Directors Showcase: Cinemalaya features digital masterpieces

The 2014 Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition, now on its 10th year and billed as Cinemalaya X, premieres a crop of 25 new digital films on August 1 to 10 at the Cultural Center of the Philippines, its main venue, and at satellite venues at Ayala Theaters in Greenbelt Makati, Alabang Town Center, TriNoma, and Fairview Terraces, the latest addition to Cinemalaya satellite venues.

Digitizing Cultural Center of the Philippines’ cultural treasures

by Nickie Wang

The Cultural Center of the Philippines is embarking on a very crucial mission to preserve its vast collection of national, cultural, and historical materials kept in its minuscule library. At the moment, CCP’s repository of these national jewels is being converted into a digital hub that will preserve important print, audio, and film collections to make it globally available through the Internet.

Cultural Center of the Philippines to showcase diverse range of artistic events

by Nickie Wang

The year 2010 was a great year for the Cultural Center of the Philippines amid curtailed budget. Its resident companies were still consistent in the quality of their performances. For this year, at the annual press appreciation lunch held on Jan. 19, key people behind the institution were delighted to announce additional activities that center in promoting and preserving Filipino arts and culture.

Olivier Ochanine: New kid on the PPO block

by Nickie Wang

French-American conductor and music educator Olivier Ochanine has an impressive portfolio of work experience at a very young age. At 30, his resume boasts a number of achievements ranging from awards and recognitions to academic degrees in music education. But guess where this new kid on the block wants to perform:

“Given a chance, I would want to perform in places like schools, hospitals, jails and in some undeserved areas where music education is inaccessible, where performances staged by symphony orchestras like the PPO are not usually witnessed,” Ochanine poured his heart out in an interview with the Standard Today.

A grand musical at the CCP

By Nickie Wang

The UST Conservatory of Music and UST Symphony Orchestra will turn the Cultural Center of the Philippines Main Theater into a splendid stage with a grand musical event slated today and tomorrow at 8 p.m.

With the direction by Floy Quintos, lighting by Ruel Beronio, and set design by Ricardo Cruz, the impressive roster of UST faculty, alumni, and students come together to present Love Unspoken, a pre-Valentine and a post-New Year concert, which features an operatic setting of excerpts from various operas, operettas, and Broadway musicals.

CCP ends 9-month anniversary celebration

By Nickie Wang / MST

The Cultural Center of the Philippines marks its 40th anniversary on Sept. 8, and it has unveiled programs and events designed to illuminate its major contribution as an important institution that helps discover, nurture and support Filipino artists while it promotes cultural empowerment in the country.

The celebration started in February and the different venues at the CCP have witnessed an array of different performances, festivals, musicals, concerts and exhibits that celebrate the excellence and accomplishments of Filipino artists in different fields.

In a recent press conference held at the CCP Main Theater Lobby, CCP vice president and artistic director Dr. Raul Sunico introduced another set of events that took place in the month of August. He also announced the preparation the Center has been doing to conclude the nine-month anniversary celebration, which ends this September.

“We had staged highly-successful events like the 5th Cinemalaya, the Pasinaya Festival, among others. In September we’re going to have events that are grander. Just like what I’ve mentioned, we’ll be featuring different artists to conclude the anniversary celebration,” Sunico told Standard Today shortly after the press conference.

Among the highlights in August was the exhibition of winning photographs of scenes about the CCP called Moods of CCP. It is on view at the Pasilyo Vicente Manansala until Sept. 20. It features the winning photographs from the CCP On-the-Spot Photo contest undertaken by the Nayon Photographers Club since last year.

From a photo exhibit, the CCP held the first choral competition from Aug. 18 to 22. It was a weeklong event at the Main Theater where choirs from different nations competed for international awards in the children’s choir, mixed choir, sacred music and folk music categories.

Other more important anniversary activities will take place this month, which is the founding month of the CCP. The month-long cultural festivity is centered on the theme of remembrance (of the past 40 years), celebration and eager anticipation of the future.

Last Sept. 1, a time capsule containing tokens from the arts of the country as well as from the international communities was planted within the foundations of the CCP building.

The CCP resident companies, together with a stellar billing of performing arts talents, will present a dazzling musical extravaganza in the CCP 40th Anniversary Gala event on Sept. 8. Taking the lead on this occasion will be conductor Laureate Oscar Yatco and Maestro Ryan Cayabyab.

