National Music Competitions for Young Artists Act

July 30, 2022

REPUBLIC ACT NO. 11915

AN ACT DESIGNATING THE NATIONAL MUSIC COMPETITIONS FOR YOUNG ARTISTS PROGRAM (NAMCYA) AS THE NATIONAL YOUTH DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM FOR MUSIC, AND APPROPRIATING FUNDS THEREFOR

SECTION 1. Short Title. — This Act shall be known as the "National Music Competitions for Young Artists Act."

SECTION 2. Declaration of Policy. — It is hereby declared the policy of the State to appropriately recognize, designate and support nongovernment organizations that have demonstrated pioneering, consistent and unassailable competence, effectiveness, and success in discovering and developing young musical artists and talents, and the preservation, development, and promotion of Philippine music and culture.

SECTION 3. Designation as the Philippine National Youth Development Program in Music. — The National Music Competitions for Young Artists Program (NAMCYA) is hereby designated as the Philippine National Youth Development Program for Music to further promote high standards of excellence through its various music competitions and festivals. The Program shall, among others, include as its component the celebration of the National Music Week for Young Artists pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1173, series of 1973.

Being the Philippine National Youth Development Program in Music, the NAMCYA shall have the following objectives:

(a) Discover outstanding musical talents through nationwide competitions and festivals designed for young Filipino musicians in all forms, styles and musical traditions in the country;

(b) Assist in the cultivation, development and advancement of outstanding young Filipino musicians through scholarships, trainings, performances, and other forms of incentives;

(c) Preserve, develop and promote Philippine music as an art and as an important component of cultural and social development;

(d) Establish a training program for music leaders, experts and teachers in order to maintain and cultivate the highest standard of musical training for the youth;

(e) Strengthen the multi-cultural fiber of the country by nurturing and developing gifted young musicians and musical ensembles from Philippine cultural communities, and preserve and disseminate their musical expressions and traditions;

(f) Encourage and support the creation and performance of works by young Filipino composers and making possible their publication and dissemination;

(g) Recognize artistic achievement through awards, grants and services;

(h) Undertake a continuing program of research, documentation, and publication of Philippine music for dissemination to schools and the general public;

(i) Receive and accept donations and other conveyances from government agencies, private entities, and other sources, including funds, materials, and services, by gratuitous title, in accordance with existing budgeting and accounting rules and regulations;

(j) Strengthen the character of the youth by developing and promoting a range of positive youth development skills that foster self-awareness, self-expression, discipline and values like love of family and country through music;

(k) Raise the standards of hiring personnel by engaging the services of qualified classical and traditional Filipino musicians, with at least a bachelor's degree in Music Education, and known for their competence and proficiency in music, or in the use of musical instruments;

(l) Allocate funds in the technical production for the performing arts and the promotion of original Filipino music in various genres and style;

(m) Promote a vibrant music industry for the young workers and entrepreneurs that can fuel artistic growth, job creation, business investment, tourism and economic growth;

(n) Subsidize continuous research, innovation, market information, and assimilation of various forms, styles, genres, and music development representing the musical diversity of all the regions of the Philippines through webinars, conferences, and festivals;

(o) Maintain a database of Filipino youth participating in various NAMCYA-organized activities: Provided, That the database as well as NAMCYA's annual targets and programs shall be shared to the National Youth Commission or other relevant government agencies; and

(p) Invest in digital information systems in order to enhance the production and performance of creative works directed towards cultural development.

SECTION 4. NAMCYA Special Committee. — In order to carry out the objectives and enforce the entitlements under this Act, a Special Committee is hereby formed and composed of the following members:

(a) Chairperson of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) as Chairperson;

(b) Secretary of the Department of Education (DepEd);

(c) Secretary of the Department of Tourism (DOT);

(d) Secretary of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG);

(e) Secretary of the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT);

(f) Director-General of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA);

(g) President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP);

(h) Chairperson and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Youth Commission (NYC); and

(i) President of the NAMCYA Foundation.

