Make a noise, Pasigeños and Pasigeñas!
Don't you know that a National Artist thrives in your city?
Or maybe you're already familiar that Ramon Pagayon Santos, a distinguished man of the arts, is a Pasigeño by blood, by birth, by aspirations.
Santos, who finished two courses, Bachelor of Music (BM) and a Teacher's Diploma (TD), also in Music both in 1965 at the University of the Philippines (UP) College of Music, is National Artist for Music who was proclaimed and installed by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III in 2014.
After earning his undergraduate studies, Ramon took up his Master of Arts (MA) in Music at the Indiana University and later pursued his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Music Composition at the State University of New York at Buffalo.
Santos was recognized for his advanced musicality and the exploration and creation of unique musical inventions inspired by indigenous and countryside musicology.
Because of his distinct contributions to national music derived from Philippine tribal tunes and Southeast Asian influences, Dr. Santos was conferred with the highest honors in the Order of National Artist of the Philippines.
Because of his intensive and extensive knowledge in music, NA Santos will share his expertise in the field with the participating choirs—both contestants and plain exhibitionists—of the very first Palawan International Choral Festival (PICF) in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan on August 13 to 16, 2025 in various venues of the city.
This was announced by Robert Delgado, President of the National Association of Filipino Choirs, Inc. (NAFCI) and organizer of the 2025 PICF.
According to Delgado, Dr. Santos is a rarity in the field of music.
"I am honored that Dr. Santos will participate in the very first PICF to share his body of knowledge in music. He was my teacher and I would say I gained a lot of insights, music education, discipline and the prospects of the future of Philippine music," said Robert.
Delgado said that Dr. Santos will facilitate a lot in tapping key elements to make music a utilitarian device and a discipline that will make Filipinos proud of their arts.
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