NCCA Unveils 25 New ProjectSaysay Poster Designs
The unveiling of the portraits and the launching of the new ProjectSaysay posters featuring 25 historical figures were held at the Leandro V. Locsin Auditorium of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), Intramuros, Manila on October 23.
The event was graced by NCCA Executive Director Rico Pableo, Jr., National Historical Commission of the Philippines (NHCP) Deputy Executive Director for Programs and Project Ar. Veronica A. Dado, and Instituto Cervantes de Manila Director Carlos Madrid, who also served as the guest of honor.
Mama Sita’s Foundation, Inc. President and CEO Clara Reyes-Lapus presented tokens to the descendants, relatives, and representatives of the 25 great men and women in Philippine history, in addition to the Puni de Malolos given by ProjectSaysay Communications Director Janine Micah Vicente and complimentary books from the NCCA and NHCP presented by Directors Pableo and Dado.
In his welcome remarks, Director Pableo expressed his admiration to ProjectSaysay. He acknowledged the relevance today of the posters, in compliance to the Memorandum Circular No. 25, s. 2017 of the Office of the President of the Philippines replacing the portraits of officials from government offices and schools with portraits of Filipino heroes. The NCCA director also pledged to continue supporting ProjectSaysay in the future. The NCCA produced 600 posters for the event, presented to General Gregorio del Pilar Elementary School in Bulakan, Bulacan; Taal Elementary School in Taal, Batangas; Vigan Elementary School in Vigan City; Jose Panganiban Elementary School in Jose Panganiban, Camarines Norte; Sta. Barbara Elementary School in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo; and Jolo Elementary School in Jolo, Sulu.
Ar. Dado related the relationship of NHCP with ProjectSaysay since the latter’s establishment in 2013. She recounted stories how NHCP employees supported the advocacy by bringing to their provinces of assignment the posters up to selling merchandises in the agency’s events, prompted by the inability of the agency to financially back ProjectSaysay because its executive director, Ian Christopher Alfonso, is part of the institution.
During the program, Fundacion Santiago Executive Director Chaco Molina delivered an excerpt of the 1882 Spanish text of Jose Rizal’s “El Amor Patrio,” while Alfonso read the translation to Tagalog of the said essay of Rizal entitled “Ang Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Lupa” by Marcelo H. del Pilar. Moreover, Poet Laureate Romeo Rodriguez, the Prince of Kapampangan Poets, presented the poetic version of “Pag-ibig sa Tinubuang Bayan” by Andres Bonifacio.
In the said event, ProjectSaysay also updated the figures: since its establishment, it has distributed 4,363 12”x18” matte-laminated sticker on 3mm sintra poster prints to 2,055 classrooms and libraries of 182 schools, institutions and offices, here and abroad.
Among the other guests of the event were Ramon Magsaysay Award Foundation Vice-Chairman Amina Rasul Bernardo, Ibarra Watches Marketing Director Justin Filamor, Department of Budget and Management Undersecretary Agnes Bailen, Knights of Rizal International Headquarters Supreme Council Supreme Pursuivant Sir Mark Boado, the artist behind the portraits Mark Villanueva, Center for Kapampangan Studies Events Coordinator Myra Lopez, and NCCA National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities Vice-Head Joel Mallari Diauuel Pinanari. Photographed by Batang Baliwag
ProjectSaysay Inc. is a registered non-government organization with a mission to spread the ideals and values of great Filipinos through dissemination of relevant, useful, and inspiring information sourced from Philippine history in three ways: [1] Distribute quality posters to Philippine schools for free, here and abroad, featuring the words of wisdom of great Filipinos; [2] generate sensible and accurate online materials that are shareable and attune to the needs of time; and [3] create platforms to express creativity and academic exchanges related to history and culture.
