The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
by Boy Villasanta
When music master Felipe M. de Leon talks, everybody listens.
His words are taken seriously not only by Filipinos but the whole world as well.
Because Felipe de Leon aside from an erudite person is a compassionate artist as well.
During his tenure as Chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the agency was praised for its relevance and adequacy in the advancement of the arts and culture of the country.
De Leon has the prophetic vision, mostly in the progressive direction of the homegrown talents.
Take for instance the achievements of poet and visual artist Epitacio Tongohan, also known as Doc Pen Pen (yes, Tongohan is also a medical doctor) and Bugtong Takipsilim.
B Takipsilim, who was nominated National Artist fir Literature by the Local Government Unit (LGU) of Tanay, Rizal, created a literary sanctuary, a literary book called Pentasi B, a visual poetry of texts and images that conveyed compelling emptions and ideas.
Pentasi B is one unique contributions of Doc Pen Pen not only to Philippine literature but to world letters as well.
Bugtong Takipsilim isn”t called Father of Poetry for nothing.
When de Leon was askex to comment on Pentasi B, this is what he said:
“Ang Pilipinas bilang isang lipunan
Meron nang mga senyas na tayo ay magiging kakaiba. At malaki anh magiging kontribusyon sa kaisipang pandaigdig.
Dahil ang ating sining ay mayroong lalimna galing sa PUSO. Sapagkat nasabi nga nila na ang Pilipinas pala ang pinakasentro ng geography ng mundo. Tayo ang PUSO
Sa PUSO nanggagaling ang damdaming makata. At samahan ang isip, nad’yan ang diwa. Kaya sa tingin ko, ang puso at diwa ng Pilipino ang magpapabago sa mundo.
At ang Pentasi B ay ang nangunguna sa ganitong pagbabago (The Philippines as a society…There are signs that we will be unique–different– And we will have a significant contribution to global thought–consciousness–Because our art has depth thag comes from the HEART. Because as they say, the Philippines, in the whole world, us the geographical center of the world.
We are the HEART, and from the HEART comes the soul of poetry. And includes the MIND…We have the SPIRIT.
That is why the HEART and SPIRIT of the Filipinos will transform the world.
And PENTASi B leads in this kind of transformation.”