With the ADNU Creative Endeavors Council (CEC) at the helm, Ateneans traversed an enriching exploration of Filipino identity—guided by lecture workshops, cultural performances, art fairs, film screenings, contests, and other activities that joined reputable guest speakers with established and upcoming local creatives, all hailing from Bicol and other parts of the Philippines.

In the four days that the BUKLAD Festival transpired, the creative culture that was taken away from the university by the pandemic found its way back home; and this in itself was the primary objective according to Mx. Troy Bisenio, the CEC administrative assistant. It was achieved with the active support and participation of various partners, sponsors, student volunteers, and performing and art groups.

Art, at its core, is never contained in a single vessel nor is it ever manifested by a single form. Buklad was the amalgamation of various creative fields (music, dance, film, theater, visual arts, digital arts, literary arts) and the joint celebration of talented local artists; and seeing that unfold in real time was an extremely fulfilling experience for Bisenio and the rest of the CEC, whose prior events had been focused mainly on a single creative field.

Another fulfilling experience for the council was their organization of the festival itself—that while the CEC is a somewhat small office, the staff and the student volunteers managed to accomplish their goals with flying colors, making it an extraordinary feat, despite encountering some lapses that later on served as learning experiences for its future iterations.

“Hopefully we can invite other schools, and ultimately gain more engagement from students, faculty, and staff, as they are our main target audiences,” says Bisenio, who also hopes that the CEC’s next festivals will be held on a more grander scale in the coming years, allowing for a deeper unfurling and understanding of the multifarious cultural tapestries that our nation has blessed us with.