Day 1: Araw ni Huseng Batute

On November 22 or "Araw ni Huseng Batute," the first day of the festival, Performatura celebrates poet par excellence Jose Corazon de Jesus' 125th birthday.

We'll get a chance to see CCP president and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) chair Arsenio “Nick” Lizaso deliver his welcome remarks. His speech will be followed by National Artist for Music Ramon Santos's appearance as he speaks of the life of lyricist De Jesus.

See also: What's a Day Like in the Life of National Artist, Ryan Cayabyab?

Viewers will learn from Performatibo Manila's music artists how De Jesus's poetry heals both Filipinos and the country. The lyricist's direct descendant, Jesus Jaime Aguila, will also be there.

Starting 1pm to 5pm, the finals of the Pambansang Balagtasan courtesy of the NCCA’s Philippine Cultural Education Program will be held in cooperation with the Department of Education.

Concluding that day's event will feature the special edition of Pamana ng Lahi, Arte, Kultura, Atbp (P.L.A.K.A.) entitled Titik ni Huseng Batute sa P.L.A.K.A. hosted by Mike Coroza, Jeanette Job Coroza, Felipe de Leon Jr, and Sonia Roco.

Day 2: Bagong Bonifacio

In celebration of the revolutionary hero, Andres Bonifacio’s 158th birthday which is on November 30, CCP names the second day, "Bagong Bonifacio". 

Chris Millado, the CCP Vice President and Artistic Director will be opening the event on November 23. There will be a segment called Front Act (Liners) hosted by the Linangan sa Imahen, Retorika, and Anyo's Arli Joshua Boniquit Atienza. 

The segment is dedicated to the unsung healing heroes of the country as it features singers in the field such as Dr Rhodora Andrea Concepcion of the Psychiatric Association of the Philippines, Dr P.J. Bengwasan of the Psychological Association of the Philippines, and Dr Neslen Guanzon, Mignodel Morales, Leilani Joy Igarta of Asian Hospital and Medical Center’s Makatang Asiano, among many others.

See also: COVID-19 Test: 12 Places To Book Home Service Testing

Eight Letters wunderkind Cindy Wong will sponsor the afternoon segment called Claiming Indie Spaces in Challenging Times, organised by the Indie Publishers Collab-PH (TIPC-PH), from 1pm to 5pm. TIPC-PH will be conducting a book launch and wonderful storytelling performances from Aklat Alamid, Alubat Publishing, 8Letters, Librong L.I.R.A., Rebo Press, and Southern Voices.

Later at night from 7pm to 10pm, S.I.P.A. International Performance Art Festival rediscovers the excellence of Filipino performance artists like Nerisa Guevara, PUP Sining Lahi Polyrepertory, Ronadae Ruiz, Jo-An Sarmogenes, Opaline Santos, Rosa Zerrudo, Concerned Artists of the Philippines (Polytechnic University of the Philippines) Performance Collective, Rogger Basco, and even foreign guests like 69 Performance Club (Indonesia), Mok Augustine (Hong Kong), Warattaya Chaisin (Thailand), Calum Eccleston (England), Chaw Ei Thein (Myanmar/United States), Inti Barrios Hernandez (Mexico), Andreas Hoffmann (Germany), Yeon Jeong (South Korea), Padungsak Kochsomrong (Thailand), Florence Lam (HongKong), Futoshi Moromizato (Japan), Maria Victoria Muñoz (Colombia), Mongkol Plienbangchang (Thailand), Juyoung Park (South Korea), Evamaria Schaller (Austria), Dimple B Shah (India), Satadru Sova (India), and Yadanar Win (Myanmar). 

Day 3: Araw ng mga Aklat at Akdang Bayan

CCP Board of Trustees Chair Margie Moran Floirendo will be opening the last day on November 24. By 10am comes a wonderful surprise for families living in far-flung areas where books and the internet are limited—Book Nook, reading centres inaugurated by the National Book Development Board.

Later in the afternoon, from 1pm to 5pm, great epics are the main focus as Luzon’s Lam-ang, Visayas’s Hinilawod, and Mindanao’s Darangen take centerstage. The pre-colonial form of literature will be modernised or post-modernised by directors Ron Biñas, John Barrios, and Christine Ortega.

Starting 7pm, the Philippine Librarian Association, Inc. (PLAI) will deliver a speech encouraging Filipino library personnel to commemorate the 87th National Book Week. Then the winner of Tanghal Makata, a nation-wide spoken word contest tackling the theme “Outcomes, Outreach, Outstanding: Library Beyond Boundaries,” will be crowned with a piece created by sculptor Raul “Tata” Funilas and receive a trophy tailor-made for the “Tanghal Makata ng Taon” by artist Sam Penaso.

You can watch Performatura 2021 wherever you are—be it on your phone, laptop, or tablet—as it will be streamed online for free. Under the direction of poet Dr Vim Nadera, the event will be streamed through Facebook Live on the CCP Intertextual Division Facebook page and Zoom.

To know more, visit ccpperformatura2021.wordpress.com 

NOW READ

Intangible Cultural Treasures of The Philippines: Why It's Important to Preserve Them

How Asian Artists Are Leading The Internet Art Movement Towards New Heights

Indigenous Peoples of the Philippines: Why We Need to Celebrate and Protect Them