New National Artists, ‘new normal’ MBOpinions READ:
On June 10, Malacañang Palace announced that it is honoring eight Filipinos with the Order of National Artists following the recommendations of the National Commission on Culture and the Arts and the Cultural Center of the Philippines . President Rodrigo Roa Duterte conferred the order on June 16, in a ceremony held at the Palace.
The eight, of which three are deceased, who have been added in the list of National Artists are Nora Aunor, Marilou Diaz-Abaya, and Ricardo “Ricky” Lee for Film and Broadcast Arts; Agnes Locsin for Dance; Salvacion Lim-Higgins for Design; Gemino Abad for Literature; Fides Cuyugan-Asensio for Music; and Antonio “Tony” Mabesa for Theater.
There are, arguably, a lot of pressing issues facing the country today. Critiques would, at times, point to art during such moments to be an excess and perhaps even unnecessary. Still others comment how art is a distraction, a consolation that turns the eye away from what is relevant. All of these comments, however, point to a lack of understanding of what art is.
Art is not a distraction. But neither is it a mere tool. By recognizing individuals who have dedicated their lives in the pursuit of their respective artforms, society honors the efforts of those whose passion defined their reason of being. And in the case of these eight new National Artists, that passion was often turned into an expression of society’s concerns.