Kasilag and the Republic Cultural Heritage Awards
Lucrecia Kasilag (August 31,1918–August 16, 2008) is known to be one of the foremost contributors to Philippine music as she had written over 200 compositions of different kinds and spearheaded the music of the Bayanihan Dance Company. In her compositions, she is known to have synthesized musical influences from the East and the West through the usage of indigenous instruments from around Asia and the Philippines. One of the several prestigious awards won by Kasilag was the Republic Cultural Heritage Award.
She won this award in 1960, the first year the award was instituted, as well as in 1966. Curiously however, the award does not exist any more today, for reasons that will be discussed. Two of Kasilag’s compositions have merited her these two awards
The Republic Cultural Heritage Awards
The Republic Cultural Heritage Awards began in 1960 as it was instituted by the administration of President Carlos P. Garcia. The problem mainly faced by President Garcia was of economic nature: imports coming in vastly outnumbered the exports going out. Hence, at the time, there was a resurgence of nationalism, which would be seen in the policies that Garcia introduced.
There was the Filipino First Policy that “heavily favored Filipino businessmen over foreign investors when it comes to grant of rights, privileges, and concessions covering the national economy and patrimony”.
Another was the Bohlen-Serrano Agreement that “shortened the lease of American bases from 99 years to 25 years, renewable after every five years.” However, President Garcia’s re-invigoration and recognition of the local Filipino did not just stop at economic and military concerns. This was where the Republic Cultural Heritage Awards came in as it allowed for the recognition of Filipino writers, artists, and historians on an annual basis.
The formation rationale for the awards was to “initiate a movement for greater and more dedicated efforts in cultural advancement to complement the country’s program of economic development.” The first recipient of the award was N.V.M. Gonzales for his novel Bamboo Dancers (1959).
Kasilag, who is known by reputation as the “First Lady of Philippine Music” and colloquially as “Tita King” was also given this award in 1960 for her contribution in music specifically her “Toccata for Percussion and Winds, Divertissement and Concertante”. She then won the award in 1966, which was during the Marcos administration for Misang Filipino (Filipino Mass).
TOCCATA FOR PERCUSSION AND WINDS, DIVERTISSEMENT AND CONCERTANTE
Kasilag composed “Toccata for Percussion and Winds, Divertissement and Concertante” on February 6, 1958. The chamber work, which is around nine minutes long, makes use of a combination of instruments from Mindanao with a Western orchestra.
The composition more specifically makes use of orthodox western instruments and Muslim percussions. The piece makes use of a Duyug thematic rhythm in the beginning.
Among the Asian instruments used were the dabakan, timpani, gangsa, kulintang, gandingan, Tiruray gongs, and gabbang combined with the clarinet, horn, trombone, piano, trumpet, and glockenspiel.
....
from left to right: dabakan, gangsa, kulintang, gandingan.
MISANG FILIPINO
This composition was created by Kasilag on March 29, 1965. Misang Filipno makes use of a mixed chorus, guitar, and organ and was written in observance of the 400 years of Christianity in the Philippines, incorporating tribal chants.
The piece was performed for a special mass to commemorate the 40th day of Kasilag’s passing on September 25, 2008 at 3PM in the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) Main Theater Lobby. One may listen to a rendition of the composition here which was by Wolfgang Oehms and the Las Piñas Boys Choir on the LP entitled “The Historic Bamboo Organ of Las Piñas” manufactured in 1975.
NATIONAL ARTIST AWARDS
The Republic Cultural Heritage Awards was the “forerunner” of the National Artist Awards While the former was said to have ended in 1971, the latter began on April 2, 1972 through proclamation No. 1001 of April 2, 1972.
This proclamation was considered to be under both the National Commission for Culture and the Cultural Center of the Philippines, which Kasilag was president of for almost 20 years. Both these bodies recommended candidates to the President who confers the honor upon the chosen awardees. Fernando Amorsolo was the country’s first chosen National Artist. Kasilag was eventually named as National Artist for Music in 1989.
