In celebration of the 2025 National Children’s Month and National Indigenous Peoples’ Month, the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), through its Cultural Exchange Department (CED) recently held a weeklong arts camp under the annual program, Kutitap: Isang Piging ng Kabataang Makasining in Baguio City and what a project.
The event was to usher in Christmas.
Fifty-five children and their adult leaders representing various cultural communities all over the country gathered for a celebration of arts, culture, and traditions.
Now in its 16th year, Kutitap pursues its goals of instilling among the Filipino children and youth a deep sense of understanding, appreciation, and pride for Philippine indigenous arts and culture, as well as to promote creativity and positive social values.
Kutitap conducted interactive activities to include mini-workshops and showcases (in dance, drama, music, rituals, visual arts, etc.), storytelling, crafting, traditional games, film viewing, group discussions, and creative collaboration, among others.
Since the first gathering in 2009, Kutitap has already reached over 3,334 children from 200 local communities nationwide. In 2011, the project was redesigned for the benefit of the children in Northern Luzon who were badly affected by typhoons Pedring and Quiel.
For the first time in 2015, Kutitap was brought out of the CCP and was hosted by the City of Batangas. For the first time too, the program was filmed and presented as part of the Children of Asia research project under the Asian Culture Institute (ACI) in Gwangju, South Korea. The film by Kevin K. Park was shown during the opening of the Asia Culture Center (ACC) in Korea. In 2023, Kutitap was included in the Reclaim the Void art assemblage of the Aboriginal community in Western Australia.
In 2016, Kutitap was brought to the Visayas under the hosting of the Province of Capiz; Tagum City in 2017; Los Baños-Laguna in 2018; Koronadal City in 2019; in 2020 & 2021 virtual editions due to the pandemic, 2022 in CCP, Fo Guang Shan Mabuhay Temple & San Jose Del Monte City; San Francisco-Agusan del Sur in 2023; and in Himamalyan City-Negros Occidental in 2024.
This year, Kutitap engaged the kids in educational, cultural, creative, and other participative activities designed to enable them to learn, understand, and appreciate better the indigenous life, traditions, and practices while emphasizing the values of good health, love, compassion, and perseverance. It will also include sessions on indigenous food, games, folktales, music, dance, film, and crafts.
Prominent filmmakers Milo Tolentino, Christian Candelaria, and Zig Dulay agreed to share their notable films with the Kutitap kids–“Andong,” “Sa Iyang Isla,” and “Black Rainbow.” Andong has been a favorite film of the Kutitap kids as early as 2015.
Richard Vilar, an internationally well-known storyteller from Butuan City, shared his folktales in a performance art for the Kutitap kids while Marichelle Santos of Bulacan taught puni making or the art of leaf folding.
The 2025 Kutitap poster featured the artwork of Kublai Millan of Davao City, designed and laid out by Jeruz Alcazarin of Gen. Santos City.
All these and more were facilitated by Kutitap’s pool of exceptional facilitators and trainers led by community culture specialists and advocates from Mindanao and Visayas, namely Rosalie Zerrudo, Lolito Pontillas, Cecile Mambuay, Arlem Abanes, and Renefe Tremedal.
This year’s participants were children ages 6 to 13 years old from 11 cultural communities: Mindanao: Blaan-Gen. Santos City, Higaonon-Butuan City, Visayas: Loboc-Bohol, Tacloban-Leyte, Sigma-Capiz Luzon: Binan-Laguna, Anak Bale-Balyan Angeles City-Pampanga, NCR: Bukas Palad-Pasay, Mga Anak ni Inang Daigdig-Tondo, Marikina City.
Kutitap 2025 was supported by St. Louis University-Baguio City, Baguio Central School, Provincial Tourism Office, Baguio Country Club, and the Girl Scouts of the Philippines.
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