What’s the Use of Art?

Where "art" daw?

Fbruary is not just the “love month”. Just in case you forgot, this month in the Philippines is when we celebrate the “National Arts Month”.

Let me tell you this story first. A couple of years back, MSU-IIT was visited by exchange students from the United Kingdom on a program called Global Xchange. I was a second year Political Science student then, and as part of the welcoming celebration, an intermission number was given by the world-renowned MSU-IIT-based Integrated Performing Arts Guild headed by Prof. Stephen Fernandez. It was my first time watching the said cultural dance troupe. It was astonishing.

For nearly an hour, they’ve showcased wonderful ethnic dances from the country. Immediately after the performance, only a handful of people from the audience (and that included me) stood up in ovation. All the exchange students are up on their feet and only me on the side stood and gleefully applauded the wonderful performance.

Then, a thought struck me as I stood alone in the appreciation of the performance, why is it that it seemed very few (even from us Filipinos) can appreciate our own dances, our own art, and our own culture? Why is it that only the exchange students from UK only greatly appreciated the performance?

The mere fact that most of us don’t know that we celebrate art for this month is a sign that we, Filipinos take the appreciation for aesthetics for granted. But one good question that can be raised from this proposition is: "Can art be of service to alleviate our current situation?”  

I don’t even wonder why most of today’s youngsters would rather watch Piolo Pascual than digital movies. This is depicted from the lines of the Dumaguete-based Filipino band Missing Filemon’s song Englisera:  “Bahala’g lood basta gikan sa Hollywood”. (Even if it’s a film of poor taste as long as it’s from Hollywood).

Just how many of us Filipinos know about the writings of Nick Joaquin? The music of Jose Maceda, or the golden voice of Honorata “Atang” de la Rama? Of the hundreds of people who won the Don Carlos Palanca Memorial Awards for Literature, how many of them can be understood by most Filipinos? 

Just who values culture? In this country where a lot of people are on the daily grind, the

apparent answer is NONE. No one but a blip cares.

No Filipino seem to care about it

And I pity the Filipino artists. I pray that we can do something for us to appreciate our roots through Filipino art. But before kneeling down, I have to first turn this noisy radio off.
Justin Bieber’s killing me.




 
Picture Credit:
Stills from GMA News TV’s teaser