COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND THE ARTS

The UPB Committee on Culture and the Arts (UPB CCA) establishes its presence in the local community as a reliable partner in the promotion of initiatives for culture and the arts in Baguio, notably partnering with the Council for Baguio Creative City (CBCC), and as a cultural hub. It belongs to a network of artists and cultural workers and organizations that cultivate and develop the various forms of expression found in Baguio City and the wider Cordilleras.

History

The University of the Philippines Baguio’s vital role in the continued flourishing of culture and arts work in the region was one of the cornerstones in the bid to elevate the unit from a regional campus to the 7th constituent University of the UP System. UPB’s founding paper states that “UP Baguio [shall] serve as the haven for culture and arts in the Cordillera Region.”

Executive Order No. 93-72

(Reorganization of the President’s Committee on Culture and the Arts
[PCCA])

When the President’s Committee on Culture and the Arts (PCCA) was established, each UP unit formed its own CCA. The UPCB CCA was then under the PCCA until it became UPB CCA when UP Baguio became autonomous in 2001.

Section 3-A appoints the Committee on Culture and the Arts as the entity within the unit that must carry out the task of planning and programming of artistic and cultural activities that the University will undertake. EO 93- 72 identifies the following functions of the CCA:

  • Enrich the Cultural and Artistic experience of students and UP personnel beyond the confines of classrooms and offices;
  • Develop among the students and University personnel and their cultural heritage and various artistic forms;
  • Stress the importance of cultural and artistic exposure and appreciation as having significant educative value; and
  • Create a climate that will better enable the artists (especially among UP students and personnel) to realize their potential in the context of the University’s and society’s values.

Vision

Mission

UPB through its Committee on Culture and the Arts shall:

  • Take the lead in revitalizing the cultural and arts scene on campus;
  • Create and nurture an audience on and off campus;
  • Contribute to the development of artists on campus and in the larger community;
  • Ensure the continuous flow of exchange of knowledge that will augment efforts to develop an understanding and appreciation of the various aspects of culture and the arts; and
  • Take charge of proposals for the institutionalization of official University Culture and Arts Groups (e.g. theater company/ies, choir, dance troupe/s, etc.) and oversee, monitor, and provide direction to their programs of activities thereafter.

Section 3-a of EXECUTIVE ORDER NO. 93-72 (REORGANIZATION OF THE PRESIDENT’S COMMITTEE ON CULTURE AND THE ARTS [PCCA]) identifies the following functions of the CCA:

  • Enrich the Cultural and Artistic experience of students and UP personnel beyond the confines of classrooms and offices;
  • Develop among the students and University personnel and their cultural heritage and various artistic forms;
  • Stress the importance of cultural and artistic exposure and appreciation as having significant educative value; and
  • Create a climate that will better enable the artists (especially among UP students and personnel) to realize their potential in the context of the University’s and society’s values.

Mandate

Some time in 2005, a Vision Paper was drafted and approved to transform the UPB CCA into the UPB Office for Culture and Arts Initiatives (UPB OCAI) titled “Toward a University Initiative for Culture and the Arts.” It was noted that at this point that the CCA will remain a University Committee until such time that it is functioning well enough to be able to transform into the UPB Office for Culture and Arts Initiatives. (The workshop was facilitated by Chancellor Raymundo Rovillos, with VCAA Wilfredo Alangui, former CCA Chairpersons, current CCA members, invited faculty from different colleges and Ms. Luchie Maranan of the Baguio Writers Group who served as a resource person on the state on Culture and Arts work in Baguio and the Cordillera).

The general conclusion arrived at from the workshop discussions is that UPB has lost its claim as the center and vital hub of culture and the arts activities in the community and that efforts must be made to consolidate and strengthen the University’s presence in the community in the area of culture and the arts. 

In 2017, a Workshop on Culture and the Arts was held at Marand Resort, Bauang, La Union to: (1) assess the current state of Culture and Arts work (programs and activities) at UP Baguio; (2) know the current state of Culture and Arts in Baguio and the Cordilleras and (3) define the directions of Culture and Arts work at UP Baguio. The output from the workshop was a draft of a policy paper on the CCA’s mandate (aligned with EO 93-72) and mode of operations. (See Appendix “A”)

Service and Programs

Guided by the CCA function outlined by EO 93-72, the UPB CCA shall continue to do the following modes of culture and arts work:

  • Initiating and/or coordinating LECTURES, SEMINARS, and CONFERENCES that shall provide continuing education on various aspects of culture and the arts;
  • Conducting WORKSHOPS, COMPETITIONS, and FESTIVALS that will enrich the experience of students, UP personnel, and other members of the community and cultivate understanding and appreciation of their cultural heritage vis-à-vis the variety that is present in society as well as provide venues in which artists can realize their potential’ and
  • Holding of EXHIBITS and PERFORMANCES, and initiating PUBLICATION to provide venues for exposure for artists and/or cultural groups and the audience and experiencing the cultural and artistic experiences of members of the UP Community and members of the larger community.

Contact Us

Email:

cca.upbaguio@up.edu.ph

Location:

The Committee on Culture and the Arts (CCA) is located at the Lower Ground Floor of the Alumni Center Building of UP Baguio. It shares an office and practice space with the Program for Indigenous Cultures (PIC) as well as the NSTP Office.

Facebook Page:

https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063553226754