CCP, J&S Productions Co-Present the 60th-Anniversary Milestone Production of 'Noli Me Tangere, The Opera'

Wazzup Pilipinas!

The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and J&S Productions Inc., in cooperation with Ayala Foundation, will co-present the Philippines' first full-length opera, Noli Me Tangere, The Opera. The opera, which premiered at the Far Eastern University in 1957 and made its CCP debut in 1974, will mark its 60th anniversary with a limited six-performance run at the CCP's Tanghalang Nicanor Abelardo from January 28 (gala premiere) to February 3, 2017.

The 60th-anniversary production of Noli Me Tangere, The Opera is chaired by philanthropist Mercedes Zobel.

Based on Dr. Jose Rizal's 1887 classic novel of the same name, Noli Me Tangere, The Opera was written by National Artist for Music Felipe de Leon (“Payapang Daigdig,” “Sarong Banggi”) and was set to a libretto by National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino. Both creators, who were obsessed with Dr. Rizal’s landmark novel, finished the opera in 1957. According to New York-based dramaturg Randy Gener, the opera was, however, “not the first Filipino opera ever written. That honor belongs to ‘Sandugong Panaguinip,’ a 1902 work with a Spanish libretto by Pedro Paterno, which was translated into Tagalog by Roman Reyes, and music by Ladislao Bonus. ‘Sandugong Panaguinip’ was a one-act opera made up of five scenes, while de Leon’s ‘Noli’ opera was written in three acts, making it the country’s first full-length grand opera.”

This production, which earlier had critically-acclaimed engagements in N.Y., Washington D.C., and at the Resorts World Manila, will feature more than 200 opera singers, musicians, and crew, 16 scene changes, and a brand-new staging under the directorial reins of debuting stage director Jerry Sibal, a sought-after event designer in New York City, who is also designing new sets and costumes.

The show's score and orchestrations, arranged in the Western operatic tradition with overflow passages reminiscent of Mozart, Puccini, and Wagner, and sung in Tagalog (supertitles in English to be provided), will be played by the newly formed 53-piece Noli Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Maestro Herminigildo Ranera.

DOE Imparts To Consumers Effective Energy-Saving Tips

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of its mandate to inform and educate the public, the Department of Energy (DOE) released another set of energy efficiency and conservation tips with distinct focus on the consumer.

‎DOE Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi strongly emphasized the importance of these measures, especially with the impending Malampaya Scheduled Maintenance Shutdown‎ by the end of the month.

Secretary Cusi explained, “Demand-side management is one of the measures that we are encouraging our consumers to practice. By doing this, our energy consumption is made more efficient and economical, with the beneficial effect ultimately reflected and felt through our electric bills.”

“When energy-efficiency becomes second-nature to us, we are able to cushion whatever impact may be caused by spikes in the cost of electricity. For example, despite the upcoming Malampaya maintenance activities this end of the month, we can still be able to lower our electricity bills with ease,” added the Secretary.

“These are consumer-friendly tips, very simple and very doable,” Sec. Cusi assured.

The appliance-focused and consumer-managed energy-saving tips have been developed by the DOE, through its Energy Utilization Management Bureau (EUMB).

DOE Rallies Students to Learn Energy Conservation

Wazzup Pilipinas!

As part of its mission to empower energy consumers, the Department of Energy (DOE) headed by Secretary Alfonso G. Cusi enjoins the academe to inculcate the value of energy saving to their students.

“We are here to guide our younger generation who will be the ones running not only the energy sector, but the nation as well,” Cusi said.

“Supplementing the learning process of the students by exposing them to a real-world working environment helps arouse their interest and unleashes their potentials to become future scientists, engineers or energy experts,” Cusi explained.

In the second half of 2016 alone, the DOE’s Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office (CWPO) facilitated the conduct of 11 half-day consumer workshops dubbed as EnerSmart Kids Program and EnerREADY Project attended by various students in Metro Manila.

For the EnerSmart Kids Program, a total of 200 Grades 4, 5 & 6 from South CEMBO, Pitogo, San Jose, and Nemesio Yabut Elementary Schools in Makati City attended lectures and performed Science experiments at the DOE Central Office in Taguig City.

The sessions were capped by the kids’ “Pledge of Commitment” to be “Energy Cost Busters” by practicing energy efficiency and conservation measures in their own homes.

Among those who participated in the DOE program were students from the College of Computer Engineering & Communication and Engineering, STI Global City; College of Technology students and senior high school students from the University of Makati and Electrical Engineering students from the Technological University of the Philippines, Taguig Campus.

More than 200 students were given an overview of the electricity supply chain, including fundamental electricity concepts and a laboratory tour at the DOE-Lighting and Appliance Testing Laboratory.

Meanwhile, as part of the agency’s efforts to mainstream Gender and Development (GAD) in the energy sector programs, activities, and projects, the EnerREADY Project was pursued by the DOE-CWPO on-site in the following schools in Taguig and Makati City: Bangkal High School, Fort Bonifacio High School, Bagumbayan National High School and Gen. Pio del Pilar National High School.

EnerREADY is a Career Talk that aims to promote gender equality in the energy sector, encouraging young students to pursue technical careers based on their interest, passion, and strength in technical subjects and not on gender stereotyping as to the roles of women and men as perceived or dictated by society.

More than 400 Grade 10 pupils benefited from this activity through interactive and experiential learning with the female energy experts who shared their actual experiences, including the challenges they hurdled in order to achieve their career goals.

With the continuing Consumer Education Program of the CWPO, public elementary, high school, and college institutions interested in visiting the agency located at the Energy Center, Rizal Drive cor. 34th Street, Bonifacio Global City, Taguig, Metro Manila, can get in touch with Ms. Helen B. Arias, Chief of the CWPO at telefax no. ‎ (02) 840-22-67 or trunkline no. ‎479-2900 local 329; email at energycwpo@gmail.com.
PHOTO CAPTION: ENERGY READY STUDENTS: DOE-Consumer Welfare and Promotion Office staff led by Helen B. Arias with Engr. Arlyb Joy R. Pestana and Engr. Pia Louren C. Gatinga from the DOE-Energy Resource Development Bureau;  Engr. Eduardo B. Fernandez of the DOE-Electric Power Industry Management Bureau and Engr. Martha Isabel S. Dealino and Engr. Katrina Mae S. Royo from the Manila Electric Company as guest resource persons pose after the ENEReady: A Career Talk on Breaking Gender Stereotypes in the Energy Workforce last  24 November in Fort Bonifacio High School, Makati City.