MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine International Arts Festival 2011 opens Sunday at the Fountain Area of Rizal Park. The opening activities, which include workshops, mini-performances, and screenings in the seven tents to be erected to house the seven arts, namely Architecture, Cinema, Dance, Literature, Music, Theater and Visual Arts, will be held from 1-5 p.m.

Organized by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) Subcommission for the Arts headed by Commissioner Ricardo de Ungria, the event marks the 20th year that the country is celebrating National Arts Month through a month-long fete, which for this year has the tagline “Ani ng Sining.”

Indeed, the celebration will prove to be a real harvest for the arts, even as it will feature thousands of local artists and cultural workers, as well as artists from Japan, Indonesia, Cambodia, Singapore, Lithuania, Thailand, Vietnam, Brunei Darussalam, Taiwan, and the United Arab Emirates.

From 5-5:45 p.m., the Rizal Park Lagoon will be enlivened by a fabulous parade of “higantes” (giants), marching bands (among them the AFP Band, Army-Navy Band, Joseon Band, Manila City Band, RTU Drum and Bugle Corps., MMDA Band, Quezon City Band, Letran Drum and Bugle Corps, and the Lyceum of the Philippines Drum and Bugle Corps.), street dance groups, NCCA officials and committee members, and the NCCA’s endorsers Boy Abunda and Dingdong Dantes.

Boy Abunda, dubbed the “King of Talk” (he hosts ABS-CBN’s “The Buzz,” “Showbiz News Ngayon SNN,” “Bottomline” and “Inside the Cinema”) and top GMA-7 actor-director Dingdong Dantes, have been appointed NCCA’s Arts and Youth Ambassador, respectively.

The street dance groups will be joined by dancers participating in “Sayaw Pinoy,” the NCCA Dance Committee’s celebration for PIAF 2011. The dance committee is headed by Shirley Halili-Cruz.

From 6-7:15 p.m., the Grand Opening Program will feature a dance extravaganza participated in, among others, by the Halili Cruz School of Ballet dancers, and which will highlight the activities of the seven arts for PIAF 2011.

The program will culminate with the singing of the PIAF official song, “Ani ng Sining,” an original composition by NCCA Committee on Music head Joey Ayala, and the sounding of a thousand bamboo clappers to proclaim to the world that PIAF 2011 has begun.

The National Arts Month is annually celebrated as per Presidential Proclamation No. 683 in 1991 declaring February as the National Arts Month, “a time for nationalism and pride in being a Filipino” through carefully planned events for the preservation and enrichment of the Filipino expression in the seven arts. It was signed into law by then Pres. Corazon C. Aquino.

The NCCA, the lead agency tasked to promote Philippine culture and the arts, is headed by Chairman Vilma Labrador, with writer Malou Jacob as executive director.

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Nina at Hard Rock Café
Catch Nina at the Hard Rock Café (HRC) in an intimate performance today, Jan. 29 (Saturday, 9:30 p.m.). Fans and music lovers can look forward to an evening of beautiful music as Nina dishes out her greatest hits from her catalog of platinum studio albums.

Hard Rock International is also giving local bands the chance to win a spot on the line-up at “Hard Rock Calling 2011” in London’s Hyde Park, one of the world’s most anticipated music festivals via “Hard Rock Battle of the Bands.” Winners will be flown to London and given a spot on the bill at “Hard Rock Calling 2011,” which happens on June 24-26 in London’s Hyde Park.

For more details, visit www.hardrock.com.

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Nelly Furtado releases ‘best’ CD
Multi-platinum-selling, Grammy-winning global superstar, actress and philanthropist, Nelly Furtado, celebrates her first 10 years of recording with the release of her first greatest hits compilation album,
“The Best of Nelly Furtado” (Geffen Records), featuring top hits, collaborations, and previously unreleased recordings.

“The Best of Nelly Furtado” looks back at the first decade of the acclaimed Canadian-born singer-songwriter of Portuguese heritage. She has won and has been nominated for seven Grammy awards, has a BRIT Award, and has been awarded numerous Junos (Canada’s equivalent of the Grammy), including Album of the Year for “Loose” as well as an MTV Europe Music Award.

Furtado’s multi-cultural sound proved to be intensely popular as reflected by the tremendous success of singles “I’m Like A Bird” and “Turn Off The Light.”

For more updates, log in to MCA Music’s www.mcamusic.com.ph or www.facebook.com/mcamusic. For Nelly’s hits, text the code NF and send to 3456.

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Tidbits: Happy b-day greetings today, Jan. 29, Marvin Agustin, Frankie Ferrer of Bais City, director Laurice Guillen, Ishko Lopez, Baby Bautista-Arce, Vic Redoblado, Rosario So Adriano, Carolina Z. Mangawang, Mayor Benjamin Castillo, and Mateo D.C. Aleagre... Happy wedding anniversary to Antonio and Elizabeth Antonio, and Mr. and Mrs. Cesar Esteba… Congratulations to Jesus L. dela Cruz and Marcelina L. Mitas on their wedding today to be held at Mogao Bethel Church, Balili, Mankayan, Benguet…