Culture and Arts Notebook

The 9th Chalachitram National Film Festival, rescheduled for  29 and 30 November 2025 at Jyoti Chitraban premises in the prehistoric city, will showcase nearly 40 acclaimed short features and documentaries. Organized by Chalachitram, a subsidiary of Vishwa Samvad Kendra- Assam…

by George Banez Picture our destination —  the tiny island of Rapu Rapu, just  22 mi (36km) from the port of Legazpi City on the western shores of Albay Gulf.  In 2013, it took us over three hours to reach it…

Two exhibits celebrate Philippine intangible cultural heritage in celebration of National Indigenous Peoples Month and Museums and Galleries Month. The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) presents “Haggi̱yo, Huwah! A Living Heritage of the Tuwali Ifugao of Hungduan,…

The Concerned Artists of the Philippines – Bicol Chapter strongly condemns the shooting attack on journalist Noel Bellen Samar in Guinobatan, Albay, on Monday morning, October 20, 2025. This violent act is an affront not only to one individual but to freedom of…

Cinema that’s not for glossy entertainment and making money, but for fostering nationalism, this is how Chalachitram National Film Festival takes shape in Assam. A unique visual feast is coming again for the film buffs on 25 and 26 October…

by George Banez “Wake up!” I heard my late mother say.  I remember not budging.  The faint flashes my half-opened eyes caught appeared more like midnight stars. We, four children and mom, likely went to bed at eight that night because…

by Vernie Caparas With eyes that acknowledged every student seated in that 120-square-foot-workshop at Bahay Migrante, just across Mountain View Cemetery on Fraser Street, the Maestro began his 4-hour masterclass in mural painting. “I have been using art, specifically painting,…

Sto. Tomas, Pampanga – On Saturday, October 11, 2025, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM, the Kurit-Lagting Art Collective, in partnership with the DTI–Design Center of the Philippines and with support from the Concerned Artists of the Philippines – Bicol Chapter…

Like many during the pandemic, I cooked to bring back delightful culinary memories of distant lands. I once recreated “Idiyappam” following a recipe I found in a 296-page cookbook, “The Food of India,” published in Canada.  The photo appeared familiar…

The heartbroken news surfaced from Singapore in multiple media outlets, which shocked the people of Assam in grief, but also in instant outrage among the young generation, who were born in eastern India and brought up with the melodious voice…