Cayetano wants creation of Department of Arts and Culture

FILE — House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano. (Photo from his office)

MANILA, Philippines — House Speaker Alan Peter Cayetano is proposing the creation of a government agency that would focus in the field of creative and performing arts in the country.

In a press briefing on Monday, Cayetano said the Department of Arts and Culture would likewise, focus on the development and promotion of the said field around the world.

“So, personally I’d really like to have a Department of Arts and Culture, and magfo-focus ito sa performing arts and also marketing artwork ng mga Pilipino around the world,” Cayetano said.

(Personally, I’d really like to have a Department of Arts and Culture that will focus on performing arts and also market the artwork of Filipinos around the world.)

“Yes, may mga mawawalan ng trabaho sa ABS-CBN, pero walang dahilan na hindi magkaroon ng golden age of Philippine cinema of Philippine performing arts,” he added.

(Yes there are people who will lose their jobs in ABS-CBN, but there is no reason to not have a golden age of Philippine cinema of Philippine performing arts.)

Cayetano said that the government should support the talent of Filipinos in the field, as he cited how South Korea invested in the Korean Wave, K-Pop, and K-Drama over the past years which have benefitted their country.

“‘Yung sa K-Pop at K-Drama, hindi aksidente ‘yun. Pinlano iyon ng private sector, gobyerno, ang mga performing artists nag-aral talaga, nagpakadalubhasa. So you know, level up,” the House Speaker said.

(The emergence of K-Pop and K-Drama, that’s not an accident. The private sector, government planned it and performing artists really studied it. So you know, it’s a level up.)

In this regard, Cayetano said that the Philippines should have an advantage since Filipinos are adaptable.

Meanwhile, Cayetano also pointed out that the government should also focus on the field of fine arts.

“Kung titingnan mo ‘yong fine arts, at kung titingnan mo ang design, at titingnan mo halimbawa ang mga sculptors at painters ngayon during the pandemic, imbes na bumaba, tumaas ang presyo. And even right before the pandemic, ‘yung mga nage-exhibit sa Europe, sa Singapore, sa China, sa Hong Kong, grabe ang suporta,” Cayetano said.

(If you will look at the field of fine arts, if you will look at design and if you will look at sculptors and painters during the pandemic, instead of prices going down, it went up. And even right before the pandemic, those holding exhibits in Europe, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, there really is support.)

“So, sa akin, ang sining whether it’s for advertising, whether it’s for movies, it’s for telenovelas, whether it’s for marketing ng mga projects, whether it’s OPM as an album or a jingle ng isang produkto, very creative tayo doon. I don’t think we should lose our advantage there, or whatever we lost, I think we should gain it back,” he added.

(For me, the field of arts, whether it’s for advertising, whether it’s for movies, it’s for telenovelas, whether it’s for marketing of projects, whether it’s OPM as an album or a jingle of a product, we are very creative on that. I don’t think we should lose our advantage there, or whatever we lost, I think we should gain it back.)

JPV