Tuesday, June 28, 2022
manilastandard.net
ADVERTISEMENT
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Others
    • Pets
    • Pop.Life
      • Newsmakers
      • Hangouts
      • A-Pop
      • Post Its
      • Performances
      • Malls & Bazaars
      • Hobbies & Collections
    • Technology
      • Gadgets
      • Computers
      • Business
      • Tech Plus
    • MS ON THE ROAD
      • Sedan
      • SUV
      • Truck
      • Bike
      • Accessories
      • Motoring Plus
      • Commuter’s Corner
    • Home & Design
      • Residential
      • Commercial
      • Construction
      • Interior
    • Spotlight
    • Gallery
      • Photos
      • Videos
    • Events
      • Seminars
      • Exhibits
      • Community
    • Biyahero
      • Travel Features
      • Travel Reels
      • Travel Logs
  • Advertise with Us
No Result
View All Result
manilastandard.net
No Result
View All Result
Home Lifestyle Columns

Retiring Chris Millado leaves rich legacy in artistic community 

Glaiza LeebyGlaiza Lee
June 14, 2022, 8:10 pm
in Columns, Glazing Life by Glaiza Lee, Lifestyle
Reading Time: 7 mins read
A A
507
SHARES
Share on FacebookShare on TwitterShare on Email

I first met Chris Millado when I was still a newbie lifestyle reporter working for a newspaper based in Intramuros. Back then, I would cover the arts and culture beat, which entailed writing stories about what was happening at the Cultural Center of the Philippines. 

Whenever I would interview him, I would be amazed by his energy and passion. That same energy and passion I witnessed when I started working at the CCP.

Truth be told, I often had apprehensions every time he would call me to his office. It felt like going to the principal office. Or in some cases, a thesis defense of some sort. He would clarify reports. He would ask for opinions and ideas. He would throw a curveball, challenging and picking the minds of everyone who attended the meeting. 

As an artistic director of the CCP, Chris Millado uses his experience in performing arts to preserve and develop Philippine arts and culture

Don’t get me wrong. Working under CBM (as he was fondly called in the office) was challenging and at the same time, it was fulfilling. I learned a lot working with him.   

CCP associate director Ariel Yonzon shares the same sentiment. “He can be challenging. But what is good about him is that he sees the best in people. Even if we encounter hurdles, he is always bright, and always on the positive side. Of course, it could be daunting for us who have worked with him because he wouldn’t take no for an answer and he would not stop until we find ways to make his vision come true.”

ADVERTISEMENT

 Yonzon continued: “Pag may vision siya, it has to happen. I think it comes with the territory of being a theater director. When you are a theater director, you have a vision and everyone after him has to follow to see the fruition of the  production.” 

CCP administrator Tess Rances agreed, saying that CBM has this stimulating kind of energy that affects others. “You can’t help but just say yes to his ideas. He is very progressive. He always thinks out of the box. He is very creative and has the energy to propel things. Chris is very open to collaborating with as many people as he could. He was able to open many doors.” 

Rances met CBM back in her university days at UP Diliman. She was with UP Rep, while CBM was with Dulaang UP. They would bump into each other and even did street theater together during Martial Law years.  

After graduation, they led separate lives until they met again at the CCP. They started working together in the Outreach Department, where they were assigned to expand and develop the training programs.

Chris Millado’s colleagues describe him as a creative and progressive leader

Yonzon, meanwhile, remembers working with CBM back when he was the head of the Performing Arts Department (PAD). 

“We would meet in Booking and Discounts Committee meetings. We usually had disagreements on bureaucracy and administrative stuff.

To my belief, he didn’t have the patience for the nitty and gritty of administrative processes back then. We couldn’t see eye to eye. As PAD head, he was very artistic. Being the head of Production and Exhibition Department, I focused on procedures and protocols.” 

Back then, as relayed by Yonzon, CBM didn’t understand why everything had to go through certain processes, why certain things were not possible, and why the processes were so stringent. 

“We had to explain the government procedural system. But now, he learned the ropes. He finally understood that when he became the artistic director, even value it. Later on, we found ways to improve the system,” shared Yonzon. 

If I would list down the things that CBM successfully did for the CCP, the space for this column would not be enough. He has done a lot of great things, starting with conceptualizing and producing the CCP’s biggest festivals – Pasinaya, Virgin Labfest, and Cinemalaya. 

For Pasinaya, Yonzon expounds on how CBM was able to bridge different art forms and bring artists and cultural workers together. He was able to collaborate with various art groups with different approaches and practices. 

“One of the challenges of being an artistic director is the community and network. One must have the respect of the artistic community. Otherwise, it is just a title. It is just a post and you can’t get things done. It would be valuable for the next artistic director to have that kind of respect from the Filipino artistic community.” 

Chris Millado (leftmost) with the CCP PR Team

For Rances, Cinemalaya was able to expand beyond CCP through CBM’s leadership. Seventeen years of independent filmmaking and exhibitions, and it is still growing strong. 

