areas and venues inside and outside the CCP.

As always, the Main Theater will be the performance venue of the CCP’s resident companies, namely the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, UST Symphony Orchestra, Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theatre, Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company, National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA), Philippine Madrigal Singers, and Tanghalang Pilipino.

Pasinaya welcomes the Film Development Council of the Philippines' Cinematheque Centre Manila and the University of the Philippines Manila Museum of A History of Ideas as the two newest partner institutions joining the Metropolitan Museum, Museo Pambata, National Museum, Casa Manila, Bahay Tsinoy, 1335 Mabini Gallery, and Museo Marino that Pasinaya goers can visit throughout the day. Shuttles will carry Pasinaya goers from CCP to the museums and back.

The Cinematheque Centre Manila houses the Museo ng Pelikulang Pilipino that focuses on six Filipino directors: Jose Nepomuceno, Manuel Conde, Gerdardo de Leon, Lamberto Avellana, Ishmael Bernal, and Lino Brocka. During Pasinaya, the Cinematheque will also screen a selection of short films from the World Premieres Film Festival, Zamboanga, and Peace is Short.

On the other hand, the University of the Philippines Museum of a History of Ideas chronicles the beginnings of secular education to the country and the foundation of the University of the Philippines. The museum houses artifacts related to medicine and although I’m not into the medical field, the exhibit becomes interesting when I tie it with the history of the Philippines.

Pasinaya gives the public a taste of what the CCP and various performing companies have to offer for the rest of the year. And it takes just a minimum donation of P20 for one to enjoy the festival while a P300 baller enables one to avail of the fast lane for all of the venues.