CenPEG chair honored as people’s artist, teacher

Posted by CenPEG.org
April 17, 2012

It was a day of honoring a Filipino who spent most of his years writing for the people and as a stalwart for social change.

Bienvenido Lumbera, National Artist for Literature in 2006 and current Chair of CenPEG Board, was hailed as a “People’s Artist and Teacher” (Artista at Guro ng Bayan) in a cultural event witnessed by 300 people at the Palma Hall, University of the Philippines, Diliman, Quezon City on April 15.

Over-all direction for the multi-stage performance was by film director Joel Lamangan.

The April 15 performances climaxed various celebrations last week to mark Lumbera’s 80th birthday. CenPEG co-organized a dinner party for its chair with UP President Alfredo Pascual as host at the Executive House, Diliman on April 11. It also co-sponsored the April 15 cultural celebration.

Highlighting the 2 ½-hour event on April 15 was a laurel wreath bestowed on him by Act Teachers Partylist Rep. Antonio Tinio and Kadamay emeritus chair Carmen “Nanay Mameng” Deunida.

The cultural event included ethnic music, dramatization in short plays and songs of excerpts from the national artist’s poems and librettos, a video documentary, as well as numbers from soprano Lorna Llames-Reyes, the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, and UP Singing Ambassadors.

An emeritus professor of the University of the Philippines, Lumbera – popularly known as Ka Bien - also received a Ramon Magsaysay Award for Journalism, Literature, and Creative Communication Arts in 1993.

Acclaimed as a pillar of contemporary Philippine literature, cultural studies, and film Lumbera has authored several books on literary history, literacy criticism, and film.

His involvement in the social movement included as founding chair of the pre-martial law Panulat para sa Kaunralan ng Sambayanan (Paksa) and, in recent years, as a leading figure in various concerned artists, teachers, and party-list organizations.

For more of Lumbera, please go to:

http://lumbera.ph/
http://www.philstar.com/nation/article.aspx?publicationsubcategoryid=200&articleid=797616
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/255119/lifestyle/literature/bienvenido-lumbera-hailed-as-peoples-teacher-and-artist

Bien Lumbera: People's Artist, Teacher

The National Artist is congratulated by friends at the AS Steps, Palma Hall to start the program.

The UP Singing Ambassadors conducted by Ed Manguiat.

UP Vice President for Administration Maragtas Amante extends UP President Alfredo Pascual's birthday greetings on April 11 at the executive house.