The National Commission for Culture and the Arts-National Committee on Dance (NCCA-NCD), headed by Shirley Halili-Cruz, spearheads the implementation of Dance Xchange: The Philippine International Dance Workshop and Festival, from April 11 to 14, 2013. It  will bring together the best dance companies and dance experts, both local and international, for a grand celebration of dance that includes activities such as artists’ forum, dance workshops to be conducted by dance directors/dancers from participating countries, masters classes, cultural tours, festival of dance performances and concerts at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum.

333 years under Spanish rule,  50 years of American influence, 8 more  years under the Japanese regime and 1 blog made the Philippine culture a unique and colorful one. With the complexity of our history and hundreds of years of exchanging culture, how are you going to utter this to other people? How are you going to let everyone experience our vibrant tiles. How are you going to tell them why it is more fun in the Philippines? There is only one way to do it, thought Sining Factory.

Dubbed as the "Mother of all Philippine Fiestas", Aliwan Festival is an annual event recognized to be the gatherings of different festivals in the Philippines that unites religion, culture, and tradition. The participants in this big festivity aim to promote their respective regions by presenting colorful traditional dances through  the street dance and float parade competition.   Aliwan is a Tagalog word for "entertainment" or "amusement" which is the main goal of the celebration.

Another reason to visit Tagaytay City is the museum that houses the biggest collection of puzzles that ranges from sizes, themes, motif and art forms - the main attraction of  a bed and breakfast located at the hills of Tagaytay called The Puzzle Mansion. It has a lot more to offer than the beautiful scenery of the city. And I was destined to visit the mansion one weekend and fortunately met the owner and the title holder of the Guinness World Records' Largest Collection of Jigsaw Puzzles, Gina Gil-Lacuna.

61-year old Filipina Gina Gil Lacuna, has been awarded by the Guinness World Records as a person with the Largest Collection of Jigsaw Puzzles in any Size, Shape or Form on November 29, 2012. She beat the reigning Brazilian named Luiza Figueiredo with a collection of 500 puzzles. All of Lacuna's collections are housed at The Puzzle Mansion located at Cuadra Street, Barangay Asisan, Tagaytay and now a tourist attraction to many travelers who are visiting the city. 

In conjunction with the Sapot exhibit is Marvin Angelo Olori’s first one-man art exhibition “BAGYO”(storm). MARO is a contemporary artist based in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. Since 2007, MARO has been active in exhibiting and in organizing art-related activities in and around Los Baños. As the then Director of the UP Painters’ Club (UPPC), a cultural organization in the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB), he co-curated the “Amorsolo’s Makiling” art exhibit in 2009, a satellite exhibition of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila at the Sining Makiling Art Gallery for the nationwide “His Art; Our Heart: The Amorsolo Retrospective.”  

The Sining Makiling Art Gallery at the University of the Philippines Los Baños presents the first one - man art exhibition, SAPOT (web), of Ritche Yee. Ritche is a contemporary artist based in Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines. He hailed from Agusan Del Norte and has earned a degree in Commerce from Fr. Saturnino Urios University in Butuan City. However, he realized soon after that he could only be at his best when he is occupied with the visual arts.