The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) honored Ilocos Norte National High School Samiweng Singers (INNHS) together with other 31 artists from different fields of the arts—seven for Music, 13 for Cinema, 13 for Visual Arts, two for Dance and one for more than one field, at the Malacañang Palace, Feb. 28, 2012.
The “Ani ng Dangal” (Harvest of Honors) Awards recognizes artists who have earned international awards and accolades during the past year. It is an annual event, which serves as the closing activity of the Philippine Arts Festival, NCCA’s grand event in celebration of the National Arts Month.
Mrs. Isabel Sison-Sandi, INNHS Principal with Mr. Sherberk F. Cabrales and Mr. Robert C. Caluya, choir conductors of the INNHS Samiweng Singers, with received the award.
INNHS Samiweng Singers had their first international competition and bagged the title Over-all Winner in the Children’s Choir, Youth Choirs, and Sacred Music Categories during the 1st Vietnam International Choir Competition and Festival 2011 held in Hoi An, Quang Nam, Vietnam. The choir also won the Gold IV Diploma (Category Winner) in the Sacred Choir Music Category and Gold II (Category Winner) in the Children’s Category,
Leading the luminous batch of awardees are Broadway and West End star Lea Salonga and NCCA Art Ambassador Boy Abunda (multidisciplinary) whose talk show The Bottomline was recognized as the Best Talk Show for 2011 in the 16th Asian TV Awards. Also notable is actor Jericho Rosales, who starred in the international movie Subject: I Love You that had a world premiere at the Newport Beach Film Festival in California on April 30, in which Rosales won the best actor trophy.
Other Ani ng Dangal awardees are Imusicapella, Tristan Ignacio, Ateneo de Manila College Glee Club, AUP Ambassadors Chorale Arts Society, Mandaue Children and Youth Chorus, Cebu Chamber Singers and Ilocos Norte National High School (for music); Michael Manalastas, Gym Lumbera and Ellen Ramos, Rica Arevalo and Sarah Roxas, Jeffrey Jeturian, Loy Arcenas, Auraeus Solito, Remton Siega Zuasola, Sheron Dayoc, Liza Diño and Rianne Hill Soriano (for cinema); Cherrie Marie de Guzman-Ipapo, Eric Olympia Fajut, Gerry Alanguilan, Danilo Victoriano, Trisha Co Reyes, Jamille Bianca Tan Aguilar, Ma. Angelica Tejada, Jesus Tejada, Jamia Mei Tolentino, Rodel Tapaya, Reynaldo Mondez, Niccolo Cosme and Jophel Ybiosa (for visual arts); and Halili-Cruz School of Ballet and Bayanihan, The Philippine National Folk Dance Company (for dance).
Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa, represented President Benigno Aquino III, as guest of honor.
