March 29, 2024

In celebration of February as National Arts Month, allow me first to share “Baguiofornication, Part II” by my naughty poetic twin Gabriel Baban Keith: “Haven’t you heard?/ Baguio is an Ibaloy paradise lost./ So what, you say?/ You don’t care?/ You don’t give a damn?/ Of course you don’t./ How can you if you’re/ not really from here/ in the first place. / You don’t have roots here./ No history./ No nothing./ You’re just pretending/ to be from here./ To be part of a culture you/ were never really part of./ Haven’t you heard?/ Baguio is an Ibaloy paradise lost./ You don’t care?/ You don’t give a damn?/ Then go back home from/ where you really/ came from.” Advance Happy Ibaloy Day!


Anyway, February is also more famously known as Love Month climaxing on Feb. 14, Valentine’s Day. My naughty barkadas would joke that it is during this time that many children are conceived by couples (married and otherwise) and given birth to on November or nine months from now. It’s not rocket science for this near-sighted Ibaloy writer to guess that many Filipinos are November-born. Blame it on Cupid’s prolific and undiscriminating arrow.
Let us just be clear that it is the “romantic” kind of love that is usually celebrated on this so-called Month of Hearts and not the “agape” or Biblical kind which is the selfless or the love our neighbors as we love ourselves sort of love. I could be wrong, but the romantic kind is more self-centered and geared towards our feelings and how a certain beloved makes us feel. If the feeling is gone, what happens then?
As a “veteran” of romantic love, ahem, it is truly best and practical that we should think with our heads and not only lead with our hearts when falling in love. Being in love is a great feeling, for sure. Unfortunately, love (romantic or otherwise) alone does not pay the bills, put food on the table, or buy the baby’s diapers should the time come. Sounds so unromantic yet that’s reality.


FYI: The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) formally launched the Philippine Arts Festival 2020 in a ceremony at the Rizal Park in Manila last Feb. 1. The event celebrates the diverse Filipino culture through a series of dance, drama, literary arts, and music performances.
Also forming part of the festival is Cinema Rehiyon’s film screening of local film selections from different parts of the country.
February is National Arts Month as per Presidential Proclamation 683, s. 1991.
Join the month-long celebration of Arts Month with the NCCA banner “Ani ng Sining” and highlight the bountiful harvest of Philippine arts. Halina’t maki-sining!


We’re on air Wednesdays, 8 am, over K-Lite 96.7 FM with Fiona Quinn and every last Tuesday of the month at 3 p.m. for City Hall Hour over SkyCable, DZEQ Radyo Pilipinas, and Big FM.
May our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ continue to bless and keep us all safe.