‘Himurasak’
TACLOBAN CITY — Creativity and culture took the spotlight as local artists opened this year’s National Arts Month celebration with “Himurasak,” an arts festival that organizers say reflects both abundance and the city’s thriving creative spirit.
Now on its eighth year, the annual celebration kicked off Thursday, Feb. 26, at the activity area of Robinsons Place Tacloban in Abucay, drawing painters, musicians, performers, cultural advocates, and students from across the city.
Supported by the Tacloban city government under Mayor Alfred Romualdez, the festival is spearheaded by Councilor Dandee Grafil, chair of the city council’s committee on culture and the arts.
The program also featured spoken poetry presentations from students of ABE Tacloban, along with energetic dance performances by the STEFTI Dance Company and ACLC Dance Academy.
“This event, which carries the theme ‘Himurasak’ this year, is now on its eighth year. It started small, but over time it has gained strong support—not only from the art community but from the city government itself,” Grafil said in an interview.
“Himurasak,” a local term meaning abundance, was chosen to symbolize both the growth of the festival and the flourishing arts scene in Tacloban.
According to Grafil, the city is home to a diverse pool of talent spanning visual arts, music, and performance, many of whom are now being given broader platforms to showcase their work.
“We have so many artists here in Tacloban—both in music and in the visual arts. They need spaces where their creativity can be seen and appreciated,” he said.
This year’s staging at Robinsons marks the first time the celebration has been held inside a major commercial venue, signaling wider institutional backing and stronger public engagement. Previous editions were held at Rizal Park, which is currently undergoing renovation.
Grafil also revealed that the city council, through his initiative, passed a resolution endorsing cultural mapping efforts in coordination with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts.
Cultural mapping is a process that documents local heritage, creative assets, traditions, and artistic resources—an important step toward long-term cultural planning and preservation.
He added that arts and culture are now recognized components under the Seal of Good Local Governance program of the Department of the Interior and Local Government, further institutionalizing support for creative initiatives at the local level.
For Tacloban’s artists, the festival is more than a celebration—it is a statement that the city’s creative industry is alive, expanding, and increasingly woven into its development agenda.
As “Himurasak” unfolds, organizers hope the annual gathering will continue to grow, nurturing not only artistic talent but also civic pride rooted in culture and shared expression.
(JOEY A. GABIETA/ROEL T. AMAZONA)