The NAMCYA Foundation, represented by its President, shall monitor and supervise the daily operations, and serve as the Secretariat in the planning and implementation of activities of NAMCYA.

SECTION 5. Entitlements. — The NAMCYA shall be entitled to avail the assistance, benefits and privileges from the following government agencies:

(a) The CCP shall provide free use of venue and facilities for NAMCYA competitions, festivals, productions, and performances, and office space for the Special Committee secretariat: Provided, That a reasonable amount for utilities, and other direct costs may be charged;

(b) The NCCA shall give preference to project proposals under NAMCYA and provide continuous financial and technical support for its competitions, festivals, scholarship assistance, and research activities: Provided, That NAMCYA project proposals shall be subject to proper evaluation pursuant to requirements of the NCCA grants system and subject to availability of funds and existing government auditing rules and regulations;

(c) The DepEd and the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) shall assist in the identification, selection, and training of participants from the different regions of the country. The DepEd, CHED, and state universities and colleges shall also provide free use of respective venues and facilities for local competitions and festivals under NAMCYA;

(d) The DILG and local government units (LGUs) are hereby authorized to utilize their respective funds, including Local School Board (LSB) funds, in the selection and training of participants and in the conduct of local competitions and festivals. LGUs shall also provide free use of venues and facilities for NAMCYA activities and assistance in the conduct of research projects;

(e) The NYC shall promote and encourage the active participation of the youth in all local music competitions and festivals under NAMCYA;

(f) The DOT shall advance and promote cultural tourism by encouraging local and foreign tourists to participate in performing arts and cultural tours, traveling to festivals, and other cultural activities;

(g) The DICT shall assist the NAMCYA Special Committee to connect, through digital platforms, with the LGUs and educational institutions to enable the conduct of online musical training, competitions, and festivals;

(h) The PIA shall assist the NAMCYA Special Committee in disseminating information nationwide about its activities, projects, and services to the young Filipino musical artists and talents; and

(i) Government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs) are hereby authorized to give donations and grants to the NAMCYA subject to their rules and regulations.

SECTION 6. Memorandum of Agreement. — Within thirty (30) days upon the effectivity of this Act, the NAMCYA Special Committee shall execute the necessary arrangements with the CCP, NCCA, DepEd, CHED, DILG, NYC, DOT, DICT, PIA and other concerned agencies in accordance with existing laws, rules and regulations.

SECTION 7. Appropriations. — The amount necessary for the implementation of this Act shall be charged against the current year's budget of the NCCA (Proper). Thereafter, such amount as may be necessary for its continued implementation shall be included in the annual General Appropriations Act, subject to existing budgeting, accounting and auditing rules and regulations.

SECTION 8. Implementing Rules and Regulations. — Within sixty (60) days after the effectivity of this Act, the NCCA shall, in consultation and coordination with NAMCYA, the CCP, and other concerned government agencies, formulate the rules and regulations to implement the provisions of this Act: Provided, That the failure to promulgate the rules and regulations shall not prevent the implementation of this Act upon its effectivity.

SECTION 9. Separability Clause. — If any provision or part hereof is held invalid or unconstitutional, the remainder of the law or the provision or part not otherwise affected shall remain valid and subsisting.

SECTION 10. Repealing Clause. — All laws, presidential decrees or issuances, executive orders, letters of instruction, administrative orders, rules, or regulations contrary to or inconsistent with the provisions of this Act are hereby repealed, modified, or amended accordingly.

SECTION 11. Effectivity. — This Act shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in the Official Gazette or in a newspaper of general circulation.

Approved:

Lapsed into law on July 30, 2022 without the signature of the President, in accordance with Article VI, Section 27 (1) of the Constitution.

Published in the Official Gazette, Vol. 118, No. 32, p. 9044 on August 8, 2022.