Celebrating National Arts Month in Los Baños

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) celebration of National Arts Month (NAM), with the theme Ani ng Sining: Katotohanan at Giting, last February was spread out across the archipelago. This year, hosts included Butuan City, Davao City and Palo City in Leyte.

The province of Laguna hosted one of the series of celebrations in Los Baños, a historic town nestled along the shore of Laguna de Bay and at the foot of Mount Makiling, on 20 February, and from 24 to 26 February.

Organized in partnership with the Arts Research and Training Institute in Southern Tagalog, Inc. (ARTIST, Inc.), led by chairperson Rica Palis and Edward Perez, head of the NCCA National Committee on Dramatic Arts, and with the support of the municipal government of Los Baños headed by mayor Neil Andrew N. Nocon, the celebration opened on 20 February at the D.L. Umali Hall Auditorium of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB).

The opening program featured performances by the Korido Theater Ensemble of ARTIST Inc., Dulaang Sipat Lawin of the Philippine High School for the Arts, guitarist Leandro Ong, Komedya ng San Dionisio from Parañaque City, CLAP (Children’s Literature, Arts and Performances) Children’s Theater of ARTIST Inc., UPLB Sandayaw and students from Homeschool Global Alabang in Muntinlupa City, among others.

Activities on 24 February were held at the ARTIST Inc. Center and included storytelling sessions, creative workshops and talks. Three simultaneous storytelling sessions were conducted, followed by workshops on origami, soft sculpture and clay sculpture facilitated by Bani Cambronero, Aniwai Dimaano and Haraya Dimaano. The activities were attended by students from B.N. Calara Integrated National High School.

In the afternoon, Arte Bago Sulat, an interactive workshop on playwriting for non-playwrights, was held, along with Sa Loob at Labas, a forum on resilient landscape and interior design with Dr. Susan Ong, architect Niccolo Dumas and landscape architect Cathe Desiree Nadal.

The third day of the celebration opened with a heritage walk facilitated by the Los Baños Tourism Office. Participants visited historic sites near the municipal hall, including the seventeenth-century ruins of Los Baños de Aguas Santas, the Los Baños train station and the Paciano Rizal Shrine.

At the municipal hall, theater workshops were conducted for different age groups: the Tsikiting Children’s Theater Workshop, Kabata Teen Theater Workshop, and the Likhandula Theater Workshop for College Students, all facilitated by members of ARTIST Inc.

The day concluded at General Paciano Rizal Park along the shore of Laguna de Bay with Sining Dapithapon, a sunset showcase of performances. Dulaang Sipat Lawin, Teatro ALAB (Arte Linang, Ani ng Bayan) of Los Baños National High School Poblacion and Samu’t Sari of Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba presented skits and theater excerpts. Tremolo Rondalla of ARTIST Inc. performed Filipino pop music, including a medley of songs by the Eraserheads. CLAP Children’s Theater and guitarist Leandro Ong also performed.

In her speech, Palis expressed hope for continued collaboration with the local government following the NAM celebration.

She said: “Ang maganda ang ating adhikain na bukod sa pagkilala sa mga Pambansang Alagad ng Sining, National Artists, mga mainstream artists, kailangan pong malinang natin ang kasiningan ng ating mga kabataan. Maraming mahuhusay na alagad ng sining dito sa Los Baños. Kailangan lang nating bigyan ng espasyo, ng pagkakataon ang kanilang paglikha, ang kanilang sining. At ngayon na nga po, ang ating simula. Asahan po ninyo, hindi magsisimula at magtatapos ang gawaing ito sa buwan ng Pebrero. Dahil dito sa Los Baños, bawat buwan ay buwan ng sining (What is good about our advocacy is that, aside from recognizing our National Artists and mainstream artists, we must also nurture the artistry of our youth. There are many talented artists here in Los Baños. What they need is space and opportunity to create and express their art. And now, this is our beginning. You can expect that this effort will not start and end in the month of February. Here in Los Baños, every month is a month of the arts).”

The final day, 26 February, featured talks and discussions at the ARTIST Inc. Center. The Forum on Environmental Planning to Protect Natural Heritage included lectures titled “APAW” by Maria Rowena Beatriz Q. Inzon; Mula Silong Hanggang Skyline: Mga Pagbabago sa ‘Loob’ ng Tahanang Filipino by Romulo Suyom Jr.; and “Principles in Planning and Designing Small Interior Spaces” by Esmeralda W. Ayag.

Meanwhile, the Kawingan Writers’ Forum featured Edgar Calabia Samar, known for his Janus Silang series, who shared insights on his journey as a writer.

The program concluded with a performance of ARTIST Inc.’s short play Project D, which explores environmental destruction, political exploitation and the experiences of communities affected by these issues. Inspired by real-life events, the play was also presented at the Asian Youth Theatre Festival in Vientiane, Laos, in December 2025.

The NCCA’s National Arts Month celebration in Laguna was also supported by the University of the Philippines Office for Initiatives in Culture and the Arts, Conrado and Ladislawa Alcantara Foundation Inc., Artist-Production Accessories and Resources Services Association Inc. and Aklatang Tambayan Book Nook Los Baños.