Benguet State University successfully hosted the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) comprehensive rondalla trainers’ training. The activity is part of the NCCA’s project titled, “𝘋𝘐𝘞𝘈𝘕𝘎: 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘙𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘢, 𝘔𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘬𝘢 𝘯𝘨 𝘗𝘢𝘨𝘬𝘢𝘬𝘢𝘪𝘴𝘢 (Celebrating 20 Years of String of Unity, the International Rondalla Festival.” The event was held on May 19-25, 2025, at the College of Teacher Education Dominador S. Garin Hall.

The training was attended by rondalla trainers around the Philippines, along with the members of the BSU Rondalla headed by Alma Vida G. Gallardo. In the opening program, BSU President Kenneth A. Laruan welcomed the participants and noted that this month is National Heritage Month. He emphasized that heritage is not only physical but also includes music. He mentioned that it is proper to train more faculty members and students to engage in rondalla, as it serves as a better recreational and developmental activity than spending time on social media.

Following Laruan’s message, a brief overview of the “Strings of Unity” was presented, detailing the history of rondalla and how it thrived over the years.

In his message, National Artist Ramon P. Santos stated that this year marks the 21st anniversary of the International Rondalla Festival. He highlighted that the activities have reached the community, and the skills of the players have improved, meeting the demands of the new pieces that have been composed and arranged.

Santos added that the Filipino rondalla has developed its own identity to becoming a musical force. It not only plays folk music and accompanies folk dances but also serves as a medium for artistic expression.
“The richness of the Filipino musical patrimony that has been cultivated through the years and throughout the process of nation-building, the rondalla stands out as a unique intangible heritage that socially represents the Filipino cultural identity in the global artistic arena,” he said.

He further noted that the rondalla continues to grow as a formidable music and encouraged the continuation of honing talents to meet the demands of the time. “There is a need to continue to match the ever-growing challenges of the different repertoires that have recently emerged. It is not only the technical aspects that we need to learn but also the different forms, theories, and meanings of the music themselves and how we can translate this understanding into practical manner,” said Santos.

He added that this event aims to provide opportunities to refine performance techniques and learn how to study, understand, interpret, and teach music. He commended all participants and hoped that they would gain new knowledge and skills not only in rondalla but also in creating music.

The discussion and learning session followed, featuring Nelson Espejo, Reinnard Christian Merano, and Fides Topico as the resource speakers. The learning session was divided into two modules, which were discussed for a week.

Among the topics discussed were the history of rondalla, positions and postures, common strokes and open strings, note introduction, and strings lessons. The discussion includes practices where participants were given the time to practice the notes and play various pieces. The BSU Rondalla also served as the laboratory class throughout the training.

The seventh day of the activity focused on the wrapping up of the activity. The participants were also given the time to ask questions and clarifications to the speakers. BSU was also recognized for hosting the event.//BTayaban
📸LGuzman