The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
Take a look at the past presidents of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) since its inception and creation fifty four years ago: Jaime Zobel de Ayala, Lucresia Kasilag, Maria Theresa Escoda-Roxas, Francisco del Rosario, Jr., Baltazat Endriga, Armina Rufino, Nestor Jardin, Raul Sunico, Isabel Caro Wilson, Arsenio J. Lizaso and Margarita Moran Floirendo.
During their appointments or elections, they were mostly in their midlife if not senior years but the recent election of the new ad interim President Michelle Nikki Junia has marked a new age bracket of a leader.
Junia who was elected by the Board of Trustees last month is the youngest voted in head of the state agency on arts and culture.
Michelle Nikki replaced 1973 Miss Universe Margie Moran who now sits as Vice-Chair of the Board along with Atty. Lorna Kapunan and other members.
Nikki, only in her forties, feels challenged when she learned that she is the youngest president of CCP.
“As if age is the gauge of an effective leader how about the septagunarians who have contributed a lot in the sustainability of the Center. I think the performance is a more important factor than any other considerations. The presidents that came before me have left behind wondeful legacies in the Center, the arts amd culture scenes and the society at-large. I think it’s not the age factor but the commitment to advance the causes of our fields,” opined Nikki in an exclusive interview.
“My advantage maybe the gift of speaking the same language with the youth who are younger than or my age so that we can be allies to the enhancement of culture and arts in the country,” she said.
“But I can also adjust to the language of the people older than me or simply the old folks. I can also feel, think, speak, decide like them if the need arises especially in policymaking in relation to the usefulness of arts and culture in their lives,” she gushed.
At the moment, Nikki is contemplating, concentrating and working in the presentation of various arts and their allied fields to relate across sections of Philippine society.
Michelle Nikki is the former Chair of the CCP Committee on Artistic Matters. She was also one of the brains behind the “Kanto Kultura,” an annual CCP project that encourages the Filipino artists of all ages in creating innovative and original works in all art forms.
Junia assumed her office on Day One of September.