Even if Michelle Nikki Junia is now a plain Juana de la Cruz of San Pedro City in Laguna, she still continues to support the projects of the Committee on Arts Education of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP).
It is because she was the one, with the collaboration of nationalist arts managers, who conceptualized the idea of Kanto Kultura, one of the major programs of the Committee on Arts Education which she used to chair.
Kanto Kultura is a concept where arts and culture of the grassroots and literally, the corner streets aesthetics, are promoted and enhanced by giving them the necessary push to come out and prevail as integral part of national heritage.
When the idea of the Baraptasan (a hybrid of the traditional Balagtasan, a traditional poetic joust and the modern rap) came to being, the Committee easily supported the project.
It was under the helm of Junia at the presidency of CCP that Baraptasan was born.
She, without question, supported it until its implementation.
Michelle Nikki gamely sat as one of the juries during the Grand Finals of the contest held at the Rizal Park Open Air Auditorium recently.
In the company of Dennis Marasigan, the Artistic Director and Officer-in-Charge (OIC) of CCP, Board of Trustee Stanley Seludo, National Artist for Literature Virgilio S. Almario, poet Teo Antonio, literary giant Vim Nadera and the men and women behind CCP Arts Education, Michelle Nikki celebrated the poetic talents of the ten group contestants.
Bagong Koronadal Advocates of Koronadal City in South Cotabato won the Grand Prize with P300,000 cash prize.
Ang mga Supling ni Angela from Tabaco City, Albay romped away with the Second Prize with P200,000 cash incentive.
Meanwhile, two winners were proclaimed as Third Prizes, namely DND of Makati City and Haraysista of Labo, Camarines Norte with P100,000 each.
#WeTakeAStand #OpinYon #CCP #BaRaptasan #NikkiJunia