The Project

Sulyap: A Celebration of Filipino Language was a multidisciplinary cultural showcase bringing together poetry, music, visual art, and performance to explore the richness of Filipino linguistic and cultural traditions.
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Presented in collaboration with the Emirates Literature Foundation, TRIBE, and the Theatre of Digital Art (TODA) during Buwan ng Wika, the Philippines’ national celebration of language, the programme invited audiences to experience how language shapes identity and memory.

Sulyap, meaning “glimpse” in Filipino, was conceived to offer audiences in Dubai a glimpse into the Philippines’ rich linguistic and cultural diversity.

As creative director and co-curator, I shaped the programme and visual storytelling as a journey through the country’s many voices, bringing together artists and performers in an immersive contemporary setting.

The programme was designed as a journey through the story of language in the Philippines. With more than 170 languages spoken across the country, the show offered a glimpse into this linguistic diversity through performances representing Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

Music, dance, spoken word, martial arts, and visual art were woven together to create an immersive experience, illustrating how language and culture evolve across regions and generations.

Experience Design

Immersive Environment

The immersive visual environment was made possible through the projection space of the Theatre of Digital Art.

Visual Art

Visual artists Gino Banola and Mej Valencia contributed digital backdrops and Baybayin calligraphy artworks that formed part of the visual narrative of the show.

Performance & Narrative​

The evening’s narrative was guided by writer and performance artist Trixie Danielle, who connected the different performances into a cohesive journey through Filipino language and culture.

The evening concluded with Lupang Hinirang, the Philippine national anthem, whose lyrics originated from the poem Filipinas by revolutionary soldier José Palma, bringing the programme full circle to its theme of language and literature.

CREDITS

Co-Curators
Bethoven Filomeno  |  Krishna Dela Paz   |  Marian Suarez Carella  |  Namal Siddiqui  |  Teogenes Alexius

Visual Artists
Gino Banola  |  Mej Valencia
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Storyteller & Narrator
Trixie Danielle

Performers
Dubai Vocal Ensemble (Choir)
United Filipino Culture & Arts (Dance)
Gino Banola | Louie Rempillo (Arnis)
Phat G (Spoken Word / Rap)
Pamela Sapitan (Spoken Word)
Angelo Aguilor (Spoken Word)

Fashion Collaborators
El Ànge Haute Couture  |  Calivo Couture  |  TERNO by TCG  |  Kihon Dubai  |  CAMI

Stage Direction
Briliant Juan

Photography & Videography
John Gabriel Navarro  |  Fred Aguirre  |  Angelo Aguilor

Stage Management
Michelle Letada  |  Frency Beup  |  Joan Eunice Lim
Vincel Del Carmen  |  Jovert Navarro

Hair & Makeup
Mau Piodena
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Logistics Partners
BHUB, BurJuman  |  MPQ Travel & Tourism

Sulyap created a space where Filipino language and storytelling could be experienced by diverse audiences in Dubai, bringing community narratives into a broader cultural conversation.
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The success of the first edition led to Sulyap 2.0, co-created with 63Kolektib, further expanding the platform for Filipino artists, writers, and performers to present their work in an interdisciplinary setting.