The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) proudly celebrates the remarkable achievements of Filipino artists on the international stage through the prestigious Ani ng Dangal award. This honor is bestowed upon Filipino artists or arts groups that have garnered top accolades in significant global competitions or festivals, highlighting their exceptional talents and contributions.
During a vibrant ceremony at the renowned Metropolitan Theatre, the MSJO, alongside 39 other distinguished awardees representing a variety of artistic disciplines, was presented with the coveted Ani ng Dangal trophy. This prestigious recognition marks a milestone for the MSJO, as it receives this honor for the third time, having previously been celebrated in 2019 and 2022. The event not only acknowledges individual excellence but also underscores the rich tapestry of Filipino artistry that continues to shine brightly across the globe.
The Ani ng Dangal, or Harvest of Honor, is a state acknowledgment granted by NCCA This year’s Ani is both a highlight activity and marks the conclusion of National Arts Month (NAM).

Fourteen violins, six violas, five cellos, and one contrabass—all from top European instrument makers—were purchased by Standard Insurance Inc. for the members and faculty of the Manila Symphony Junior Orchestra (MSJO). These instruments were used during their 2024 European Concert Tour, where they garnered First Prize and the Grand Prix in Vienna and Bratislava, performing in various concert venues across Austria, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Slovakia.The formal contract signing and turnover of the instruments to the beneficiary scholars and faculty members were held today at the Standard Insurance Corporate Center in Makati, led by Standard Insurance Group Chairman Mr. Ernesto Echauz and CFO Ms. Sophia Echauz Chua.

Two globally endangered black-faced spoonbills (Platalea minor) have been spotted here this week.
Rhoel Marcelo, ecosystem management specialist of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Ilocos Norte, on Tuesday showed to the media a photo of the birds with their long black spoon-shaped bills and faces covered in black skin instead of avian feathers.
“The spoonbill is the only species that has the most restricted distribution and the only one regarded as globally endangered,” he said.
Marcelo said the photo of the spoonbill was taken by Richard Ruiz, a member of the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines based in this city.
Ruiz said he was monitoring a private fish pond in Barangay Gabu that is frequented by migratory ducks and birds when he noticed two larger birds that were mixed among a faraway flock of smaller Black-winged stilts.
The birder had previously spotted a mandarin duck, another sign of migratory birds going off their usual path.
“This [spoonbill] is one of the species that we are monitoring in the DENR. We are glad that someone was able to document it in the province,” he said, adding that the birds might have come from Hong Kong or mainland China.
According to the Red List of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), only less than 2,700 Black-faced Spoonbills remain worldwide. They are listed as endangered and one of the protected species in China, Taiwan, North Korea, South Korea and Japan.
Last Jan. 13, the DENR and the Wild Bird Club of the Philippines conducted the Asian Waterbird census at the Paoay Lake Natural Park in Ilocos Norte.
Based on the latest bird census, the Paoay Lake is frequented by a variety of bird species like the Little Grebe, Great Egret, Little Egret, Cattle Egret, Philippine Duck, Tufted Duck, White-browed Crake, Common Kingfisher, White-collared Kingfisher, White-throated Kingfisher and Great Cormorant.
This year, Marcelo reported that they were able to count 3,792 waterbirds from 22 species.
Compared to last year’s 3,794, Marcelo said they were able to document new migrants this year such as the Brown Booby and the Cinnamon Bittern including a returning Whiskered Tern which was last recorded at the Paoay Lake wetlands in 2015 and 2016.
According to the DENR, the presence of waterbirds is one of the key indicators on whether wetlands, such as mangrove areas, are still ecologically healthy. (PNA)

Over the past few years, the My City, My SM series has showcased the different facets of our country’s rich culture – our tourist attractions, our cuisine, our artisan crafts, and most recently, our visual arts.

Our cultural journey takes us to another exciting route with the launching of My City, My SM, My Music at SM City Olongapo Central on September 22, 2022.

Here, it featured the life and times of world renowned concert violinist Alfonso “Coke” Bolipata. His amazing musical journey from Zambales to New York, to the world stage, and back to his hometown in Zambales. He has transformed the lives of young kids in the urban community of San Antonio Zambales through music at CASA San Miguel, a community-based art center. “Casa San Miguel has not been about excellence per se but about providing self-esteem, dignity and learning through the process of music making, the same requirements that they have to become good doctors, good accountants.

