by SC Aro

La Trinidad, Benguet (29 August) -- The Provincial Tourism Office is still accepting project proposals in line with the promotion and preservation of culture and arts for funding by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA).

Benguet PTO Operations Officer and the province's NCCA Coordinator Clarita Prudencio said deadline of submission of project proposals will be on September 30, 2008.

With the mandate of preserving cultural heritage and developing and promoting the country's national culture and arts, NCCA has funded several projects in the previous years to date.

Prudencio said ongoing project set to culminate on September 10, 2008 is the School of Living Traditions (SLT) on Kankana-ey Performing Arts in Cabuyao, Sto. Tomas. Another ongoing project on SLT on Performing Arts is in Tinongdan, Itogon.

Approved projects awaiting release of funds are SLT on Kapangan Kankana-ey Performing Arts on Tinaktakyad/Binanoy dances, the SLT on bamboo craft in Tuba, and the SLT on Tapuey-Making in Sebang, Balili, Buguias.

Other approved projects are the Benguet Indigenous Peoples Festival of Ritual Song and Dance by the federation of Indigenous Peoples Organizations, participation of pupils, students and teachers in the 2008 founding anniversary of Sablan, Benguet, Alibi Di Badang of Buguias, Pan-aadibayan chi Kabayan, and the Cultural Awareness Seminar-Workshop for the 13 barangays of Kabayan.

Subject to evaluation, generally funded by the NCCA are workshops /congresses /conferences, competitions on arts competitions, street dancing, etc., production/performance grant, research grant, publication, travel grant, exhibits, traditional/indigenous festivals, and school for living traditions.

Proponents may be government agencies, non-government organizations, indigenous groups, or individuals but limited to research, film production, and travel grant.