Palm Grass celebrates the 121st year of the victory of the Cebu revolution vs Spanish colonial rule through heritage awareness program with the Cebu youth (Message on December 29, 2019)

Palm Grass celebrates the 121st year of the victory of the Cebu revolution vs Spanish colonial rule through heritage awareness program with the Cebu youth

(Message on December 29, 2019)

Malipayong Pasko sa Kagawasan to Cebu, especially to everyone gathered here today: Cebu Katipunero descendants (Maxiloms, Alinos, Gonzalez, Abellas, Abellanas), Cebu heritage community, Museum curators, Cebu Cultural and Historical Affairs Commission (CHAC), heritage NGO Diyandi,

our partners in Bag-ong Junquera (University of San Jose Recoletos, University of the Visayas, University of San Carlos, barangays Kamagayan, San Antonio, Cogon Ramos, Sta. Cruz, Kalubihan), our youth in the Bag-ong Teatro Junquera, our Junquera St. Children’s Choir, our friends in the media, our Mass celebrant and friend Fr. Dodong Matulac SSC, all our beloved guests.

What is the best way to celebrate the victory of Cebu against foreign oppressors, 121 years ago?

For us, we celebrate the Cebuano people’s victory by continuing to work for the fulfillment of our heroes’ dreams of a society and a country that is truly free, and whose people enjoy a prosperous life.

We want to share with you what we, together with you, have done this year as we continue working to honor our heroes who won for us, Cebu liberation.

The center of our efforts to promote awareness on Cebu history and heritage have always been the young people. We believe that as our youth engages with global trends, the more we need to give them a cultural anchor for them to be strongly connected and to be proud of their Cebuano roots and identity. Thus, we had the following activities with our youth and the rest of the Cebu community:

• Community created/ youth-created heritage projects

1. UP and USC students workshop and video production of  “Padayon Sizts!” retelling the Tres de Abril uprising
2. Children creating stories from Cebu history (plot in October 2018 and illustrations in October 2019).
3. Rebranding Junquera partnership with 3 universities (USJR, UV, USC) and 5 barangays along Junquera Street.  The tradition of empowering the community and promoting the local heritage of music and theater has become the driving force behind Palm Grass The Cebu Heritage Hotel to resurrect Teatro Junquera and to gather together key institutions to bring back the honor of what Junquera street truly represented.

The  youth in Junquera St. and about 10 Cebu schools staged the Abtik pas Kilat play with the help of consultants from the Cebu theater community.

3. Abtik pas Kilat album launch with songs: Kinasing, Kuyogi ko, Gugmang Kilat, O Pilipinas, Alerta Katipunan, Paglangyaw, Hugot pas Huot, Gugmang Gihandom, Batang Colon
4. Music videos in cooperation with Aggressive Audio, Katipunero descendants, young musicians with our video creator and marketing adviser Hong Kong-based Social Communications Asia Prospero Laput
5. Forum/discussions  on heritage and history with national artist Resil Mojares, historians Jobers Bersales/Trizer Mansueto  and Katipunero descendants Atty. Harve Abella/ Teresita Maxilom.
6. Ginoong Pilipinas Cebu Leon Kilat and Dagami awards
7. Videos on Leon Kilat with his descendants in Bacong Negros Oriental, traditional brass jewelry making, Cebu artist Celso Pepito, Caring for the Seas with the Locals and Junquera Street
8. Precolonial trade artwork unveiling in partnership with Cebu Artists Incorporated
9. Working with Heritage NGO Diyandi
10. Heritage adventure trail with students of Colegio del Sto. Nino, St. Theresa’s College and teachers in Ateneo de Cebu
11. Junquera Street Children’s Choir voice training.