The UP Asian Center will hold The Asia Concert with the theme, "Samar": Tinig, Galaw, Salita on 27 November 2022, Sunday, 6:00 pm (GMT+8) at the GT-Toyota Auditorium, Asian Center, Diliman. The event is open to the public. Tickets are priced at PhP 200 each, available for pre-order. Seating is first-come, first-served.

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PART I: PERFORMANCES

KONTEMPORARYONG GAMELAN PILIPINO (Kontra-GaPi)
UP College of Arts and Letters

PROF. TINA S. CLEMENTE, PH.D.
UP Asian Center

JOELLE JACINTO and ELI JACINTO’S TEAM DANCE STUDIO
TEAM Dance Studio, Las Piñas City

PROF. KARA DAVID
UP College of Mass Communication

PROF. HENELITO A. SEVILLA, JR., PH.D.
UP Asian Center

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR MARIA DULCE F. NATIVIDAD, PH.D.
UP Asian Center

HALLYUP
University of the Philippines Diliman

AC STAFF, FACULTY, AND REPS
UP Asian Center

PART II: FEATURE PERFORMANCES

NOVO CONCERTANTE MANILA
with Choir Master/Conductor:

Dr. Arwin Tan
Professor, UP College of Music

Dr. Matthew M. Santamaria
Professor, Artist, UP Asian Center

ABOUT THE EVENT

The recent gradual return to normalcy has signaled the return of traditional activities such as on-site and face-to-face conferences, lectures, seminars, even theater, musical, and dance performances. In time for the celebration of its 67^th Founding Anniversary, the UP Asian Center proudly presents the The Asia Concert with the theme, Samar: Tinig, Galaw, Salita. This activity aims to celebrate our identity as part of the Asian Region through a showcase of talents of the Asian Center community. It seeks to strengthen the role of the Asian Center in bridging Philippine and Asian culture and identity and creating a community aware and appreciative of its Asian and Filipino heritage.

“Samar”

Samar is an Arabic term that refers to the act of staying up through the night and having conversations with friends or family which sometimes include Arabic music and poetry. With the expression of community and identity disturbed by the pandemic, this activity seeks to provide a platform for the Asian Center community and its friends through a night of engaging art, music, and meaningful exchanges.

ABOUT THE FEATURE PERFORMANCES

DR. ARWIN Q. TAN
Dr. Arwin Q. Tan is Associate Professor and the current Program Coordinator of the UP College of Music Extension Program. He obtained his Ph.D. in Music Studies Program at the University of the Philippines. He is one of the founding directors of the Philippine Choral Directors Association. He also was one of the seven (7) advisory board members of Choralspace, a newly founded international academy of choral arts in Berlin, Germany in 2020. He was granted the UP Artist Award for the years 2013-2015 (Artist I) and 2016-2018 (Artist II). In 2015 and 2020, he received the International Publications Award from the OVPAA. View his full profile.

NOVO CONCERTANTE MANILA
Novo Concertante Manila is a chamber choir from Quezon City, Philippines. It was originally formed as a recital choir, and it continues to reinvent itself to be “a choir with a purpose.” The choir received the “Ani ng Dangal” award four times from the National Commission for Culture and the Arts in recognition of Novo’s achievements in international choral competitions. View their full profile.

MATTHEW M. SANTAMARIA
Dr. Matthew M. Santamaria, Doctor of Law is Professor and the Assistant to the Dean for Cultural Affairs at the UP Asian Center. He obtained his Doctor of Law in Political Science in Kyoto University. He handles courses in Asian Studies and Philippine Studies at the UP Asian Center. View his full profile.

ABOUT THE PERFORMERS

KONTEMPORARYONG GAMELAN PILIPINO (KONTRA-GAPI)
Kontemporaryong Gamelan Pilipino or Kontra-GaPi is the resident ethnic music and dance ensemble of the College of Arts and Letters of the University of the Philippines Diliman. Founded in 1989 by Prof. Pedro R. Abraham Jr., Kontra-GaPi draws inspiration from the traditions of different ethnolinguistic groups in the Philippines and Southeast Asia to create new music and dance that is rooted in indigenous well-springs but presented in contemporary and modern dress. Know more about Kontra-GaPi.

TINA S. CLEMENTE
Dr. Tina Clemente is Professor at the UP Asian Center. She obtained her Ph.D. in Economics at the School of Economics, University of the Philippines Diliman, and handles several China courses at the UP Asian Center, which offers a China specialization as part of its MA in Asian Studies program. She is the current Editor-in-Chief of Chinese Studies Journal. View her full profile.

JOELLE JACINTO AND ELI JACINTO'S TEAM DANCE STUDIO 
TEAM Dance Studio was established in 1980 in Las Piñas by Eli Jacinto, who developed his own dance syllabus to accommodate Filipino bodies and temperament, focusing on producing strong, artistic dancers. As a seasoned choreographer, Jacinto is known for his experimentations in choreography, particularly in contemporizing indigenous forms, not only in ballet, but also in the Bagong Anyo fashion and culture events of the 1970s, and in the 2011 film Ang Sayaw ng Dalawang Kaliwang Paa. His daughter, Joelle Jacinto, with whom he has worked with as his dancer and dramaturge, is a PhD candidate at the university’s Tri-College program. Know more about TEAM Dance Studio.

KARA DAVID
Kara Patria C. David-Cancio is a veteran journalist and Assistant Professor at the College of Mass Communication (CMC), University of the Philippines Diliman. She is also the Chair of the Journalism Department of CMC. Kara David is known for her documentaries about the Philippines and has received various awards from local and international bodies. She is a product of the UP Asian Center where she graduated with a degree in Master of Arts in Philippine Studies in 2017. 

JM MERCIALES
Jose Marie M. Merciales graduated from the UP Asian Center in 2022 with a degree of Master of Asian Studies major in Japan. He currently works in software development and as director of communications of the non-government organization, Guidance NGO advancing career education and freedom of information.

HENELITO A. SEVILLA, JR.
Dr. Henelito A. Sevilla, Jr. is Dean and Professor at the UP Asian Center. He obtained his Ph.D. in International Relations at the University of Tehran. He handles courses on West Asia and Philippine Foreign Relations at the UP Asian Center. View his full profile.

MARIA DULCE F. NATIVIDAD  
Dr. Maria Dulce F. Natividad is Associate Professor at the UP Asian Center. She is also the College Secretary and the Head Secretariat of the Tri-College PhD Philippine Studies Program. She obtained her Ph.D. in Sociomedical Sciences/Anthropology at Columbia University. She handles courses in Asian Studies and Philippine Studies at the UP Asian Center. View her full profile. 

HALLYUP
The University of the Philippines Society of Students for Korean Popular Culture, or HallyUP, is a non-sectarian, non-profit, socio-cultural, special interest organization in the University of the Philippines, Diliman. It was founded by a group of students with their passion for the Korean pop culture. HallyUP serves as a channel for students interested in K-pop to meet and create bonds with other enthusiasts. It also aims develop talents and skills of members and provide services, workshops, materials and others. Know more about HallyUP.

ABOUT OUR MEDIA PARTNERS

DZUP
DZUP is the official radio station of the University of the Philippines Diliman. As the country's leading college radio, we bridge the gap between the academe and media publics, producing content that contributes to matinong usapan para sa maunlad na bayan. Dahil sa DZUP 1602, Kasali Ka!

AGIMAT
Agimat is an online platform dedicated to spreading the power and artistry of Filipinos. It is also an archive of what is happening in the different aspects of culture and art.

VIEW: UP ASIAN CENTER @ 67 ACTIVITIES

For inquiries, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 8 981 8500 local 3580.
The Asian Center, University of the Philippines Diliman offers M.A. degrees in Asian Studies with four fields of specialization: Northeast Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, and West Asia. The UP Asian Center also has an M.A. program in Philippine Studies that allows students to major in Philippine society and culture, Philippine foreign relations, or Philippine development studies. It also offers a Ph.D. program in Philippine Studies in conjunction with the College of Arts and Letters and the College of Social Sciences and Philosophy. For an overview of these graduate programs, click here. As an area studies institution, the Asian Center also publishes Asian Studies: Journal of Critical Perspectives on Asia, the latest issue of which can be downloaded at the journal's website.