Visayan pop-music icons Pilita Corrales and Dulce top-billed this year’s formal opening of National Arts Month at Luneta Park in Manila.

February is the National Arts Month (NAM) by virtue of Proclamation No. 683 in 1991.

NAM is organized by the Subcommission of the Arts (SCA) of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Theme this year is “Ani ng Sining, Alab ng Sining” (Harvest of the Arts, Flame of Art).

Corrales sang her signature songs, “Besame Mucho’ and “A Million Thanks.”

Dulce sang Visayan classics “Dandansoy” and “Usahay.” She also sang “Maalala mo Kaya” and topped her portion off with George Canseco’s “Ako ang Nagwagi.”

Pinky Marquez sang a medley of songs from the musical “Sound of Music.”

Bayanihan Dance Company, the Philippine National Folk Dance Company, also performed.

Pangkat Kalutang of Gasan, Marinduque  stole the show with its rendition of Filipino folk songs “Leron Leron Sinta” and “Bahay Kubo” and the Kapampangan “Atin Cu Pung Singsing” using kalutang, a two-piece wooden music instrument of Marinduque and Mindoro provinces.

The group also gave free kalutang workshops at Luneta. Also conducted during the NAM inaugural were workshops on dance, photography, and baybayin writing. A parade of Philippine heroes, mythical figures and the Higantes of Angono was also held.

Also gracing the event were J Crisis dance group, singer Mau Marcelo, Makiling Dancers of the Philippine High School for the Arts, Halili-Cruz Dance Company, Sinukwan Kapampangan, tenor Joseleo Logdat, poet Mike Coroza and cultural groups from Philippine Normal University, Mapua University and Lyceum of the Philippines University. —CONTRIBUTED