Its not really music itself, it’s the value of the discipline and the inherent values of practice and I think it shapes them into more responsible, more compassionate human beings,” says ‘Coke’ Bolipata, who is also the founder and President of Casa San Miguel.

A joint project of SM, the Metropolitan Museum of Manila, the Filipino Heritage Festival, WCOPA, and the Philippine Star, with support from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts, the National Music Competitions for Young Artists (NAMCYA) and Tahanan Books, My City, My SM, My Music is a celebration of Philippine performing arts –music, dance, and theatre. It aims to bring music and people together by showcasing indigenous, folk classical, and contemporary artistry in a roadshow around the SM Supermalls.

Advocating music for all, we are working with communities to mount shows, exhibits, workshops, and contests in key cities around the Philippines.

Mallgoers will have the rare opportunity to have a glimpse of the life and times of Alfonso ‘Coke ‘ Bolipata during the premier of My City, My SM, My Music event at SM City Olongapo Central from September 22-28. My City, My SM, My Music is a take-off from the My City, My SM campaign which promotes tourism; My City, My SM, My Cuisine, which highlights family heirloom recipes in the different regions; and My City, My SM, My Crafts, which celebrates traditional arts and modern Philippine design.

Most recently, My City, My SM, My Art was a celebration of Philippine visual arts – painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography, and filmmaking. Present during the event were Alfonso ‘Coke’ Bolipata, the honoree, Olongapo City Mayor Rolen Paulino, Jr. City Councilors Lugie Lipumano, Cristabelle Paulino, Rodel Cerezo, Ying Anonat, Olongapo City Tourism represented by Lorela Montoya, Zambales Provincial Tourism head Maria Domitela Mora, Plet Bolipata-Borlongan, leading female visual artist for the Contemporary Arts in the Philipines, Sonia Roco, wife of former Senator Raul Roco and chairman of Metro Manila Community Orchestra and member of Mabuhay Singers.

From the SM Family, Senior vice president for communications group Millie Dizon-the brains behind the project My City, My SM, My Music, Senior asst. vice president for operations Engr. Junias Eusebio, Regional Operations Manager for North 3 Engr. Bong Garcia and SM City Olongapo Central Mall Manager Engr. Ariel Ferrer. My City, My SM, My Music’s next stop will be at SM City Marilao.

MANILA – The Philippines was again named as Asia’s leading dive and beach destination by the 2022 World Travel Awards (WTA) in Vietnam on Sept. 7.
Intramuros also reclaimed its title as Asia’s leading tourist attraction.
Tourism Secretary Christina Frasco on Thursday welcomed the back-to-back win, saying it proves the beauty of the Philippines.
“The Philippines is a beautiful country and you (WTA) having given these awards is such an affirmation to all of our tourism stakeholders and workers who have greatly sacrificed throughout the pandemic,” she said.
“We look to the future with hope that through our combined efforts under the Marcos administration that has identified tourism to become a major pillar for economic recovery that not only will we survive the pandemic but we will thrive, we will endure and we will get back stronger than ever,” she added.
WTA awarded the Philippines for the sixth time as the leading beach destination in Asia besting India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam, and at the same time achieving Asia’s Leading Dive Destination title for four straight years since 2019, edging Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand.
Frasco said the dive citation from WTA cemented the premise of the DOT in hosting the Philippine International Dive Expo (PHIDEX) 2022, which is considered the country’s largest platform to network and promote the dive industry.
The Philippine Commission on Sports Scuba Diving, an attached agency of the DOT in charge of marine sports, has recently appropriated a budget of PHP9.53 million for the first time by the national government for more intensified dive tourism promotion and development.
Intramuros, meanwhile, won over other competitors such as the Angkor Temples of Cambodia; Borobudur Temple Compounds of Indonesia; Ha Long Bay of Vietnam; Sengan-en and Shoko Shuseikan Museum of Kagoshima in Japan; Taj Mahal of India, teamLab SuperNature of Macao, Great Wall, The Forbidden City, and Terracotta Warriors, all in China; Tokyo Imperial Palace of Japan; and Victoria Peak of Hong Kong.
Frasco said the Philippines is ready to receive tourists while continuing to promote the “Filipino brand” of hospitality.
“We are ready to receive you in the Philippines. We look forward to your visit and I invite each and every one of you to visit our beaches, our dive sites, and our tourist destinations,” she said. (PNA)

MANILA – The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) will be closed for three years to give way for renovation and retrofitting of the 53-year-old building, CCP chairperson Margie Moran-Floirendo said on Thursday.

