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A Woman of Culture: Loren Legarda receives the Dangal ng Haraya Award for preserving Filipino culture and enriching the arts

For the Cordillera Indigenous Elected Women’s Leaders, she is a tukwifi or a bright star; “the one who takes care” (or a bae matumpis) of the cultural communities in Mindanao; the Panay-Bukidnon community in Visayas touted her as huyong adlaw dulpa-an labaw sa kadunggan, which translates to shining sun, rising in power; and for the Marawi Sultanate League, she is a bai a labi, which means an honorary Muslim Princess. Because of her passion to preserve the Filipino culture and arts, Senator Loren Legarda has been called many names, but she is first and foremost a Filipina who fell in love with our colorful dances, art, and language.

‘Loren shows us the roots of our culture’

And what I try to tell you now is the importance of the arts in the shaping of a nation and I pay tribute to Loren as one who has helped that nation grow and I hope that it will not only grow but eventually it will prevail.

‘Culture and our national identity: Pursuing change that unites’

MANILA, Philippines – This award, while issued in my name, appropriately belongs to my mother who nurtured and influenced me to embrace the majesty of culture and the arts.

My mother, Bessie Gella Bautista, sang operas, collected art, and was a person of culture. As a child, I was surrounded by artists, including Ibarra dela Rosa, H.R. Ocampo and Vicente Manansala — people who, by their art, contributed to shaping our national identity.

Bountiful gifts for Christmas in show biz

For its part, Loren Legarda’s “Dayaw” is a yearlong weekly viewing treat, because it’s a cultural TV show that insightfully reminds us of our ethnic and artistic roots and traditions.

It fills a gaping gap in local TV programming, which generally ignores the past in favor of the more with-it but trivializing present.

“Dayaw” helps make up for this unenlightened disdain, which in fact abridges our future prospects as a nation.