Contemporary

Arts
Modern
Arts
 LITERATURE

The title of the book is read phonetically as “Aba

nakakabasa na pala ako?!” which can be translated as
“Wow I can read now?!” Published in 2001, Bob Ong’s
first book rose to fame for depicting the supposed
unforgettable moments of his life as a student—from
primary years to college days—using a first-person
perspective and conversational writing techniques.
Because of its success among readers, this book got its
movie debut in 2014.
 MUSIC

This indie-folk band of six found itself skyrocketing to

success after winning the WanderBand competition in
2014. With its full and upbeat natural sound, the band
quickly graced the stages of the country’s biggest music
festivals. And in October 2017, they wowed India in their
first international performance at the ASEAN-India Music
Festival. Achieving the perfect blend of harmonizing
vocals, violin riffs, and playful percussion, this band easily
builds a fanbase wherever they go.
 PERFORMING ARTS

Born in 2002, E-Dance Theatre is a group of young

independent artists seeking alternative spaces to enhance
their technique and experiment with different forms of
performing arts. Inspired by the growth of multi-media and
interactive technology, and the contemporary dance
tradition, E-dance engages in collaborative experiments
with other artists from different fields, exploring the
different approaches to creating dance.
 SCULPTURE

The University Museum and Art Gallery (UMAG) of

the University of Hong Kong, will present Ifugao
Sculpture: Expressions in Philippine Cordillera Art from
December 1, 2017 to February 4, 2018, an exhibition of
tribal art and culture. Rarely shown in such a large group
display, both figurative sculptures and ritual boxes
exemplify the talent of artists from the Ifugao, Bontoc and
Kankanaey tribes in the northern Luzon region of the
Philippines. The exhibition is organised in cooperation
with collector Mr Martin Kurer and the Hong Kong-based
Asian Art:Future (AA:F), a foundation that specialise in
collecting contemporary and antique Asian art.
 FILM

Himala was filmed entirely in the Philippine province

of Ilocos Norte in just three weeks with a budget of only
₱3 million. The film premiered at the 1982 Metro Manila
Film Festival, and in 1983, became the first Filipino film
to be included in the "Competition Section" of the Berlin
International Film Festival. Since then, Himala has been
exhibited in a number of film festivals around the world.
 LITERATURE

Banaag at Sikat (From Early Dawn to Full Light) has

been dubbed the ‘bible of the Filipino working class.’
Being among the earliest novels written by Lope K. Santos,
it’s considered by Filipino critic Teodoro Agoncillo as one
of the most important books in Philippine literature in
1949. That’s because according to Agoncillo, it paved the
way for the development of a system on how Tagalog
novels were written. The novel narrates the story between
Delfin and Felipe who have contrasting views. Delfin is a
socialist whereas Felipe, despite being the son of a rich
landowner, leans towards anarchism. Throughout the
narrative, themes of love, livelihood, and societal status are
embedded.
 MUSIC

In the 1930s to 1940s, Antonino Buenaventura also

used nationalist themes in his compositions like Pandanggo
sa Ilaw and Mindanao Sketches which was based on
Manobo themes. Other composers who made use of
indigenous themes were Juan Hernandez in Mga
Katutubong Tanawin and Lucio San Pedro in the Malakas
at Maganda Overture
 PERFORMING ARTS

According to locals, a Spanish government official

from Peñafrancia, Spain, settled with his family in Cavite
in 1712. One day, his daughter fell ill and the family prayed
for her recovery to the famous Madonna of Peñafrancia, a
picture of whom was in their possession. When the
daughter recovered, the father vowed to build a chapel in
honor of Our Lady of Peñafrancia in Manila. However,
since he was being detained in Nueva Caceras, he built the
chapel in that city, now known as Naga, instead.
 SCULPTURE

Napoleon Abueva (born 1930), one of Tolentino'’s

pupils, is one of the pioneering modernists in sculpture. He
used various media. And his stylization bordered on the
abstract as in Allegorical Harpoon, in which the dominant
horizantal thrust of the figure evokes the vitality of
primitive forms.
 FILM

Dalagang Bukid ( lit. 'Country Maiden') is a 1919 Filipino

silent film directed by José Nepomuceno. It is the first
Filipino-produced and -directed feature film. Like all of
Nepomuceno's works, Dalagang Bukid is now a lost film.