“OUR heritage speaks what we have been through as a country and as a province, and speak about the resiliency of those who came before us,” Leah Luminarias, Piskay Art Group and Gallery President.
The Piskay Art Group and Gallery opened their visual art exhibit titled “Kabilin,” a celebration of Boholano heritage and culture commemorating the Philippines’ National Heritage Month.
Over forty artworks created by 16 artists are displayed, depicting Filipino culture and lifeways. Piskay founder and exhibit artist Joel Labrador described Kabilin, the Cebuano word for heritage, as a “nostalgia” exhibit, meant to empower people to keep in touch with and have a sense of pride in their Boholano identity.
Piskay, a Bohol-based visual arts group founded in 2005, has been active in the province’s art scene, conducting various exhibits since its founding. Labrador said Piskay members often create two to three artworks a month to hone their skills and auction them, the organization taking 20 percent of the profit to fund its activities and seminars that promote the love for the visual arts among Boholanos.
“Our goal in Piskay is to celebrate how rich the Boholanos are in artistic talent. We conduct different exhibits honoring our heritage, to help the local arts scene be recognized, not just outside the province, but also among Boholanos and help them appreciate art,” Labrador said.
A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on May 22, 2023, to open the exhibit, attended by various Provincial Board Members, PGBh department heads and employees, Bohol’s local artists, and the Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage Council (BACH) members.
The Provincial Government of Bohol, led by Governor Aris Aumentado, recognizes the importance of the arts in cultural heritage preservation. It is a powerful means to propel the people’s holistic development. This commitment to art and cultural development is found in the provincial government’s vision and mission to instill in all Boholanos a feeling of pride in their identity. This point was underscored by Board member and Sangguniang Panlalawigan’s Committee on Culture and Arts Chair Atty. Jamie Aumentado Villamor who represented Governor Aumentado in the ceremony. She shared a message of support and added that the Provincial Government of Bohol will support cultural workers in heritage preservation through creating legislation and legal protection to preserve tangible and intangible cultural traditions and customs from loss.
The Center of Culture and Arts Development (CCAD) OIC Emerson Pinos said this event is part of the concerted effort of the Provincial Government of Bohol to create in Boholanos an active consciousness for art, and to pay tribute to the legacy left by our Boholano ancestors in promoting the richness of Bohol’s history and highlighting the importance of the arts.
The Kabilin visual arts exhibit is open for public viewing from May 22 to June 2, 2023, at the New Capitol Building’s lobby in Tagbilaran City. (GMC)
