To promote arts as an integral part of sustained progress and development, the Municipality of Binalonan conducted its 1^st Arts Festival which showcased the innate creativity of local artists, patrons, and ethusiats.

The event kicked off Apr. 25-29 at the Ramon J. Guico Sr. with the Community Mural Painting led by Vice Mayor Melicio Patague II together with the Sangguniang Bayan members, municipal department heads,  school heads, community leaders, association presidents and guests.

Painting Exhibit

Patague was joined in by Councilors Josephine Caburnay, Noel Apolinario Bautista, Carl Joseph Patawaran, featured artists,  and other guests to inaugurate the Pinarsua Art Exhibit.

Likewise, paintings by several Pangasinan artists and students of the Special Program in the Arts of Juan G. Macareag NHS went on exhibit until May 30.

Photography, other art workshops

Top 20 photos by amateur photographers from Binalonan focusing on the theme “Live. Learn. Love. Binalonan,” also went on display, wherein winners were announced May 18.

Binalonan Summer Arts Workshop was conducted Apr. 28-30 with lectures and workshops on basic digital photography, character design, live object sketch, soil painting, basics of poetry writing and news and public affairs.

Closing

The Arts Festival concluded May 21 through a Culminating Program and Fellowship Dinner held at the Event’s Tent, Rock Garden with Victor Secuya, artist, writer, mentor and a life coach from Davao as keynote speaker.

He said that the progress of a society is manifested through arts, because it serves as “the expression of the soul.”

Furthermore, the artist from Davao advocated creative economy through arts.

“If people express themselves in any form of art it transcends to be a place of growth and development wherein other people from other places  will come to see and appreciate,” he said.

Secuya was so much impressed of the development of Binalonan, and praised its mayor on the development of arts and culture.

“If you believe in God, if you believe on your vision and if you in yourself, things will come to pass,” he added.

He also called on three guest artists to talk about how they came into life with being an artist.

The artists who gave their insights  on their love for the arts were Pangasinan artist, Noli de la Cruz , Kyle Dolarba , an artist from San Sebastian College and Jayson Pabalan of Pampanga, who was responsible in bringing to Binalonan theatrical and musical plays like “Siak Ni Carlos Bulosan,””Beauty and the Beast” and “The Little Mermaid.”

Institutionalizing the Arts Festival

Meanwhile, Mayor Ramon V,Guico III gave his thanks to the people behind the holding of the Arts Festival, to the artists responsible of the Pinarsua Exhibits at the Ramon J. Guico Sports and Civic Center and to all participants of the different art activities.

The mayor informed of the possibility of institutionalizing the holding of the arts festival by the municipal government through the Sangguniang Bayan.

Present in the fellowship dinner and program were Vice-Mayor Melecio F. Patague II, municipal councillors, department heads, students of the special program for the arts with some  UEP and WCC staff.