The Philippines is marking October as both Museum and Galleries Month and Indigenous Peoples (IP) Month, and the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has unveiled a lineup of events designed to make the country's arts and heritage accessible to the general public.

According to Bernan Joseph Corpuz, the NCCA's deputy executive director for operations, the twin celebrations center on "culture as something that is living and must be nurtured." The month's activities aim to preserve artistic heritage, promote artistic expression, and foster a deeper understanding of Philippine history and identity.

"These two observances invite us to look more closely at where we come from and how we carry this into the present," Mr. Corpuz said at a press launch held on Oct. 1 in the historic walled district of Intramuros, Manila.

"IP Month recognizes communities that have sustained generations of knowledge, traditions, artistic practices, and ways of understanding the world," he explained. "Museums and Galleries Month, meanwhile, brings together artifacts, artworks, documents, and stories that allow to encounter different parts of our history and identity."

Under the theme "Bridging Divides: Preserving the Present for Tomorrow," the NCCA and the National Museum are taking on the challenge of making arts and culture accessible to people beyond the histories and cultures they already know.

"Museums and galleries give these stories a place where they can be seen, understood, and shared. This is where we see the connection between the two celebrations we are bringing together," Mr. Corpuz said.

Events

Arts Month has already kicked off with several exhibitions: the ASEAN Corner showcase at the University of Santo Tomas, which runs until Oct. 8, and the Ikami Naman Visual Art Exhibit at the Mabalacat Cultural Center in Pampanga, ongoing until Oct. 18.

The NCCA Gallery in Intramuros is hosting two shows: Re-Threading Tradition, featuring works by visual artist Hermie Bruno and Bangkuro Gallery, opens on Oct. 8 and will run alongside the ongoing Material Explorations visual art exhibition.

Throughout the month, private and public museums nationwide are joining the celebration through exhibits, fairs, workshops, and other events aimed at reaching students and communities. The clustered calendar also gives audiences a single-month window to plan visits across venues in Metro Manila, Baguio City, Pampanga, and Catbalogan City.

The 16th Tam-awan International Arts Festival in Baguio City runs from Oct. 9 to 11, the Dayaw Indigenous Peoples Month 2026 Celebration at Foro de Intramuros is slated for Oct. 12 to 15. At the SMX Convention Center in SM Aura, the art fair ManilART '26: Where the Line Begins seeks to strengthen Metro Manila's art scene from Oct. 14 to 18.

Elsewhere on the calendar, the After-School Samar Creative Arts Program in Catbalogan City takes place on select dates throughout the month; the virtual Kongreso ng Gurong Mag-aaral para sa Edukasyong Kultural (Congress of Student Teachers for Cultural Education) is set for Oct. 17; the pop-up Metro Circuit Tour stops at the Metropolitan Theater on Oct. 24; and the Balacat Bazaar runs in Pampanga from Oct. 25 to 31.

Dayaw

For IP Month, known as Dayaw, the NCCA will host Indigenous peoples from across the Philippines in Intramuros from Oct. 13 to 15. Carrying the theme "Pagkamalikhain ng Katutubong Filipino: Pinagtibay ng mga Pagsubok, Umaalab ang Bagong Pag-Asa" (Creativity of Indigenous Filipinos: Strengthened by Challenges, Igniting New Hope), the celebration will showcase indigenous cultural expressions spanning dance, weaving, arts and crafts, ethnic and indigenous cuisine, performances, musical traditions, and indigenous musical instruments.

"We want people to come close enough to ask questions, listen to stories, and understand the people behind the performances," said Dayaw 2026 program director Sonia Soto. She emphasized that the celebration should not "reduce Indigenous culture to costumes, dances or objects on display."

"These are living communities with knowledge, creativity and traditions that continue to change, respond and endure," Ms. Soto said.

More than 200 Indigenous participants are expected to attend, ranging from cultural bearers, artists, and educators to youth and community representatives. They come from 41 clusters of Indigenous communities, together with Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) awardees, artists, and cultural practitioners. GAMABA is the Philippines' National Living Treasures Award, conferred on Filipinos for contributions to traditional folk arts.

The main showcase takes place on Oct. 14, alongside a cultural exchange with schools and universities scheduled specifically for students, who will get to meet various indigenous communities at Foro de Intramuros.

"A young person can search for a traditional dance or craft online in seconds, but meeting the person who learned it from an elder, understanding why it is practiced, and hearing what it means to the community? That is an entirely different experience," Ms. Soto said. "Our responsibility is not to speak for the communities. It is to create the space where they can speak, perform, demonstrate, teach, and tell their own stories."

The full schedules of both IP Month and Museums and Galleries Month can be found on the NCCA's social media pages.

— Brontë H. Lacsamana

Source: BusinessWorld