‘Sine Sandaan’: 100 years of PH cinema
By Bohol Island News Staff | 08:30 PM September 14, 2019
Theater director and film musical scorer Lutgardo “Gardy” Labad was recognized last Thursday as one of the country’s Luminaries in the field of Musical Scorer during the Centennial celebration of the Philippine Movie Industry.
A native of Baclayon, Labad is the musical scorer of Lino Brocka’s landmark film, Tinimbang Ka Ngunit Kulang and Bona; Eddie Romero’s Ganito Kami Noon… Paano Kayo Ngayon?; Celso Ad Castillo’s Julian Makabayan; Mario O Hara’s Mortal; Maryo de los Reyes’ Magnifico and Naglalayag; Lupita Aquino-Kashiwahara’s Alkitrang Dugo; and Raya Martin’s Independencia, among others.
Labad, 62, is one of the original members of PETA (Philippine Educational Theater Association) in the early70s.
The Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP) led by Chief Executive Officer and Chairman Liza Diño launched the celebration of the centennial year of Philippine cinema dubbed “Sine Sandaan: Celebrating the Luminaries of Philippine Cinema’s 100 Years.”
More than 300 honorees including Labad from the movie industry — from icons to the current crop of popular actors, from living legends to unsung heroes behind the camera — proudly walked down the red carpet with their families, fittingly dressed in formal Filipiniana, on a national milestone that is their own.
The New Frontier’s facade was transformed into an Art Deco cinema as homage to stand-alone theaters during the Golden Age of Philippine Cinema. Noted for its intricate structure and viewed as a symbol of the first rise of film as a staple of Filipino culture, Art Deco cinemas in the country were prolific in the 1930s and 1950s and an apt visual for the celebration.
Pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 622 Series of 2018, the FDCP was designated as the lead agency for the celebration of the Centennial Year of Philippine Cinema from Sept. 12, 2019 to Sept. 11, 2020.
