THEME FOR 24th LUNA AWARDS: PRIDE

The country’s cinema, like the heritage sites which were declared as such by UNESCO, is a source of pride for us Filipinos. This is the theme of this year’s 24th Luna Awards of the Film Academy of the Philippines.

FAP Director General Leo G. Martinez said that viewers of the forthcoming Luna Awards—which will be held on September 16 at the Pagcor Grand Theater, Casino Pilipino, Parañaque City—will see a juxtaposition of the pride of today’s Philippine cinema together with video coverages of the eight UNESCO-declared heritage sites in the country.

The heritages sites include the rice terraces of Ifugao, Mt. Province, the entire town of Vigan in Ilocos Sur, the Tubbataha reef marine park and the St. Paul subterranean underwater cave, both in Palawan, as well as four centruries-old baroque churches in Intramuros, Iloilo, Ilocos and Bulacan.

Martinez explained that the producers of this year’s awards night—Eight Elephants Production of Harlene Bautista and Romnick Sarmenta—will present video segments on the heritage sites with hosts Romnick Sarmenta and Precious Lara Quigaman as per the FAP board of governors’ decision to focus attention on the sites during this year’s awards program.

The awards night will be telecast on a delayed basis over RPN Channel 9 from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. A thirty-minute red carpet coverage will start the show.

According to Ms. Harlene Bautista, the official attire for the awards is traditional Filipiniana (turn of the century) for both men and women.

She reported that three sets of hosts will act as emcees for the whole awards program. They will be Judy Ann Santos and Ryann Agoncillo, Jolina Magdangal and Marvin Agustin, and Quezon City Vice-Mayor Herbert Bautista and Eula Valdez.

Musical numbers will be provided by three sets of performers. The first set is comprised of Joey Ayala, Bayang Barrios, Gino Padilla and Rani Raymundo. The second set will have Edru Abraham with the Contra Gapi, Ara Mina and Rochelle Panganiban. The third set will feature Jolina Magdangal, Christian Bautista, Acapellas and Kyries.