CCP Main Building Reopening Set for 2026
The Cultural Center of the Philippines’ (CCP) Main Building has been closed since January 2023 and its 3-year rehabilitation project has been underway since then.
The rehabilitation project emanated from the building audit the CCP did from 2018 to 2019. The findings from the audit necessitated that the 55-year-old building needed more than its usual maintenance.
What the audit findings saw were the apparent wear and tear due to the building’s old age. But the deterioration seems much worse beneath the surface, although the foundation of the building remains strong.
“As we all know, CCP is the work of our National Artist Leandro Locsin. We can’t just overhaul the whole building. It has been a delicate balancing act of preserving the design and modernizing the building to keep up with the time,” said CCP president ad interim Michelle Nikki Junia.
Repairing the damages is a very tedious process. Because these structural works redefine the structural integrity of the building for the next 50 years, the construction has been very meticulous.
For Phase One of the rehabilitation, the CCP engineers, the construction firm, and hired consultants have been doing structural retrofitting following the 2015 building code standards while adopting sustainable options.
Phase One centers on modernizing structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical features. Phase Two will simultaneously happen with Phase One, once the structural works are done. Phase Two focuses on mechanical and technical capacities of the theaters.
As of January 2024, the rehabilitation is about 30% complete. With all the consultants already onboard, the CCP expects that the work would speed up.
“We project full completion by 2025. The Main Building and its theaters will definitely open by 2026, welcoming everyone to its theaters with new productions and programs befitting the call of the time,” said Junia.
765 events in 2024 Programming
Even with the ongoing rehabilitation of its Main Building, the CCP forges ahead and moves forward this 2024 with its programming, led by Artistic Director Dennis Marasigan.
“For 2024, we are targeting to produce 765 events, ranging from performances, screenings, exhibits and workshops both onsite, off-site, and online. We hope to reach over 200,000 onsite viewers, and engage over 6000 artists. For our workshops, we hope they can benefit 16,000 participants,” shared Marasigan.
Festivals such as CCP Pasinaya, Virgin Labfest, Cinemalaya Philippine Independent Film Festival will continue to provide unique artistic and cultural experiences, with expanded reach to the regions. Resident companies such as Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Philippine Ballet Theater, Bayanihan The National Dance Company, the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Ballet Philippines, and Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, among others will push forward with their 2024 seasons.
Film programs such as CCP’s The Met Live in HD, National Theater Live, Cine Icons, Cinema Under the Stars, and Lakbay Sine will forge ahead, while the CCP Out-of-the-Box Series continues with its second edition. The Triple Threats and Leading Ladies concerts are also set to return.
After two years, the CCP Children’s Biennale, the children’s festival which aims to develop their curiosity through interactive art installations, educational film and play screenings, creative workshops, children’s book fairs, and other activities, at no charge, will also continue.
CCP BOT-initiated program Kanto Kultura takes flight once again with Baraptasan, a modern take on the Balagtasan, in celebration of the centenary of Francisco Balagtas Baltazar. The Baraptasan will feature literary jousting in Filipino, Cebuano, Hiligaynon and Ilokano. Kanto Kultural aims to bring arts in any of its forms to different kanto all over the country.
“CCP is not just about performances and shows. We are proud of our arts education programs that nurture the next generation of artists and the audiences who will support their work through training, exposure, and audience development activities,” said Marasigan.
This year, the CCP celebrates 45 years of bringing outreach programs to the regions and to the world. Through exchange programs with various organizations and institutions, the CCP provides glimpses of the Philippine cultures and becomes a conduit for cultural exchanges across the regions and to different countries.
“This year, we are intensifying our presence in the regions, creating new partners with LGUs and cultural organizations, collaborating with as many artists as we can, and producing shows in alternative performing spaces and venues across the country,” said Marasigan.
The CCP will also roll out the National Performing Companies (NPAC) this year. Applications are now on-going to find the best national performing companies in Dance, Theater, Orchestra, Choral, and Indigenous Performing Ensemble. The NPAC program confers national status and provides significant funding to deserving non-government performing arts companies.
Comments