On Sept. 11, a special production dubbed as Seven Arts, One Imelda pays tribute to former First Lady Imelda Marcos, as founding chair of the CCP. The gala will be directed by theater thespian Alex Cortez, concept/script by Floy Quintos and music direction by Josefino Chino Toledo and Ryan Cayabyab.

Internationally-acclaimed artists Filipina pianist Cecile Licad and German cellist Alban Gerhardt will perform in two special concerts at the Main Theater on Sept. 15 and 16, at 8 p.m.

On Sept. 18, all CCP incumbent and former officers and employees will gather in a night of Tipanan at Gabi ng Parangal ng CCP Gawad SINAG at the CCP Main Theater. The event is a thank you-cum-recognition party (Pasasalamat, Pagkilala, Pag-alala at Pagsasaya) for CCP employees who have been or still are part of the Center for the past 40 years.

Likewise, a multi-media and multi-sensory exhibit entitled Daloy: 40 years, which chronicles the development of the CCP as a cultural institution, opens at the CCP Bulwagang Juan Luna (Main Gallery) on Sept. 18, and will be on view up to Nov. 8. The exhibit will be curated by CCP Thirteen Artists Awardees Don Salubayba and Claro Ramirez Jr.

On Sept. 24, a commemorative magazine entitled Genesis will be launched at the CCP Main Theater Lobby. Penned by some of the country’s distinguished writers, the magazine provides the readers with information on the CCP’s past and present program, honors significant personalities, and introduces activities marking the CCP’s 40th anniversary. Photos are provided by the Camera Club of the Philippines and the Nayon Photographers Club.

Finally, on Sept. 30 at the Main Theater Lobby, the CCP Outreach and Exchange Division celebrates its 30th anniversary with a commemorative CD entitled Lakbay Himig, a compilation of the best musical creations and performances by 30 of the country’s most prominent musical artists.

For tickets and information, call the CCP Marketing Department at 832-1125 loc. 1800-1808 or visit the CCP Web site http://www.culturalcenter.gov.ph.

Comedy film receives Cinemalaya’s highest plum

By Nickie Wang/ Manila Standard Today

Despite the continuous rain that caused flood and traffic congestion, throngs of independent film buffs flocked to the Main Theater of the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Pasay City last July 26 to witness the conclusion of the 10-day Cinemalaya independent film festival and competition.

The awards night named Last Supper No.3 as the best film in the full-length category. It was directed by Veronica Velasco and Jinky Laurel.

While receiving the Cinemalaya Balanghai trophy, one of the directors said that a day before the awarding ceremony, she received numerous text messages saying, “Congratulations, but comedy films don’t win the top honor in film festivals!”

Now she proved them wrong because aside from a trophy, the film also received an additional P200,000 and a post-production package worth P1 million from Roadrunner Network and a Certificate for Full Audio Post, Remix and Remastering Services from SQ Film Laboratories.

Based on a true story, Last Supper No. 3 is a humorous look at the circuitous path the Philippine legal system takes to justice. The main character who is an assistant production designer is tasked to look for a Last Supper to use as a prop for a TV commercial. He finds three, but loses one. What happens next changes the lead character’s fate forever as he spends the next two years entangled in bureaucracy and red tape facing estafa and serious physical injury charges. As to how will this ordinary man fare against a system he knows nothing about is the main issue the film resolves.

Meanwhile, cited for their being exemplars of the possibilities of filmmaking, Colorum and Ang Panggagahasa Kay Fe tied for the Special Jury award.

This years Cinemalaya jury was composed of Mark Vincent Escaler, director of the Ateneo de Manila University Center for Communication Research and Training; Aude Hesbert, head of Paris Cinema International Film Festival; Aruna Vasudev, founder-president of NETPAC; film director Chito Roño; and actress Cherry Pie Picache.

Astounded

Known as a comedian and a seasoned stage actor for decades, Lou Veloso was surprised when he bested other independent film veterans receiving the Best Actor trophy for his serious portrayal of a 70-year-old ex-convict in Colorum, a feature by Jon Steffan Ballesteros.

“I only do serious acting in stage plays,” Veloso chuckled and ended his acceptance speech with hilarity, “I also want to share this award to my leading man, Alfred Vargas.”