Recipients of 1966 Republic Cultural Heritage Awards, from left to right: N. Velasco Abueva (sculpture), Dr. Jose Maceda (music), Arturo Rogerio Luz (art), Dr. Encarnacion Alonza (historical writing), Dr. Juan Salcedo Jr. (science), Education Secretary Carlos P. Romulo (made the presentation), Inigo Ed. Regalado (literature), Lucretia Kasilag (music), Jose J. Tupaz Jr. (engraving art), and Alejandro G. Abadilla (literature),
Rather than being awarded for a specific work for a specific year, this award was more holistic in the sense that it was the artist himself or herself including one’s entire body of work and contribution to Philippine culture and arts. Among her works specifically noted were the two compositions that had won her the two Republic Cultural Heritage Awards.
Some criteria for National Artist include: “Artists who, through the content and form of their works, have contributed to building a Filipino sense of nationhood”, “Artists who have pioneered in a mode of creative expression or style, thus earning distinction and making an impact on succeeding generations of artists” and “Artists who have created a substantial and significant body of work and/or consistently displayed excellence in the practice of their art form thus enriching artistic expression or style.”
CONCLUSION
While the Republic Cultural Heritage Awards of the Garcia Administration was not widely known as its successor and no longer exists, it paved the way for the tradition of having National Artists under Marcos to come to fruition.
Both serve as tangible efforts to not only recognize and incentivize Filipinos to pursue artistic endeavors, but to institutionalize and memorialize Filipinos who have made an original and deep contribution to Philippine culture.
With Kasilag winning both awards, it can be seen that she has made clear her indelible mark on Philippine music and will remain a household name in the country’s cultural scene.
References
Bautista, Ma. Lourdes S. Philippine English: Linguistic and Literary. Vol. 1. Hong Kong University Press, 2008.
Evans, Richard. “You Take a Stick of Bamboo.” Planet Vinyl, 30 Sept. 2016, planetvinyl.org/tag/lucrecia-r-kasilag/.
Patajo-Kapunan, Lorna. "Filipino First Policy. "BusinessMirror. June 21, 2015. https://businessmirror.com.ph/filipino-first-policy/.
R., De la Torre Visitacion. Lucrecia R. Kasilag: an Artist for the World. V.R. De La Torre,1985.
"Kasilag's Tocatta for Percussion and Winds. "YouTube. April 03, 2014. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5BcYnny3Uxo.
"NationalArtist-Lucrecia R. Kasilag. "National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Accessed April 25, 2018. http://ncca.gov.ph/about-culture-and-arts/culture-profile/national-artists-of-the-philippines/lucrecia-r-kasilag/.
"President Carlos P. Garcia:' Austerity, Filipino First Policy, Cultural Revival'." PressReader.com. November 4, 2015. https://www.pressreader.com/philippines/manila-bulletin/20151104/281852937442781.
"Special Mass For Kasilag At CCP." ClickTheCity. September 22, 2008. https://www.clickthecity.com/arts/a/3720/special-mass-for-kasilag-at-ccp.
"The National Artists Award." Cultural Center of the Philippines. http://culturalcenter.gov.ph/programs/the-national-artists-award/.
"(Update) National Artist Lucrecia Kasilag, 91." GMA News Online. August 18, 2008. http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/114336/update-national-artist-lucrecia-kasilag-91/story/.
Photo of Kasilag taken from: http://www.geocities.ws/pinoyguitarist/kgq.html. (edited)
Photo of C.P. Garcia taken from: Creative Commons
Photo of N.V.M. Gonzales taken from: http://mambao43.blogspot.com/2013/09/biography.html
Photo of The Bampboo Dancers taken from: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8075873-the-bamboo-dancers
Photo of dabakan taken from: Creative Commons, uploaded by Philip Dominguez Mercurio.
Photo of gangsa taken from: http://www.reflectionsofasia.com/gangsa.htm
Photo of kuintang taken from: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/397724210821280741/
Photo of gandingan taken from: Creative Commons, uploaded by Philip Dominguez Mercurio.
Photo of Cultural heritage award taken from: https://www.facebook.com/Kasilag100/photos/a.373684403107083.1073741828.373683936440463/373703193105204/?type=3&theater
Photo of LP cover from: https://www.discogs.com/Wolfgang-Oehms-With-The-Las-Pinas-Boys-Choir-Engracio-Tempongko-The-Historic-Bamboo-Organ-Of-Las-Pi/release/5530184