Foundation to launch website for Negros heritage, culture on day Negrenses defeated Spanish colonizers

Photo credit : Leovic Arceta

BACOLOD CITY — A website that hopes to become a global messaging platform to promote Negrense heritage and culture would be launched on Nov. 5.

The Negros Season of Culture (NSC) is a project of the Angelica Berrie Foundation that is on Facebook and Instagram.

“We are living in an extraordinary time, in the midst of a global pandemic, in a moment of radical disruption,” said Baba Torre, foundation president.

“Our messaging is focused on the future. We want to inspire hope and tap into the creative spirit that has always been part of who we are as Negrenses,”  Torre said.

The website will have five editorial categories—heritage homes, handicrafts, food, cultural experience and people.

“We conceived of threading stories of creativity into one regional narrative, creating a platform for local, national and global audiences to discover what makes Negros special,” Torre said.

She said there are many hidden gems in Negros Occidental that her group hoped to bring to life through the NSC.

The first year of the NSC will be dedicated to the late Negrense movie director Peque Gallaga whom Torre described as a “film and theater genius”.

“We will honor Peque Gallaga for inspiring so many of us to be a part of something bigger than ourselves, for teaching us to express our creativity in big, bold ways that contribute to the story of this place we call home,” Torre said.

She said investing in creative potential develops industries vital to the cultural life of a region, creating real growth and jobs.

“Creative industries will define Negros as a place worthy of attention for its unique culture, affects how the rest of the world views us, and encourages people in other countries to engage with us,” she added.

The launch, to be hosted by multi-awarded Negrense actor Joel Torre, will be streamed through Facebook Live 8 p.m. on Nov. 5, the day Negros Occidental celebrates its annual Cinco de Noviembre feast to commemorate the day Negrenses revolted against Spanish colonizers and won in 1898.

Join the Negros Season of Culture launch this Thursday by tuning in and following the Negros Season of Culture Facebook Page.