2nd Cultural Center in PH to rise in Sorsogon

By Bobby Q. Labalan SORSOGON CITY --- The second cultural center in the country would soon rise in this city. Rep. Evelina Escudero led top local and National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) officials in the ground-breaking ceremony of the Sorsogon Cultural Center for the Arts (SCCA) at the city hall complex here. The edifice will rise at the one-hectare lot allotted by the city government. Escudero said the building would cost about P200 million upon completion though at present only P20 million had so far been allocated under the 2017 budget. She said the structure will be outfitted with state-of-the-art facilities for audio and visual presentations and “will house exhibit rooms and halls for shows and performances as well as offices”. In her message during the ceremony, Escudero stressed the significance of preserving and promoting local culture saying “culture actually is what binds us together as a people. Culture is what identifies us as Filipinos, and as Sorsoganons”. She said that “our traditions, our beliefs, our food, our music, our customs, our language and dialects and our values” are all part of our culture that “provides us with a unique identity as Sorsoganons, as Filipinos”. NCCA Commissioner Teddy Co said they were delighted by Escudero’s initiative of giving significance and emphasis to Filipino arts and culture. Co, who chairs the sub-commission on the arts of the NCCA, said arts and culture are significant for human existence. He stressed that the country has numerous well-known artists who would be willing to hold shows here in the province once the building is completed. Co said the only existing cultural center in the country is the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) which was built through the initiative of then First Lady Imelda Marcos. He added that artists might actually decide to reside here in the future as they might find the province conducive for the growth of arts in the country. Mayor Sally Lee praised the Escudero’s project saying it augurs well for the city especially in its holistic approach to development. The city executive said the promotion of arts and culture will boost the city’s program on human development. The building, which will be run and managed by the Sorsogon Foundation for Culture and the Arts, is itself distinct as it is shaped like a Pili nut which makes it uniquely Sorsoganon. Construction will soon start through the Department of Public Works and Highways DPWH. Mediaworks Communication