“The expansion we went through under his leadership in Cinemalaya. There’s also the Virgin Labfest. We were able to bring the playwrights, involving them in the theater production. Usually, it is the director who chooses and does all the work, but through the VLF, playwrights have a voice,” said Rances. 

Both Rances and Yonzon believe that CBM is a hard act to follow. 

“He brought in a heavy belt to the post. I can’t imagine anyone succeeding him.  It would be presumptuous for anyone to think he can fill up that big shoe,” said Yonzon. 

CBM has the experience. He was trained both here and abroad. He has a good foundation from UP, PETA, his stay in the USA, and some stints in Europe. He was able to bring those experiences home, and even more.

Every artistic director who helmed the CCP has their own strengths. 

“CBM brought to the table a different take from all those before him. The uniqueness of his experience, ‘yung lalim ng babad niya sa theater community at iba’t ibang genre ng performing arts,” shared Yonzon who has worked with almost all CCP artistic directors.

“When I joined CCP in 1985, paalis na si Tita King. Dr. Nick Tiongson came in, and he was very academic. Short-lived sina Diana Recto, Cora Inigo, and Ramon Santos. Diana was very diplomatic because of her background in foreign affairs. Cora has a deep inclination for folk dance, while National Artist Ramon Santos was into music.” 

“Tata Nanding was very democratic, very grassroots. Dr. Raul Sunico is into classical music. Although his background was ballet, Nestor Jardin was able to reinvent himself to embrace other art forms, and I call him cultural diplomat,” shared Yonzon. 

For Rances, CBM was someone who was needed to answer the challenges of the time. 

During Jardin’s time, it was a time when we had to strive to bring the best shows because of the Centennial celebration. CBM’s time has its own challenges, especially when the pandemic happened.

“Before the pandemic, Chris was going for digitalization. Because he is very techie. He loves to play with different gadgets. When pandemic hit, we had no choice but to go online,” shared Rances. 

When asked what she would miss about working with CBM, Rances replied that it would be having someone to converse with. 
“With lots of meetings going on, the only time we can talk about CCP was after work, or over lunch. We talked about what’s happening, the problems we are facing, and the best way to approach these challenges. That, I will miss that – to have that exchange of ideas, the respect for each other’s strengths and weaknesses. We get to discuss and give input. I think we have moved on from being colleagues to friends. I wish the next AD would be as dynamic and stimulating, and hopefully, would become a friend, too,” she said.

I’ve asked Yonzon about the incoming artistic director – the expectations, the wishlist.  

“It would be preemptive to say anything. We would like the new AD to have a blank slate. Because for all we know, he or she might bring something fresh to the table that we haven’t encountered before. Of course, in an ideal situation, we would like to have an AD who might be the culmination of all the previous AD and better. That would be asking for too much.”

He concluded: “Just stick to the mandate, take care of truth, goodness, and beauty in preservation, promotion, and development of Philippine arts and culture, sans any political colors, biases, or personal agenda.”

It is not really a goodbye. For sure, we would be seeing CBM at the CCP in whatever capacity – whether as a director for a new theater production, as an audience, or as a visiting friend. 
But for now, happy retirement, CBM! 

Tags: Chris MilladoCultural Center of the PhilippinesIntramuros
ADVERTISEMENT
Glaiza Lee

Glaiza Lee

Related Posts

Peddlers of fun

byManila Standard Lifestyle
June 27, 2022, 8:30 pm
0
131
Golden growth for Golden Haven

Celebrating World Bicycle Day The United Nations (UN) Philippines, in partnership with SM, recently celebrated World Bicycle Day with a...

Read more

Breaking barriers between people and technology

byPatricia Taculao
June 27, 2022, 8:20 pm
0
136
Golden growth for Golden Haven

Going to school in the digital age requires more than having pens, papers, and notebooks. Today, people also invest in...

Read more

SM scholar alumni pass CPA exams

byManila Standard Lifestyle
June 27, 2022, 8:10 pm
0
139
Golden growth for Golden Haven

Four SM scholar alumni are now Certified Public Accountants and are looking forward to better career opportunities.  Ma. Cecilia F....

Read more

Golden growth for Golden Haven

byManila Standard Lifestyle
June 27, 2022, 8:00 pm
0
141
Golden growth for Golden Haven

Golden Haven Memorial Parks celebrates another banner year on June 29 as it marks its sixth anniversary as a publicly...

Read more

Unraveling this Tourism Body

byBob Zozobrado
June 26, 2022, 8:00 pm
0
230
MRP Foundation donates P3M to Operation Smile Philippines’ health program

Not too many people in the tourism industry know about the Tourism Industry Board Foundation Inc., now popularly known as...

Read more

Travel to key destinations by shopping

byPatricia Taculao
June 26, 2022, 7:50 pm
0
171
MRP Foundation donates P3M to Operation Smile Philippines’ health program

Shopaholics, rejoice! Finally, buyer’s remorse will become a thing of the past since shopping can take them to exciting places. ...

