The Philippines commemorated its 126th Independence Day on June 12, 2024, with the theme “Kalayaan. Kinabukasan. Kasaysayan.” Participating in the three-day celebration, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) set up a booth, offered services, and joined the Parada ng Kalayaan.

From June 10 to 11, the NCCA mounted a booth in Luneta Park that featured its main programs, where the public could inquire about technical assistance programs, competitive programs, cultural mapping program, and the Experts & Resource Persons Bureau. Engaging the public in arts and creativity, ventriloquist Ony Carcamo delighted audiences with his stagecraft and puppetry. The NCCA also offered free face painting and henna tattoos.

In collaboration with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), plant seedlings and coloring books were distributed to the public. Pampamahalaang Programa at Serbisyo is an annual lineup of activities led and participated in by various government agencies to promote and provide basic services to the public during the Independence Day commemoration. A highlight of the event was the booth competition between participating agencies, with the NCCA placing third.

Alongside other government agencies in the Department of Public Instruction (DPI) Cluster, NCCA participated in the Parada ng Kalayaan 2024 at Burnham Green, Quirino Grandstand in Manila. The event featured a grand parade consisting of 22 floats, including the DPI Cluster float designed by Jay Lorenz C. Conanan. The float embodied the concept “sa tahanan sumisibol ang bayan” (in the home, the nation blooms). Its base was an open book symbolizing literacy, supporting a bahay kubo (nipa hut), from which a tree of knowledge grew. Inside, a young Jose Rizal received instruction from his first teacher, his mother Teodora Alonso, affirming that education begins at home. Outside, children studied and played, reflecting the Department of Education’s slogan: MATATAG: Bansang Makabata, Batang Makabansa (A Nation for the Youth, the Youth for the Nation).

Led by the Department of Education, the Department of Public Instruction Cluster includes the NCCA and its attached agencies, the Department of Science and Technology, the Commission on Higher Education, the Philippine Space Agency, and the University of the Philippines.

The NCCA’s participation in the Independence Day celebration not only honored the country’s historical journey but also highlighted the pivotal role of culture and the arts in nation-building.