Meanwhile, budding actress and showbiz scion Ina Feleo won Best Actress plum for Sanglaan. Tessie Tomas won the Best Supporting Actress award for the same film while indie film regular Arnold Reyes went home with Best Supporting Actor trophy for Astig.

Being the most watched competing film in this year’s festival, Astig, which stars Dennis Trillo, Glaiza de Castro, Sid Lucero, and Edgar Allan Guzman, snatched three other honors including Best Director for GB Sampedro, Best Editing and Best Sound Recording.

Other awards like Best Screenplay went to Nerseri, Best Cinematography to 24K, Best Production Design to Mangatyanan, and Best Musical Score to Dinig Sana Kita.

Three special awards were also given out: NETPAC Award went to Baseco Bakal Boys; and National Council for Children’s Television Award and Audience Choice were both awarded to Dinig Sana Kita.

For the short film category, the Best Short Film award went to Bonsai by Borgy K. Torre. Bonsai was cited for its story of hope and pain in love that can and do exist even in the most ordinary of circumstances. Bonsai won P100,000 cash award, the Balanghai Trophy, and a Canon XHA-1 kit pro video worth P220,000.

Other awards given out in the Short Feature category were: Special Jury Award for Blogog; Audience Choice for Tatang; Best Director for Dexter Cayanes (Musa), and Best Screenplay for Behind Closed Doors.

Bigger Cinemalaya

According to CCP president Nestor Jardin, this year’s Cinemalya Cinco attracted 38,000 people. That is about 10,000 more audience compared to last year’s number of attendees.

“I can’t believe that in a span of five years, we’ve gone this far. Now, the only challenge we have is how to keep it growing,” Jardin remarked.

Cinemalaya Cinco, was held from July 17 to 26 at the CCP. It is a competitive film festival that aims to discover, encourage and honor the cinematic works of Filpino filmmakers and seeks to invigorate the Philippine film industry by developing a new breed of Filipino filmmakers. Cinemalaya is a presentation of the Cinemalaya Foundation in cooperation with the CCP, Econolink Investments and the Film Development Council.

Life begins anew as CCP turns 40

By NICKIE WANG/ Manila Standard Today

Along Roxas Boulevard lies one of the country’s greatest treasures. It has been the symbol of Filipino ingenuity, a venue that showcases incomparable local talents, a catalyst for a major leap in cultural development and preservation, and the world’s window to the Philippines as the Asia’s Mecca of culture and the arts.

The Cultural Center of the Philippines, or just CCP to many, marks its 40th anniversary with a year-round celebration that will feature special performances and events. Some of the most talented and well-known artists and performing arts groups will gather together for the celebration.

“The CCP has been the home of the most outstanding performing arts groups in the country. For the last four decades it has helped discover, nurture and support Filipino artists. I think that’s one of the major achievements of the CCP,” president and artistic director Nestor Jardin said during a press conference that unveiled the roster of events prepared by his staff.

The calendar of activities starts with the grand public launch of the 40th Anniversary Celebration tomorrow, Feb. 1, during the annual CCP Pasinaya Open House Festival that coincides with National Arts Month.

Opening salvo

Highlighting the anniversary is the first chunk of activities that will revolve around the fact that the CCP for the last four decades has helped discover, nurture, and support Filipino artists.

“The whole celebration is built around activities that will not only be celebratory but activities that will help the Filipino public recall what is CCP’s role now in the society, and what was its work in the past,” Jardin enthused.

For initial offering, Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino restages the comedy musical Zsa Zsa Zaturna (Ze MuZikal) from Feb. 3 to 8. On the same week (Feb. 6 to 8), a showcase of the country’s dance groups in folk, ballet, contemporary, and street dance will  entertain the public with series of motion and steps in a dance gala entitled Turning… Turning 40 at the Main Theater.

Just outside the main theater, a projection bombing light and sound spectacle at the façade of the CCP building will show the latest outstanding works in animation and graphic arts. This display dubbed Skin will take place on the night of Feb. 7.

On Feb. 13, as the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra marks its sixth season concert, a grand musical extravaganza called Gabi ng Musikang Pilipino: A Rendezvous with National Artists at the Main Theater will be staged featuring the works of Filipino National Artists like Felipe de Leon, Antonino Buenaventura, Lucrecia Kasilag, and Lucio San Pedro.