Read more

Stories you may like

  • Ex-Naga dad links Leni’s brother-in-law to illegal drugs

    Ex-Naga dad links Leni’s brother-in-law to illegal drugs

    36757 shares
    Share 14703 Tweet 9189
  • Of course, it was BBM’s project

    30881 shares
    Share 12352 Tweet 7720
  • INC endorses BBM, Sara

    28808 shares
    Share 11523 Tweet 7202
  • Duterte’s seven biggest achievements

    21978 shares
    Share 8791 Tweet 5495
  • Marcos leads SWS survey on presidentiables at 50%

    13583 shares
    Share 5433 Tweet 3396

Print Edition

View More

Recent Posts

  • 22 tagged in agri smuggling
  • Oil prices move closer to P100/l with new hikes
  • VP’s husband Emhoff leading US delegation to inauguration
  • COVID tally, serious cases going up
  • House planning 100% face-to-face SONA for Marcos, first in two years
  • Ople wants OFWs deployed quicker; Hospital workers too despite shortage
  • Duterte leaving as ‘most popular’ leader—survey
  • Fear, defiance for kin of drug war dead

Advertisement

Latest News

Ople wants OFWs deployed quicker; Hospital workers too despite shortage

byVito Barcelo
June 28, 2022, 12:50 am
0
138
Ople still undecided on DMW post

Incoming Department of Migrant Workers Secretary Susan Ople wants to hasten the processing of the deployment of overseas Filipino workers,...

Read more

Duterte leaving as ‘most popular’ leader—survey

byManila Standard
June 28, 2022, 12:40 am
0
136
Rody: I did my best to serve you, but sorry if you find that lacking

Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte will step down from office as “the most popular president of the post-Edsa 1 era,” according...

Read more

Fear, defiance for kin of drug war dead

byCecil Morella
June 28, 2022, 12:30 am
0
136
Vax wastage, infection surge feared in Odette-hit areas

Six years after four policemen burst into her Manila slum shack and shot dead her husband and teenage son, Mary...

Read more

Enrile has COVID, will skip Marcos inaugural rites

byManila Standard
June 28, 2022, 12:20 am
0
138
El Shaddai adviser insists: Velarde’s endorsement of BBM-Sara ‘personal’

Incoming presidential legal counsel Juan Ponce Enrile has tested positive for COVID-19 and will skip the inauguration of President-elect Ferdinand...

Read more

Good going to CHED commissioner

byManila Standard
June 28, 2022, 12:15 am
0
137
Good going to CHED commissioner

More than a week back, Commission on Higher Education Commissioner Dr. Ronald Adamat formally received the Mahatma MK Gandhi Peace...

Read more

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT
Facebook Twitter Instagram Youtube

ABOUT US

Manila Standard

Manila Standard website (manilastandard.net), launched in August 2002, extends the newspaper’s reach beyond its traditional readers and makes its brand of Philippine news and opinion available to a much wider and geographically diverse readership here and overseas.

Digital Edition

In tone and content, the online edition mirrors the editorial thrust of the newspaper. While hewing to the traditional precepts of fairness and objectivity, MS believes the news of the day need not be staid, overly long or dry. Stories are succinct, readable and written in a lively style that has become a hallmark of the newspaper.

Download – Today’s Paper

Search

No Result
View All Result

6th Floor Universal Re Bldg., 106 Paseo De Roxas cor. Perea Street, Legaspi Village, 1226 Makati City Philippines

Trunklines: 832-5554, 832-5556, 832-5558

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

No Result
View All Result
  • About
  • News
    • Top Stories
    • National
    • World News
    • Pinoy Abroad
    • Features
  • Opinion
    • Editorial
    • Columns
    • Soundbytes
  • LGUs
    • NCR
    • Luzon
    • Visayas
    • Mindanao
  • Business
    • Corporate
    • Economy & Trade
    • Stocks
    • Money
    • Agri & Mining
    • Power & Tech
    • IT & Telecom
  • Sports
    • Basketball
    • Volleyball
    • Fightsports
    • Active
    • Sports Plus
    • One Championship
    • Columns
  • Entertainment
    • TV & Movies
    • Celebrity Profiles
    • Music & Concerts
    • Digital Media
    • Columns
  • Lifestyle
    • Food
    • Culture & Media
    • Fashion
    • Health and Home
    • Leisure
    • Shopping
    • Columns
  • Pop.Life
    • Newsmakers
    • Hangouts
    • A-Pop
    • Post Its
    • Performances
    • Malls & Bazaars
    • Hobbies & Collections
  • Technology
    • Gadgets
    • Computers
    • Business
    • Tech Plus
  • MS ON THE ROAD
    • Sedan
    • SUV
    • Truck
    • Bike
    • Accessories
    • Motoring Plus
    • Commuter’s Corner
  • Home & Design
    • Residential
    • Commercial
    • Construction
    • Interior
  • Spotlight
  • Gallery
    • Photos
    • Videos
  • Events
    • Seminars
    • Exhibits
    • Community
  • Biyahero
    • Travel Features
    • Travel Reels
    • Travel Logs
  • Pets
  • Advertise with Us

© 2021 Manila Standard - Designed and Developed by Neitiviti Studios.

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In

Install Manila Standard Web App

Install App