During the Senate committee on culture and sports hearing, the former beauty queen said the CCP will be closed starting Jan. 1, 2023 and hopefully renovation and retrofitting works will be done before March 15, 2025.

“I’d like to announce that the CCP is closing its door on January 2023, for structurally retrofitting,” Floirendo told the panel chaired by Senator Loren Legarda.

She said they discovered a leak from the roof of the theater when they resumed operations after two years of closure due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

CCP President Jaime Laya said they will be partially moving out this November using corporate funds as the construction will start in January.

Laya said an initial fund of PHP400 million, mostly coming from congressional funds accumulated during the two years closure, will be used to lease offices and theaters in the coming years.

He said that since 2018, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has turned down its budget proposal.

Laya, however, said the building closure can be considered as a blessing since this will open an opportunity for them to reach out in the community since CCP itself is considered as an elite venue for programs.

He added that as of now they are now in cooperation with community-based musicians using ethnic instruments called Kanto-Kanta.

The band, according to Laya, is now earning much as it can be subscribed in YouTube and other social media.

Other programs such as “Mga kwento ni Lola Basyang” will be launched in the coming weeks.

“Physical closing is opening to the ground, we fully support that,” Legarda said.

Floirendo said the budget for the construction of the main building of CPP was included under the 2023 national expenditures program. (PNA)

It was designed by violinist Coke Bolipata in 1993 for children in the fishing village after the devastation of Mt. Pinatubo in 1991 to address the need for an educational and training program to develop community-based support for an arts center.

The program trains local talents primarily in stringed orchestral instruments and the visual arts in conjunction with a residency program that offers young Filipino artists opportunities to perform and exhibit.

The program has since expanded its reach to include gifted students from other parts of the country including Manila, Pampanga, Baguio, Pangasinan, Samar, and Davao.

Subic Bay Freeport—A coral garden nursery and pawikan preservation site will soon rise in this premier Freeport.
This is in an effort to preserve the nesting site of marine turtles and launch a coral garden nursery in the waters of Subic Bay, the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) and other stakeholders inside this premier Freeport signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) at the All Hands Beach Resort on Friday.
According to SBMA Chairman and Administrator Rolen C. Paulino, the sea turtle nest preservation and coral garden nursery construction is in partnership with DENR’s Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), PNP Regional Maritime Unit 3, Brighterday Subic Ltd. Inc., and the Sangkalikasan Producer Cooperative.
“The SBMA aims to restore balance in our ecosystem, which will also be beneficial to our tourism industry. We want to preserve the wildlife inside the Subic Bay Freeport while maintaining the area as the number one tourist destination in Central Luzon,” he said.
He said that All Hands Beach Resort is one of the tourist destinations in Subic Freeport that has maintained a good balance between tourism and eco-conservation. The top agency official said that his first mandate was to clean the Boardwalk Area.
“It is not just the responsibility of the agency to clean and preserve the ecosystem of the Subic Bay Freeport Zone. This should also be the responsibility of the various stakeholders here,” he cited.
PENRO Zambales Director Marife L. Castillo said that the month of May is the Month of the Ocean and what better way to celebrate the month than to establish a coral garden nursery. The garden is a coral augmentation project that aims to proliferate corals within an area.
She said that the agency will provide assistance in monitoring and managing marine turtle hatcheries, solicit active participation of stakeholders in the project, rehabilitate degraded marine turtle habitats by enhancing recovery of mangroves and coral reefs, and installation of a wildlife enforcement officer.
Brighterday Subic Ltd. Inc., the company that owns and operates the All Hands Beach Resort has collaborated with the SBMA and the DENR in the implementation of the marine turtle nesting site project inside its resort.
Brighterday Chairman Mark Dayrit said that the resort has already released around 8,000 sea turtle hatchlings since it opened in 2012. Under the MOA, the company will ensure the vigilant monitoring of pawikan sightings and coral augmentations.
Dayrit added that the company will also provide logistical support to the SBMA Harbor Patrol in the conduct of maintenance and protection activities.
Meanwhile, Sangkalikasan Producer Cooperative is set to conduct baseline assessment and monthly monitoring of reef buds. The cooperative will spearhead the actual conduct of monitoring, maintenance and protection of the site of the coral nursery garden.
Meanwhile, Regional Maritime Unit 3 chief Police Col. Fernando L. Cunanan Jr. said that aside from their usual mandate as police officers, part of their duty is to protect the environment.
He said that his unit has arrested thousands for illegal poaching, and 30 people involved in the illegal trade of wildlife. The official said they cannot do this without the help of the community, citing that to protect the community needs the involvement of each and every one.
The signing ceremony included the coastal cleanup drive wherein “Scubasureros” pick up trash in the waters near All Hands Beach Resort.

