The development, preservation and enhancement of culture and the arts in the province is still the focus of the South Cotabato Arts, Culture, Tourism and Museum (ACTM) Unit in the second semester of this year despite the on-going CoViD-19 pandemic.
ACTM Culture and Arts (CA) Development Supervisor Tourism Operations Officer II Indira Cagaanan disclosed that they will continue with their Cultural Asset Mapping (CAM) program as part of culture and arts preservation mandate of their office.
Tuoi and Norala, according to Cagaanan, will be the recipient of the CAM training in the second semester which include orientation, scoping and social preparation. LGUs that have finished the CAM Program and have published their cultural icons are Tampakan, Surallah, Tboli and Lake Sebu, which only need further validation by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).
In culture development, Cagaanan added, the Local Culture and Arts Council (LCAC) will conduct 2 regular and 2 special meetings this year which will focus on the crafting of Policy Declaration on Indigenous Arts and Crafts. Stakeholders will be invited during meetings for review and evaluation of the crafted policy and after which will be submitted to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for legislative action through the passage of a resolution for adoption.
Celebrations of the Buwan ng Wika (August) and Indigenous Peoples (IP) month (October) will be supported by ACTM to highlight the importance of our national language and IPs culture as our living cultural treasure.
Meanwhile Cagaanan admitted that support to artists (musicians, dancers and singers) will still continue; virtual or off-camera practices are conducted by the artists to further hone their skills. Because mass gathering is discouraged, she revealed that a national hip-hop dance contest is currently conducted in virtual mode where a dance group from Surallah is now qualified.
A Virtual Training on Alternative Medicine is likewise expected by ACTM before the year ends as November every year is celebrated as Alternative Medicine Month.
Aside from the 2021 T’nalak Festival which will be celebrated despite the pandemic by the province on July 18, ACTM is also planning to place a marker at the residence of GAMABA awardee Fu Yabing Masalon Dulo at Landan, Polomolok as one the highlighted CA activities of the province to honor the national artist.(photocredit:google.com)
