City dad wants AC to rise from ‘Sin’ to ‘Cultural City’
- Source: http://punto.com.ph/News/Article/27796/Volume-10-No-105/Feature-Article/City-dad-wants-AC-to-rise-from-%E2%80%98Sin%E2%80%99-to-%E2%80%98Cultural-City%E2%80%99
- Saturday, August 5, 2017
- By Ian Kristoffer Park and Gayzell Magcalas
ANGELES CITY - To erase the stigma of this city and transform it into a center of culture and the arts, Councilor Joseph “PG” Ponce led the donation of musical instruments to the Holy Angel University (HAU) here as an investment to create a local symphony orchestra.
Cultural advocate Philip Punsalan assisted Ponce in the project, both saying that the donation is meant to transform the city from its “unsavory reputation” into a haven for art lovers.
According to the councilor, the city should have another attraction for tourists to lure them away from local clubs and adult entertainment in girly bars for which the city had earned its notoriety.
The joint collaboration with HAU, he said, is open not only to the university students but for everyone.
“Since HAU already has a marching brass band and Kapampangan studies, we thought it would be good to invest in the school’s existing structure,” Ponce said.
HAU officials led by VP Robbie Tantingco promised to allot a storage room for the donations and also promote Kapampangan music while helping musically inclined students get a scholarship.
In the project’s memorandum of agreement, it was stated that the instruments will be given to the students to take home and is open to everyone who is interested to join.
Punsalan, the founder of the Aguman Kapampangan in the USA, was the first to donate and collaborate with Ponce’s vision.
Ponce said Punsalan already donated 45 string instruments made in the USA. The donation also includes uniforms, local professional mentors and original compositions.
“You will see our fully realized vision of the Pampanga Symphony Orchestra by the end of the year,” Ponce said.
He added that they are still looking for musical artists in the neighboring municipalities to help train the students as well as additional donors for their cause.