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In celebration of the 147th birthday of the country’s national
hero, Dr. Jose Rizal, a cornucopia of activities will be held in his
honor dubbed as Pepe Goes to Market: Sining Selebrasyon ng birthday
ni Jose “Pepe” Rizal, slated at the Market!Market! Mall,
Bonifacio Global City on June 19 to 21.
The three-day event commemorates not only the
birth of Jose Rizal, but it is also intended to celebrate the
rebirth of truth for which Rizal dedicated his life. An educational
festival-cum-mass-teach, artists from all disciplines converge at
the various venues of the mall to manifest Rizal’s thoughts,
writings and wisdom through their various art forms.
Highlights of the festival include a special
opening program and a book launch of “Corruptionary,” a
dictionary of terms related to the issue of corruption; choral
concerts by the Philippine Madrigal Singers’ Choral Alliance and
some government choirs; dance performances by Transitopia, Ballet
Manila, Kabataang Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, among many others;
and a one-hour concert by popular rock bands from the RockEd
Alliance to be held at the mall’s Activity Center.
There will also be film screenings of Eddie
Romero’s Noli Me Tangere, Marilou Diaz Abaya’s Rizal and Ditsi
Carolino’s documentary films Riles and Bunso to be shown at the
Cinema 6.
For theater aficionados, outstanding theater
groups from Tanghalang Pilipino, Philippine Educational Theater
Association (PETA), Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation Inc., Gantimpala
Theater Foundation, and the Philippine High School for the Arts will
showcase excerpts from their musical theater productions.
An interactive exhibit will be mounted by the
artists of Tutok Karapatan. Handmade objects from music CDs,
bric-a-brac, souvenirs and other arts and crafts will be on display
for sale at the artists’ flea market. Leading opinion makers will
lead discussions after selected performances, film screenings and
forums.
To cap the three-day festival, there will be a
grand concert with a 500-voice choir together with the Philippine
Philharmonic Orchestra and some of the country’s top vocalists
like Isay Alvarez, Bayang Barrios, Lolita Carbon, May Bayot, Joey
Ayala, Noel Cabangon, among other performers. The Philippine All
Stars will perform a special hip-hop number to the tune of
“Ipanalo Ang Totoo” by Fr. Alejo. Dramatic readings of Rizal’s
Mi Ultimo Adios will be presented by leading TV/film/stage actors
who have portrayed Rizal in the past such as Ricky Davao, Joel Torre,
Tommy Abuel and Pen Medina. TV/stage actor Gary Lim will be the
festival’s contemporary “Pepe.” The grand finale will be the
singing of the theme song of the Festival entitled “Bayang May
Dangal” by Fr. Albert Alejo and Fr. Manoling Francisco, SJ.
The entire three-day festival is open and free
to the public.
The event is presented by the Artists Welfare
Project Inc., and the People’s Assembly for Genuine Alternatives
Against Social with the support from the Cultural Center of the
Philippines, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and
the Station Square East Commercial Corp.
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