Dayaw 2026, Museums and Galleries Month Ensures Everyone is Included
This October, festivities for both the National Indigenous Peoples month and Museums and Galleries month are accessible for everyone.
Words Jin Hernandez
Photo courtesy of National Commission for Culture and the Arts
October 13, 2026
(L to R) Jeremy Madroñal, Sonia P. Soto, Elinia Sangalang, Arwin Paul Lingat, Maria Teresa B. Rayos del Sol, and Bernan Joseph R. Corpuz
In a recent press conference held by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), month-long festivities have been announced as the country celebrates the National Indigenous Peoples month and Museums and Galleries month (MGM).
From events in the metro to a digital gallery, the observances have become accessible for everybody, ensuring that everyone will have a piece of heritage that they will eventually pass down to the generations to come.
In NCCA Deputy Executive Director for Operations, Bernan Corpuz’s words: “What remains meaningful today has a better chance of remaining meaningful tomorrow.”
Dayaw 2026 puts the spotlight to Indigenous Communities
This year, Dayaw’s theme “Pagkamalikhain ng Katutubong Filipino: Pinagtibay ng mga Pagsubok, Umaalab ang Bagong Pag-Asa,” highlights how the community chooses to preserve their art no matter how many hardships come their way.
“It highlights how their artistic traditions, cultural practices, and indigenous knowledge become a source of strength that preserves identity and inspires hope for the nation,” stated Arwin Paul Lingat, Vice-Head of the National Committee on Northern Cultural Communities.
To celebrate, the four-day festivities will commence on October 13 up to October 16, 2026 at the Foro De Intramuros in Manila, which will host 200 indigenous people across 41 different clusters of indigenous communities.
Together with the Gawad sa Manlilikha ng Bayan (GAMABA) awardees, indigenous people would showcase their exemplary cultural expressions through music, dance, cuisines, and other performances that honors diverse culture.
Accessible Museums and Galleries
The theme for this year’s MGM, “Bridging Divides: Preserving the Present for Tomorrow,” exhibits museums and galleries as a place where everyone is welcome to experience fragments of history firsthand.
As Maria Teresa Rayos Del Sol, Head of the National Committee on Art Galleries, best puts it, “We believe that museums and galleries were never meant to be locked behind glass. We are actually breaking the glass as MGM seeks to make cultural spaces more accessible, and relevant through open exhibits designed for people rather than just critics.”
To start the month-long celebration, there will be a Kick-Off Ceremony that will be held at the House of Representatives on October 6 with an exhibit titled “Unified Spectrums.”
Other regional art fairs will also be observed in the different parts of the country. The San Pablo Art Circuit (SAPAC) which will be held in Laguna last October 3, Tam-awan International Arts Festival on October 9 to 12 at the Tam-Awan Village in Baguio City, Alab ng Sining at Angkla Gallery in Angono Rizal this October 10, ManilART 2026 at the SMX Aura Convention Center from October 14 to 18, and it spans up to the south, the Mindanao Art Fair which will be held in Davao City.
The NCCA Gallery will also have two exhibit openings on October 8, and a culminating program for MGM will be held at the Cavite Provincial Capitol on October 22 during the Cavite Art Fair.
To those whose schedules and conditions prohibit them to go in person to experience the festivities, digital and hybrid initiatives provide opportunities for audiences to experience virtual exhibitions, interactive experiences, and other digital platforms for them to learn more about the Filipino heritage no matter where they may be.
For more details about the upcoming festivities during the month, visit National Commission for Culture and the Arts on Facebook and (@nccaofficial) on Instagram
