Manobo artist to conduct free puppetry for youth in Mindanao

Through the power of art as an instrument to enhance friendships among the youth, Manobo visual artist Carlito Camahalan Amalla will conduct a free puppetry and repoussé workshop for high school students and the tri-people in Pagadian, Zamboanga del Sur. 

Entitled Mugna sa Pagadian, the interactive immersion contributes to the greater mission to achieve genuine and lasting peace in Mindanao. 

Designed for young Muslims, Christians, and Subanens, as well as the members of the Holy Infant Seminarians from the Diocese of Pagadian, it fosters the pedagogy of connection and camaraderie while  serving as a platform to spark artistic talents.

Amalla, a member of the Agusan Manobo tribe, and the founder and leader of the Agusan Artists Association in Butuan City and the Balangay Artists Association in Manila, will mentor the participants on how to create their stick puppets from scratch.

Amalla is a performer, puppeteer, dancer, chanter, musician, ceramist, and researcher who has participated in exhibitions in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the USA.

He is currently an assistant professor for the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Culture-Based Arts Program of the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde (DLS-CSB). 

The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) recently bestowed upon him the Creative Caraga Award for his exceptional contributions to the creative industries in the region.

Amalla holds a bachelor in Fine Arts with a major in sculpture and a master’s degree in Art History, both from the University of the Philippines. His Agusan Manobo embroidery art thesis, paintings, and puppetry in Sinuyaman: Awit ni Baylan were part of the Mindanao: Cartography of History, Identity, and Representation presented at the School of Oriental and African Studies of the University of London in 2019.

Mugna sa Pagadian,  free and open to the public, will be held on Saturday, November 23, 2024, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Holy Infant Seminary in Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur.