The Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP) and the University of Santo Tomas Senior High School (USTSHS) have officially formalized their continuing partnership and collaboration through the signing of a five-year contract aimed at revolutionizing arts education in the country.
Represented by CCP President Kaye C. Tinga and UST Rector Magnificus Very Rev. Fr. Richard Ang, OP, the two institutions signed recently a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to further develop the strengths of the UST Senior High School curriculum by embedding arts education not only within the Music, Arts, and Design Track, but across all academic programs.
“Through this partnership, the CCP reaffirms its mission to expand its access to arts education and community engagement. We believe that by investing in the professional development of teachers and providing students with real-world apprenticeships, we are securing the future of the Philippine creative industry,” said CCP President Tinga.
Under the agreement, the CCP will provide expert management and training teams, grant students access to its world-class facilities, and ensure all activities align with the Department of Education’s Most Essential Learning Competencies for the SHS curriculum. Upon successful completion of the program requirements, the CCP will also issue certificates of completion to both learners and academic staff.
Underscoring the mutual commitment to creating a positive impact on educators and the youth, central to this collaboration is the Sining sa Eskwela Arts Training Program, a capacity-building initiative spearheaded by the CCP Arts Education Department.
The program is designed to integrate specialized arts training into the USTSHS academic offerings through three key pillars: 1) Sining Alamin, an arts experience of performances or activities of the CCP resident companies, as well as a curriculum-based apprenticeship program designed specifically for students of the Senior High School Arts and Design Track; 2) Arts Online Talk, an online lecture discourse with renowned Artists and Experts, Art Educators, and Managers covering topics on cultural awareness and appreciation, creative industry, and the different art forms; and 3) Arts Academy, which offers specialized modules for basic education teachers.
USTSHS, meanwhile, will provide the necessary venues, technical equipment, and project coordination for onsite activities. Furthermore, the university will collaborate with the CCP to develop research and extension activities through the Dominican Mission Community Service, ensuring the program remains relevant for future art educators and professionals.
“For our learners, CCP is not just a venue or an institution, it is a gateway. A gateway to discipline, imagination, heritage, and purpose. Through this partnership, our students encounter art not as spectators, but as creators and cultural workers in the making. As we look forward to the next five years, we do so with deep anticipation and commitment,” said UST Senior High School Principal Assoc. Prof. Mary Erika N. Bolaños, PhD.
She added: “We believe that creativity sharpens critical thinking, empathy strengthens leadership, and culture deepens identity regardless of track or discipline. This undertaking reflects our shared responsibility: to form young people who are not only competent, but culturally rooted; not only skilled, but socially aware.”
Gracing the signing event were: Rev. Fr. Ermito G. De Sagon, OP, Regent of the UST Senior High School; Assoc. Prof. Mary Erika N. Bolaños, PhD, Principal, UST Senior High School; Prof. Rodrigo A. Litao, PhD, Assistant Principal for Curriculum and Instruction; Hazel A. Misola, LPT, MBA, Assistant Principal for Student Formation; Mena Angela M. Oliveros, MAEd School Secretary; Juan Carlos G. Santos, MLit Music, Arts, and Design Program Chair; and Justin Ira G. Ong, MBA, Field Experience Coordinator.
Also present during the signing were: Dennis Marasigan, CCP VP and Artistic Director; Ronnie B. Mirabuena, Chief of the CCP Audience Development Division; Lino B. Matalang, Jr., Supervising Culture and Arts Officer from CCP Audience Development Division; and Ian Darwin N. Wong, Senior Culture and Arts Officer from CCP Audience Development Division.
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