MANILA -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. highlighted on Tuesday, February 20, the importance of supporting Filipino artists, especially in honing their crafts and pursuing their endeavors as they are the definition of the Philippine culture, arts and tradition.

“Government must take the lead and the reason why I consider it very, very important and I’ve always done so, is because the culture of a country is the definition of its people,” President Marcos said on the sidelines of the 16th Ani ng Dangal 2024 at the Metropolitan Theatre in Manila.

The President also emphasized “the culture is the shared consciousness of the Filipino and it is the answer to the question what is it to be Filipino.”

“And it is the answer to the question what is it to be Filipino. Sila’ng sumasagot sa tanong na iyon kaya’t napakahalaga ng kanilang ginagawa,” he added.

President Marcos said the government should also recognize the craft of the Filipino artists, not only because the people enjoy the beauty of paintings, music, or buildings but also because “they serve as a unified influence for our country.”

The chief also recognized the hard work the artists put on their craft whatever field they may be in.

There are at least 26 awardees in this year’s “Ani ng Dangal,” which is an annual concluding rite of National Arts Month every February honoring natural-born Filipino artists or groups who have received international awards and accolades in the field of architecture, cinema, dance, dramatic arts, literary arts, music, visual arts, folk arts and broadcast arts over the past year. (PND)