HOUSTON, Texas – Despite a violent moment at the 2022 Academy Awards where Best Actor winner Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock in the face, it was a historical night at the Oscars on Sunday.

Ariana DeBose became the first Afro-Latina and first openly queer woman of color to win an Oscar, picking up the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Anita in the Steven Spielberg remake of West Side Story.

“Yikes! What is this?” said DeBose. “Now you see why Anita wants to be in America because even in this weary world we live in, dreams come true.”

DeBose’s win comes exactly 60 years after Rita Moreno won the Best Supporting Actress Oscar for her same role in the original West Side Story.
“Your Anita paved the way for tons of Anitas like me,” DeBose said, paying tribute to Moreno, who won her Oscar in 1962.

In another first, Troy Kotsur became the first deaf male actor to win the Best Supporting Actor Oscar for his role in CODA (Child Of Deaf Adult), a film about a teenage girl who is the only hearing member of her family learning to connect with her deaf parents and brother through singing.

“This is dedicated to the deaf community, the CODA community, and the disabled community. This is our moment,” said Kotsur. “I really want to thank all of the wonderful deaf theater stages where I was allowed and given the opportunity to develop my craft as an actor.”

Marlee Matlin, Kotsur’s wife in the film, became the first deaf actor to win an Academy Award in 1987. Matlin won the Best Actress Oscar for the film Children of a Lesser God.

CODA also took home the top prize of the night, winning Best Picture Oscar over a crowded nomination field of 10 films.

In addition, Sian Heder, who wrote and directed CODA, picked up an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay for the film.

“I want to thank all of my collaborators in the deaf community, in the CODA community, for being my teachers,” she said.

Jessica Chastain won her first Oscar for Best Actress, playing the role of glitzy televangelist Tammy Faye Messner in the biopic The Eyes of Tammy Faye.

She used her acceptance speech to point out challenges being faced by the LGBT community in the US “who oftentimes feel out of place with their peers.”

“We’re faced with discriminatory and bigoted legislation that is sweeping our country with the only goal of further dividing us,” said Chastain, “and in times like this, I think of Tammy, and I’m inspired by her radical acts of love.”

Smith took home the Oscar for Best Actor after slapping Rock across the face during an altercation earlier in the awards ceremony. He cryptically addressed the situation, referring to the character he played in the movie King Richard.

“Richard Williams was a fierce defender of his family,” said Smith. “Art imitates life. I look like the crazy father…just like they said about Richard Williams.” (Anadolu)

LEGAZPI CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Bicol (DENR-5) through its Camarines Norte Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) has separately released a Philippine hawk-eagle (Nisaetus philippensis) and paradise flying tree snake (Chrysopelea paradasi) back to their natural habitats.
“The Philippine hawk-eagle was found by a resident of Barangay Alawihao, Daet, Camarines Norte, shivering on a grass field and was immobile due to the heavy rains. The resident informed the office to which the officer responded immediately. Upon examination, the wildlife was in good condition and was released into the wild by Camarines Norte PENR Officer-In-Charge Marlon C. Francia,” the DENR-5 said in a social media post on Wednesday.
“A resident of Barangay Del Rosario, Mercedes, Camarines Norte voluntarily surrendered the juvenile, meter-long paradise flying tree snake. It was also in good condition and was immediately released into the wild,” the post read.
The DENR-5 also continuously calls on the public to report such incidents and turnover any wildlife to the authorities for proper handling and release to its natural habitat.
“Continuous Communication, Education, and Public Awareness (CEPA) campaigns are being conducted by the DENR, which have caused increasing numbers of public turnovers to the office,” it added.
Under DENR Administrative Order DAO No. 2019-09 titled, “Updated National List of Threatened Philippine Fauna and their Categories”, the Philippine hawk-eagle is considered endangered while the paradise flying tree snake falls under the category “Other Wildlife Species”.
All wildlife in the Philippines is protected under Republic Act 9147, otherwise known as the “Wildlife Resources Conservation and Protection Act”. (With a report from Bernadine Carretas/PNA-OJT)