August is actually a season of harmony in the country. Harmonious singing, not political.

After "Koro," the choral music festival pulled off by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCCA) at the Metropolitan Theater in Manila recently, the National Association of Filipino Choirs, Inc. (NAFCI) reholds its maiden edition of the Palawan International Choral Festival (PICF) on 13 to 16 August in Puerto Princesa City.

Choral groups from the Philippines and from other countries will gather, compete and variously perform in the festival. 

National Artist for Music Ramon Santos will be the keynote speaker who will discuss the significance of music in our lives and the sociological impact choral singing brings.

According to Robert Delgado, NAFCI president, choral singing unifies a nation. He said, “Choir singing is not only synchronization of voices it is also motivational in coming together as one group with common aspiration. For instance, in the ancient times, chanting was done by residents of a barangay to beseech rain for planting or a babaylan led a singing of a folk song for healing the sick."

He elucidates: “In the modern times, group singing of a pop song like ‘Sana’y Wala Nang Wakas’ would mean a conductor leading the singers to invoke from the lyrics of the song an eternal love of a mortal being to one’s object of affection or an endless veneration and devotion to a Supreme Being.”

Delgado is pursuing a doctorate on Music at the UP College of Music. He was a leading member of the Philippine Madrigals, a pioneering choral group in the country whose founder-conductor, Andrea Veneracion was eventually proclaimed National Artist for Music.

Santos, on the other hand, who is also a National Artist for Music, will be honored as a "diamond jubilarian" by the UP Alumni Association.

Delgado describes Santos as "a towering figure in Philippine and Asian contemporary music."

He stresses that Santos' legacy spans groundbreaking contributions in avant-garde composition, ethnomusicology, and cultural advocacy.

"His pioneering work in bridging indigenous and experimental forms has brought global recognition to Filipino music. From his formative years in UP to his celebrated works as National Artist, Dr. Santos continues to be an inspiration to generations of musicians, scholars, and cultural workers," Delgado added.

Santos will also speak at the conferences and workshops on choral singing at the 2025 PICF.

Meanwhile, former member of the UP Concert Chorus, erstwhile conductor of the Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club (now known as the Ateneo Chamber Singers) and world-renowned conductor Joel Navarro will be one of the jurors. The highly esteemed Korean Orchestra conductor Maestro Jae Joon Lee is chairman of the Board of Judges.