From Feb. 19 till the end of March, the different venues at the CCP will witness an array of different performances, musical, concerts, drama and exhibits that celebrate the excellence and accomplishments of Filipino artists in different fields.

Tribute to Imelda

Formally inaugurated on Sep. 8, 1969, the CCP was the brainchild of then First Lady Imelda Marcos, and as the institution celebrates 40 years of fruitful years, an Imeldific tribute will be dedicated especially to honor the visionary woman who created it.

“You cannot ignore the fact that this was her vision, this was her idea. We’re looking at it from an institutional point of view. For this year we’re not only inviting her, we’re paying her a tribute,” Jardin told the press during an open forum held inside the Main Theater.

Jardin announced that the special tribute is slated on Sept. 8. It will be a whole day event capped by an eight o’ clock gala at the Main Theater. On Sept. 11, the special tribute will continue featuring the artists whom Mrs. Marcos supported in the past.

New logo

With a new logo that still symbolizes katotohanan (truth), kagandahan (beauty) and kabutihan (goodness), a new representation has been introduced that depicts CPP’s transformation from small stones to strong boulders that anchor and support excellence in arts and music in the country within the past four decades. The logo bares the new slogan, “Life Begins Anew.”

“When we were having, I think Christmas mass or another anniversary mass, our parish priest congratulated us on our 40th anniversary and said that when we celebrate milestone anniversaries we should always recall, rejoice, and then renew,” the artistic director recalled.

Jardin said that based on those three Rs (recall, rejoice, and renew), the people in the CCP have built around the next six months a program that would allow them to not only reminisce but also show to the public the accomplishments of the CCP.

“Our projects within the past 40 years have helped create an outstanding body of original Filipino works that speak of us as a nation and has helped define our national identity,” Jardin related.

Through various programs that are not only limited in Metro Manila, the people behind the institution believe that the CCP has contributed a lot in promoting cultural empowerment in the country.

Defining the future

“The CCP has been a catalyst in the creation of original, cutting- edge, innovative work by young Filipino artists.”

In May, a major forum will be conducted to help CCP define its future direction. As it continuously involves and encourages more young artists to promote their works, a series of events is dedicated to acknowledge contemporary talents and art.

For the months of June and July, the theme will be Brave New Works:  Original Filipino Creations. New works in literature will be presented in a literary performance series entitled Word Jam: Spoken Word Festival on June 10 to 24 and July 1 to 8. A concert of classical artists in tandem with artists from Philippine cultural communities will be featured in Cultures in Harmony on June 21. Playwrights collaborate with directors, actors and designers in staging their untried, untested, and unpublished works in Virgin Labfest 5 on June 24 to July 5 back-to-back with WI-FI Body: Independent Dance Festival with cutting-edge works by the country’s most exciting choreographers today. New symphonic works will be premiered in Music Underkunstruktion on July 15 in a co-production with the Metro Manila Community Orchestra. Also in July are the Thirteen Artists Awards and Exhibit and the much-awaited Cinemalaya Independent Film Festival and Competition.

All venues of the CCP Complex will be part of the grand event including Star City and the Manila Bay.

One-man show retells engaging story

By NICKIE WANG/ Manila Standard Today

The story itself is an engaging tale of a personal struggle and a quest for identity. It chronicles a journey that covers the time when the character was just a kid seeing a hula dance for the very first time until it became a permanent part of his life.  Dance, music, humor, and cultural values are integrated to essay the fascinating life of Keo Woolford in a stage production entitled I Land.

Fresh from his off-Broadway outing, Keo is here in Manila to stage his semi-autobiographical journey in a one-man show set to run at the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino starting Jan. 22, 8 p.m.

Accentuated by Keo’s exceptional talent, I Land is a moving search for the meaning of heritage in a post-modern world weaving together traditional Hawaiian hula, hip-hop, Hawaiian talk story, and spoken word.

“The story starts when I first saw hula which I was a kid until I would be in my early to mid- twenties,” acclaimed actor and hula dancer Keo Woolford shared during an interview with Standard Today.

His story

The show chronicles Keo’s first exposure to hula and how he came under the instruction of his idol, whom he dubs the “Hula god.” In the production, he also describes his fleeting brush with fame as a member of a boy band that almost hits the big time; his subsequent descent into a world of drugs and partying; and his rediscovery of the dance that connects him to both his culture and to himself.

