137
{ }
of the fishermen who now run the tours used to practice
dynamite fishing. But while this dramatic turn has been
beneficial, Coke warns that community leaders should step in
and gear up for sustainability.
Heart for art
Local child musician Julian Duque, the new toast of
Philippine violin scene, was discovered here. Back in 2008
Coke recalls how eight-year-old Julian breezed through five
years of lessons in just four months, impressing all of his
mentors, including a representative from Juilliard.
“
He is truly a golden boy. Every thing he touches just
works,” Coke says. Julian starred in
Boses
,
an independent
film that CASA San Miguel co-produced for Cinemalaya
2009,
as a mute child battered by his drunkard father. He
eventually won two awards for his performance — one at
the 6th Golden Screen Awards and another at the 25th
Philippine Movie Press Club Star Awards.
Awards are nothing new to the alumni here, but they still
don’t carry as much weight as the inclination to spread the
love around, especially to those with little means to go after
their dreams or hone their talent.
To date, CASA has reached out to around 3,500 scholars.
“
CASA San Miguel’s doors will always be open to anyone
with heart,” Coke says. “And it just happens that our self-
expression of choice here is art.”
Cebu Pacific flies to Clark from Cebu, Singapore, Bangkok,
Hong Kong and Macau.
Never too
young to
start on art
Clockwise from
right: A scholar
works the bow; one
of the music studios,
offers a quirky
nod to cinema; a
tabletop sculpture of
a violinist
PHOTOS
WALTER C. VILLA
S O U N D O F M U S I C
