• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Across the vibrant islands of the Visayas, cultural heritage and artistic expression remain as the heartbeat of communities.
To sustain and elevate these creative endeavors, the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) has officially opened its nationwide call for project proposals under the 2027 Competitive Grants Program, urging regional artists and organizations to seize an underutilized opportunity for government funding.
The initiative was highlighted during the Visayas leg of the NCCA roadshow in Bacolod City July 27, which serves as a collaborative hub—fostering open dialogue and technical preparation to help local government representatives, artists, cultural workers, researchers, academic institutions, and civic leaders from across the region tap into the program ahead of the Aug. 31 submission deadline.
The program seeks initiatives that contribute to cultural sustainability, strengthen local creative communities, and expand public engagement with the Philippine heritage.
Specialists from the NCCA Program Management Division led a hands-on technical assistance and proposal writeshop, guiding attendees through the accreditation process, available project slots, and proposal evaluation criteria.
During the Bacolod roadshow, Alphonsus Tesoro, head of the National Committee on Central Cultural Communities under the Subcommission on Cultural Communities and Traditional Arts, emphasized the broader mission behind the outreach activity.
“Today’s roadshow is more than an invitation to participate in the NCCA Competitive Grants Program,” Tesoro said. “It is part of NCCA’s continuing effort to make government support for culture more accessible, transparent, and responsive to the needs of our stakeholders across the country.”
The NCCA said that while the program provides crucial financial backing, proposals undergo rigorous evaluation based on cultural significance, technical merit, feasibility, sustainability, and alignment with national priorities.
“Through the competitive grants program, the NCCA provides financial assistance to eligible projects that contribute to the protection, preservation, promotion, development, and dissemination of Philippine arts and culture,” Tesoro added. “Thus, we encourage all qualified organizations and institutions to take advantage of this opportunity to turn meaningful cultural initiatives into impactful programs for their communities.”
Despite the available funding, only a small number of proposals got submitted from the region each year, Fatima Angela Santos, project development officer of NCCA Arts Sector, said.
And among those submissions, not all managed to secure approval due to incomplete documentation, non-compliance with technical requirements, lack of accreditation from the NCCA, or having an existing project with the NCCA.
“Also, because the nature of the grants is competitive—for example, if there are only two slots in a category and three applicants submit—someone really won’t get approved,” she said.
The 2027 grants program has 98 categories and total budget of P120,750,000.
Created under Republic Act 7356, and implemented through the National Endowment Fund for Culture and the Arts, the program serves as a primary vehicle for supporting projects in heritage conservation, artistic development, cultural education, and community participation.
For the 2027 funding cycle, the NCCA is encouraging proposals that respond to emerging cultural challenges across its sub-commissions in arts, cultural heritage, cultural dissemination, and cultural communities and traditional arts. | TMD