“It’s a one hour and twenty minutes of performance,” Keo, who is fit to be an undergarment model with his chiseled physique, said and continued: “So it’s more of the adrenaline rush that keeps me going. I can’t see them [audience] and I’d rather not because it makes me nervous, but I feel the audience. It’s actually the audience that keeps me going. Audience is the key to my every performance.”

I Land as a one-man show also features original songs and choreography done in the ancient or traditional style known in Hawaii as kahiko. The one- hour-and-twenty-minute production will give the audience an experience seeing an engaging actor, who was born and raised in Hawaii to a Filipina mother and to a Hawaiian father, morph into a dozen characters.

The actor’s passion in music, dancing and acting began at a very young age that being a multi-disciplinary artist is no longer surprising.

“Acting is my passion. It’s so funny because when I was younger, right before I got into acting, I never thought that I was going to be an actor.  When I was sort of figuring out what I was going to do with my life in music, I wanted to be a pop star,” Keo laughed as he sipped his coffee.

Aside from being an actor, dancer, and a musician, Keo is also a prolific writer. In 1995 in Los Angeles, he penned the one-man show He Hawai‘i Au. The show earned him praises that opened new windows of opportunities.

Keo’s remarkable performances include a plum role in a production entitled In My Father’s House that earned him a Virgo Award for Best Actor. In New York, he has been seen in Karaoke Stories, The Greeks, References to Salvador Dali Make Me Hot, Sonnets for an Old Century, and The Remarkable Journey of Prince Jen. His film and TV appearances include East Broadway, Hawaii, True Vengeance, and Happy Texas.

Turning point

In 2007, before the off-Broadway staging of I Land, Keo’s mother passed away. It was one of the defining moments for the actor because he had to stage the show a day after the funeral.

“The off-Broadway run is ironically the toughest run I have ever did. The thing that was really really tough, I don’t know if I should talk about this, is when my mom passed away right before opening night. The funeral was a day before the performance so from my mom’s funeral I went straight to the theater,” the actor narrated.

Despite the loss, his mother’s death pushed and inspired him to pursue his performance and thus his career. He found his self-salvation through music and claimed: “Dancing is therapeutic. Dancing with music is a way of self-salvation because it’s so raw and natural that people celebrate with it. You could be by your self; listen and dance around and it’s like you’re connected to the universe.”

He lands

I Land was created by Keo in collaboration with director Roberta Uno. Uno encouraged him to write something again as to follow up his first self-penned show more than a decade ago.

“I’m really grateful that I have gone through what I have gone through because it enabled me to share my experiences. I actually turned her [Uno] down at first because I said, ‘What am I going to say and who will care to hear about it,’” he affirmed.

The production will highlight the hula dance that has been famed for its unique style. According to Keo, hula is like a bunch of different things because it involves history, language, and values. A hula dancer also needs to learn a language and a history that are essential in telling a story.

“Hula is more about expressing the story you are telling more than the actual body movements and that it’s the key or the correlation between hula and acting. Before you even learn anything else, you need to learn the basic steps and that took me a long long time. Some people don’t have the patience, skill, and the attitude,” Keo concluded, disclosing that hula doesn’t work for everyone.

I Land’s limited run from Jan. 22 to 25 at the Tanghalang Aurelio Tolentino is a fundraising activity spearheaded by the Asian Cultural Council Philippines for the benefit of the ACC Philippine Fellowship Program and the Makiling Academic and Research Institute for the Arts (MARIA) Scholarship.

Call the CCP Box Office at 832-3704 or 832-1125 loc. 1409 or call Ticketworld at 891-9999 for more information.

Art school opens door to new scholars

By NICKIE WANG/ Manila Standard Today

Art’s influence is encompassing; it opens the mind to infinite perspectives and possibilities. To be given a chance to study art under brilliant instructors is a rare opportunity because talent can further be developed through an approach where a more solid inclination and passion to art and to its different forms are expanded and given more attention.

The Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA), located on the slope of mystical Mt. Makiling in Laguna, is a unique residential secondary school run by the government. It was established in 1977 to specifically create a perfect environment to artistically gifted and talented children.

