National Artists Urge For An Indigenous Or Ethnic Scholarship

NATIONAL ARTISTS – Certain National Artists of the Philippines recently called for an ethnic scholarship in an forum organized by the NCCA.

According to Inquirer’s Lifestyle, National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, who is the chair of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), said the following in a forum

“The problem is that the use of analysis (pagsusuri) is wrong, being English, which has to be translated into indigenous language. According to (historian Teodoro) Agoncillo, we rely on documents written by foreigners when these should be written from a Filipino viewpoint. Change the social system, there is need for revolutionary culture (rebolusyong pangkultura).”

Almario was the keynote speaker in their recent forum entitled “Vital Wisdoms: Learning from the Indigenous Peoples” which was held at the Maryhill School of Theology in Quezon City.

He further said that in order for cultural heritage to be authentic, it has to correct the mistakes in the past, further calling for an ethnic scholarship to “fill in the gaps”.

Furthermore, Ramon P. Santos, a composer and the National Artist for music, said that the Philippines’ concept of art came from the West, saying that what the NCCA should do is to rather classify art according to function and meaning than as music, dance, etc.

“There are many meanings. We should know our culture.”

Based on the report, delegates from the academe and indigenous communities talked about a wide range of problems affecting the indigenous people and their fight for survival and preservation of their way of life.

One delegate said that education is the only way for the ethnic group to survive. The problem takes up included the need to safeguard native language, this being the National Year of Native Languages, as ordered by the United Nations.

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