DAGUPAN CITY, Mar. 6 (PNA)– Dagupan City will host the National Performing Arts Festival called “Fun Fiesta Sa Pilipinas 2014” on April 1 to 3 that will kick off the fun and excitement in this year’s Dagupan Bangus Festival slated from April 1 to May, 2014.
The three-day event showcases national competitions in folk dance and one-act play; song composition and interpretation and dance drama contest; and contemporary dance and chorale competition to be held at CSI Stadia in Lucao, Dagupan City.
The competition will be participated in by elementary and secondary students from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao to be sponsored jointly by the Dagupan City government and the Bulwagang Filipino Theatre Guild., Inc. with Bennylito Reyes as executive director, in coordination with the Philippine Arts and Culture Educators Society (PACES).
Mayor Belen Fernandez, executive chair of the Bangus Festival 2014, approved the inclusion of the Fun Fiesta sa Pilipinas event to add glitter to the month-long festivities directed at further promoting to the world the number one agricultural product of Dagupan–bangus (milkfish).
Reyes said that from 46 to 48 recognized school-based performing arts groups will compete in only the second National Performing Arts Festival in the country, the first one of which was held last year in Pasay City that drew 20 participants.
This year’s festival has for its theme: “Kabataang Pilipino, Dangal ng Lahi’t Bansa Ipagdiwang. . . Ipagmalaki Natin ito (Filipino Youth: Pride of the Race and Nation, let’s celebrate. . .We shall be Proud of It”.
The competition, in line with the cultural enrichment program of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCAA), intends to promote review, reinvent and strengthen the Filipino culture; encourage the young generation to practice the native dances to reestablish their own identity; enhance the artistic talents and aesthetic values of the learners; and deepen learners’ knowledge on Philippine culture and the arts, as well as their communication skills.
Dr. Zenaida Sinlao, commissioner on arts and culture of the Dagupan City government, said Dagupan is glad to host the festival which could help encourage the youth to further hone their skills in follk dances, one-act plays, song composition and interpretation and dance drama as well as contemporary dance and in choral presentations.
She said several performing arts groups from Dagupan and Pangasinan are also seeing action in the competition. (PNA)