PHSA is currently accepting applicants to the Annual Nationwide Search for Young Arts Scholars (ANSYAS). Children with exceptional talents from Metro Manila are welcomed to apply until Jan.15, while the deadline for provincial applicants is on Jan. 31.

“There’s nothing like this school. PHSA is a special school with special students,” veteran character actor and PHSA executive director Nanding Josef told the Standard Today. “We need a new batch of scholars, about 30 to 40 students.”

The state allots an annual P300,000 budget per PHSA scholar.  The amount includes tuition, board and lodging, classes with master teachers, and a monthly stipend.

Specialized curriculum at the arts school includes various disciplines in Music (instrument and voice), Dance (ballet and folk), Theater Arts, Visual Arts, and Creative Writing.  In addition to arts-oriented curriculum, it also offers Basic Education subjects prescribed by the Education Department.

Art school complex

We were given a chance to visit the picturesque campus of PHSA on Dec. 8. After a two-hour drive from Manila, our sight was welcomed by nipa hut-inspired cottages that serve as classrooms, science laboratories, library, instructional media center, computer room, and practice rooms.

“We have another 30 cottages here that serve as residence for more than 130 students, and 40 teachers and support staff,” Josef said.

Other instructional facilities in the 13.5-hectare complex include the state-of-the-art Tanghalan Maria Makiling, rehearsal studios for Folk Dance and Ballet, Visual Arts and Photography Studio, and Journalism Room. The administration office, faculty room, meeting room, medical clinic, counseling office and the Executive Guesthouse, which once served as Imelda Marcos’ rural villa, complete the facilities at the state-run art school.

“During the term of former President [Fidel] Ramos, the complex underwent rehabilitation through a P90-million budget approved during a Cabinet meeting held here,” Josef disclosed.

The school operation depends solely on the budget given by the government and from the monetary donations coming from generous individuals and institutions that recognize the importance of culture and art development.

Artistically gifted students

“The officials are always hard to convince. They say P200,000 [the former budget per scholar] is too big to support one student. So sa tuwing may budget deliberation kailangang ipakita sa mga officials ang mga students para mag-perform, and they are instantly convinced,” Josef related.

We didn’t have to take the word of the veteran actor to believe and consider the artistic talents of the PHSA scholars. During a half-day visit, we had the chance to see how classes are conducted in the special school. Students majoring in Music and Folk Dance showed us sample performances.

After a lunch prepared by the PHSA at the well-maintained Executive Guesthouse, Josef whispered: “I get inspired by seeing really young artists with exceptional artistry in different fields,” pertaining to  the students from Music who performed an ethereal version of “You Raise Me Up” by the group called Secret Garden.

The Folk-Dance majoring students performed a number entitled “Cordillera,” which we were told they themselves did the choreography. The dance is their definition of love and courtship inspired by the natives of the Mountain Province. With the use of gongs, native bamboo instruments, and tribal drums, the students rendered a jaw-dropping performance just like professionals do at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. Furthermore, it is interesting to note that it was just a sample of what these students do everyday.

The scholars, whose ages range from 12 to 16, need to maintain a 90 percent grade average, which is the passing mark, in all art subjects to maintain their scholarship.

“Tinututukan ang bawat estudyante pag bumababa ang grade kahit sa General Education. They are given special or extra sessions. The objective of the school is to make them stay and finish their courses. The faculty and staff members do official and unofficial tasks like acting as surrogate parents to these students with completely different characters,” Josef explained.

PHSA scholars are being trained to be the best artists of this particular time by pushing the limit of their artistic potentials and, at the same time, making them better people. “We praise and criticize them. That’s how I matured as an artist and as a person,” the veteran actor concluded.

Qualifications

Applicants for the scholarship must be graduating Grade VI or VII pupils for the school year 2008-2009; of above-average intelligence, proficient in oral and written Filipino and English; without any debilitating illness; and willing to study in a residential high school.

They must also be willing to pursue a college degree in Dance, Creative Writing, Architecture, Fine Arts, Music, Theater Arts, Journalism and other related courses.

Application forms and the list of requirements per art discipline may be downloaded from the PHSA Web site http://www.phsa.edu.ph.  All documents and requirements must be sent directly to ANSYAS 2009, PHSA, National Arts Center, Mt. Makiling, Los Baños 4030 Laguna.  For inquiries, e-mail phsa@laguna.net or call telefax (+6349)536-5971 to 73 and 536-2862.