Before the “Titanic”, there were the “Galleons”

Before the “TITANIC”, there were the GALLEONS, and the Filipinos were on them.  History visits the Philippines, as the Andalucia Galleon docks in Manila Bay.

MANILA, August 22, 2010-  Before the “TITANIC”, there were the GALLEON, and the Filipinos were on them. And now, everyone has a chance to jump aboard a mighty Galleon that once ruled the world.  From October 5-9, the Philippines will host the Galeon Andalucia, a 17th century replica of a Galleon. Berthing at the Manila Harbor, guests from all over will be able to view and walk through history.

Without fuel and minimal modern technology, the Galleon is almost exactly as it was four hundred years ago.

The Philippines will once again claim its glory as one of the centers of global trade and cultural transmission. The Galleons, which traveled twice a year from Manila to Acapulco, brought with it goods from four continents.  Bounties of the Earth such as silver, pearls and chocolate; and exquisitely made items such as porcelain, silk and pina were traded in Philippine and Mexican ports. Up to eighty percent of the crew were Filipinos, and to this very day, Filipinos are still renowned as Masters of the Seas.

The National Commission for Culture and the Arts and Día del Galeón in partnernship with the Fundación Nao Victoria of Spain, have collaborated and will bring in a piece of world history on Philippine shores. The vessel departed last March 21 from Seville Spain and has crossed the Mediteranean and Indian Oceans. Currently, it is docked in the Shanghai International Expo in China.

The Galleon is 51 meters long and can hold up to 5,000 people per day! It weighs 495 tons and is reminiscent of days gone by.

For those who think history can only be read in old books, this will bring history to light. Philippine national and cultural agencies have pooled their resources together with the Philippine Ports Authority, MARINA, Philippine Coast Guard,  and the Philippine Shippers Association on-board to plan the arrival of the Galleon. The Galleon will be part of the Día del Galeón festivities for the months of September to October. Let us celebrate the new Philippine Renaissance.

The Día del Galeón Festival will focus on the impacts of the Galleon and will mirror the three concerns of the United Nations for the year 2010: the protection of biodiversity as impacted by climate change, the advancement of seafaring concerns, as well as Cultural Rapprochement. The Philippine festival will add a new dimension to the Galleon trade  as it will highlight the role and impact of the Filipinos during the trade as well as emphasizing indigenous art form and heritage at par with Hispanic art form. The Organizing Committee is chaired by NCCA’s Dr. Vilma Labrador, with Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Alberto Romulo as Advisory  Board Chair. Senator Edgardo J. Angara is the Honorary Chairperson of the event while Cecile Guidote-Alvarez is the Festival’s Director General.

Preparations are underway for the UNESCO-approved global observance of Día del Galeón scheduled for October 8 to remember its historic role as a trade route connecting continents and as a vessel of cultural exchange. For more information log onto www.ncca.gov.ph , www.diadelgaleon.blogspot.com <http://www.diadelgaleon.blogspot.com> , email diadelgaleon@yahoo.com or call (632) 527 2192 local 616. You can also reach us by facebook and twitter, just type diadelgaleon.

ARTES TALLERES: An International Workshop melds Indigenous Art Forms

PRESS RELEASE

ARTES TALLERES: An International Workshop melds Indigenous Art Forms

“Gardy” Labad releases his workshop design for the Dia Del Galeon Festival---The Galleon Trade will pay homage to the Indigenous. A collaboration of indigenous art forms and Galleon Trade themes, the ARTES TALLERES is more than a workshop, it is a Rapprochement of Cultures.

August 18, 2010- Acclaimed composer and director Lutgardo “Gardy” Labad has finally rolled out the schedule for ARTES TALLERES: THE WORKSHOP for the Dia Del Galeon Festival. The Philippines is the first country in the world to hold a festival to create awareness of the Galleon trade and its impact on the world. But this time, the Galleon Trade will pay homage to the indigenous.

More than thirty countries will send their delegates to the Philippines for the workshop and will be joined by Philippine artists and educators. Gardy Labad reiterates, “In line with the commitment to implement the UNESCO Arts education roadmap, this will be a valuable contribution to evolve a media arts module that will fuse indigenous expression with Galleon Trade themes such as post-colonialism, cultural transmission, trade impact, climate change and plight of the seafarers.” Among the delegates are groups from the Philippines’ School of Living Traditions, Capoiera artists from Brazil and Puppeteers from Vietnam. For many, this will not only be a collaboration, but a Rapprochement of Cultures. The Philippine festival will highlight the Philippine role in the Galleon trade as well as emphasizing indigenous art forms.


Many of the delegates are from countries that have been affected by the Galleon Trade and colonization such as Mexico, Peru, El Salvador, and the festival would like to highlight the influence that these countries have brought to the world. The workshops are packed from Day 1 to Day 21, with lectures in the morning, collaborative performances in the afternoon, and rehearsals in the evening for the climatic production of Juana La Loca. Written by Mexican playwright Miguel Sabido, the play highlights the “mad” life of Juana La Loca, grandmother of Philip II, the King who the Philippines was named after. The play will fuse Filipino and Spanish languages dialogue involving workshop participants, local actors, and a Spanish composer.

The festival will focus on the impacts of the Galleon and it will mirror the three concerns of the United Nations for the year 2010: the protection of biodiversity as impacted by climate change, the advancement of seafaring concerns, as well as Cultural Rapprochement.
ARTES TALLERES: THE WORKSHOP is open for applications. Deadline is September 1. For more information log onto www.ncca.gov.ph or e-mail diadelgaleon@yahoo.com