UP Aguman celebrates the Kapampangan prowess virtually

This is a press release from UP Aguman.

The University of the Philippines (UP) Aguman’s annual arts and talents competition for Kapampangan high school students goes virtual this coming April 17 and April 24. Dubbed as “Sining 2021,” the competition aims for the Kapampangan youth to acknowledge their very own prowess, to counter the present trends of blurring the importance of one’s diversity and identity. 

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Sining 2021 would still continue to celebrate Kapampangan arts and culture. The competition is an avenue for the Kapampangan youth to showcase entertaining performances and their well-crafted outputs, mirroring themes of  Kapampangan beliefs, traditions, language, history, and the social issues affecting all these.

Beginning on April 17, Sining will kick start the event while signaling the last few hours for submissions of outputs. The opening program will mostly be composed of an introduction on what Sining 2021 has to offer, particularly the meaning of this year’s theme, and its new set of competitions; such as: 

• Spoken word poetry
• Case competition
• Songwriting
• Komiks making
• Short film making
• Solo dance
• Lifestyle photography

The awarding ceremony will then be held on April 24. To make the event worth anticipating, this day will also stream the roster of short film entries that will be available for viewing to the public. The finals for the first ever case competition category will also be culminated on this day via Zoom. Apart from these competitions, other entries will also be featured during the event, including the announcement of winners for this year’s Sining.

Go to this link for more information about Sining’s full mechanics.

Sining 2021 is open to all Kapampangan high school students, and they may have the chance to bring home cash prizes up to P3,000. For Kapampangan students who would like to join Sining, they may submit their entries at “link.”

This year, Sining goes by the theme: “Datíla: King Sablang Pámanlúpig, Mángibábo ya ing Mibábatang Kapampángan.” This means: “In the Face of Oppression, the Enduring Kapampángan Prevails.” Datila on the other hand means to remain, to maintain one’s ways, or to persevere.

Through the years, the Kapampangan culture has remained steadfast from instances that may lead to deculturation. It has survived institutions that force the youth to speak in a language that is alien in their homes. It was also a witness to different revolutions, and was able to withstand disasters like the Mount Pinatubo eruption.

Currently, it is also battling the crippling COVID-19 pandemic that adds impediment in morale, and the activities that encourage communities to come together to socialize. Despite all of these unfortunate events, the Kapampangan spirit is still seen enduring and has ever since obtained long and complicated facets in terms of history, the arts and its impact outside the province.

One of UP Aguman’s major events is the arts and talent competition known as “Sining,” First held in 1982, it has been UP Aguman’s answer to the call of preserving Kapampangan culture and heritage by cultivating the talents of high school students in Pampanga through competitions in literature, visual arts, and performing arts. 

For 2021, Sining aims to resist. It focuses on the idea of guarding their own identity; their heirloom worth of countless generations and their legacies. This undeniable capability is envisioned to be fully realized by the Kapampangan youth as they are now the ones who will continue in defending their roots.

UP Aguman is a nonprofit, socio-civic organization duly recognized by the Office for Student Affairs of the University of the Philippines – Diliman. The organization has remained steadfast to uphold the values of truth, faith, and kinship since its formal conception on December 12, 1973. Up until now, it has served as a second home for Kapampangan students in UP Diliman. 

For more information and updates about the competition, visit Sining 2021’s official Facebook page. – Rappler.com

UP Aguman’s Sining 2021 is co-presented by Clark Marriott Hotel, in partnership with Ágúman Kalalangan Súlat Kapampángan. 

This event is also made possible with our media partners, Inquirer, InqPOP, Move.PH, Rappler, CLTV36, The Voice Newsweekly, Punto! Central Luzon and our official website partner, Pampanga360. 

Sining is also brought to you by Orchard: A Community Place & Idle Tech Auto Care Service Center with special thanks to Smart Communications Incorporated.