Colorful people at the 5th sunrise

Composer, Artist Ysagani Ybarra (Yahtu) or Seigfreid Ranada

DIFFERENT faces, one goal. Diverse nations, one cause. For the very first time, Pampanga is host to the Sunrise Festival, an annual event of the Maharlika Artists and Writers Federation (MAWF) that aims to bring together artists and cultural workers from various nations all over the country to promote a common cause – peace and unity through arts.

The son of Mabalacat and revered artist, Marcelino “Sigfried” Ranada also known as Ysagani Ybarra is the director of the 5th Sunrise Festival that will be held in Maskup-Sitio Bana, Tabun, bounding the river shores of Purua in Mabalacat.

Of all the events in Pampanga this year, the coming of the 5th Sunrise Festival adds color to a fruitful year of the Kapampangan culture and arts. Several Kapampangan artists will participate in the festival through the conduct of art forums, creation of art installations and performances during the three-day event on November 28-30. The Kapampangan groups will be led by the Pampanga Art Guild, Mabalacat Aeta Association, Five Against the Wall, NAF Club, Mental Foss, THEM and Tibuan.

Deo Palma, MAWF national coordinator, said the concept of the festival is to provide a place and time for artists to gather and share their talents to preserve our cultural heritage. “We call it sunrise because the sunrise projects progress, peace and hope. Sunrise also symbolizes universal spirituality that speaks of humanity as one and indivisible regardless of race and color,” Palma said.

The organizers are expecting 200 artists, writers and cultural workers from all over the country most of them are members of MAWF. MAWF is an organization under the umbrella of Ang Katipunan ng mga Samahang Maharlika (Ang KaSaMa), a progressive organization that advocates national reform through the implementation of a new ideology – the Progressive Utilization Theory (PROUT) or so-called progressive socialism.

Palma, one of the pillars of Ang KaSaMa and MAWF, said that as part of their organizations’ advocacy, they are also lobbying for the change of our country’s name from Philippines to Maharlika. The movement of Maharlika got national attention during the time of former Senator Eddie Ilarde. The senator filed Parliamentary Bill 195 in August 14, 1978 seeking to change the name of the country from Philippines to Maharlika in response to the growing clamor of several nations for liberation from alleged “immoral and crude identity of King Philip of Spain.”

The members of Maharlika movement also consider federalism as one instrument of national reform although they believe that the division of regions must be based on ethnic languages and cultures rather than physical or political boundaries we inherited from the Spaniards. There are also other groups believing on the theory of real reforms through the equal preservation and promotion of ethnic languages and distinctive cultures around the country.

In a document presented by Professor Fred S. Cabuang of the Defenders of Indigenous Languages of the Archipelago (DILA) before the Senate Committee on Constitutional Amendments last September 10, his group stated their position non the proposed federalism as they find it instrumental in the preservation and promotion of various languages in the country.

“Presently, with all due respect, no national legislative measure has been adopted in order to guarantee the promotion, protection, and preservation of the Philippine languages except ‘Filipino,’” Cabuang stated in their position paper.

“With Federalism, the trajectory of the regional languages will change. With Federalism, the regional and indigenous languages will be in the hands of the regional and indigenous communities and local government authorities. With Federalism our regional and indigenous languages can be saved from dying!” he added.

As for Pampanga, the Alaya Movement, PAG and some members of ANASI also shared the same sentiments with DILA and other groups like Ang KaSaMa and MAWF. Our colorful cultures and distinctive languages will truly save this country from further chaos and devastation. It is only through the empowerment of various nations in this state that will find progressive movements and economic stability.

***** written by Minerva Zamora–Araceo in her column Let’s talk About It published in Punto! Central Luzon

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