Arts education in the nation’s public schools is facing challenges despite strong public support and growing evidence of its wide-ranging benefits.
Arts partnerships have a long history of providing educational resources for schools, such as access to performances, student field trips to museums, student workshops, professional development for teachers, and artist-in-residence programs that place artists in schools for extended periods. Arts partnerships have been broadly defined as one of two types. In a simple-transaction partnership, arts organizations are providers of arts programming and schools are consumers. The school does not participate meaningfully in the design of the program, and the arts organization does little or no needs assessment for the school. This type of partnership is associated with one-time arts programs that provide students and teachers with merely exposure to the arts. In a joint-venture partnership, school staff and the arts organization work together to define educational goals and needs and collaboratively develop a program. Such collaboration is more likely to result in arts programs of greater educational value.
Partnership Goals
Schools and arts organizations shared a common goal of developing students, although both tended to express this goal in terms of exposing students to the arts rather than developing their knowledge of or skills in the arts. Schools and arts organizations also had some notably different goals for their partnerships. Schools emphasized providing professional development for teachers, a goal rarely mentioned by arts organizations. Promoting public awareness and appreciation of the arts was the goal most often mentioned by arts organizations; promoting their organizations was another frequently mentioned goal.
Partnership Interactions
Partnerships were usually simple transactions rather than joint ventures. The arts organizations developed programs without input from schools and offered them for a fee or sometimes for free. Schools selected from such programs, often using nothing more than promotional brochures. Communication between school staff and arts organizations tended to occur only after program selection and primarily to resolve logistical issues such as scheduling or transportation. Neither the arts organizations nor the schools conducted a needs assessment to inform program development, and programs were rarely linked or integrated with school curriculum. Although arts teachers can be liaison-facilitators between arts organizations and schools, arts organizations rarely consulted them and they did not advise schools on program selections.
Challenges and Facilitators of Partnerships.
Both schools and arts organizations indicated that insufficient funding and limited time for instruction and communication between teachers and organizations hindered even simple partnerships. Both cited challenges reflecting a lack of information and understanding about the others’ organizational needs and limitations. Grade-appropriate arts programs integrated with the school curriculum were the facilitator most commonly cited by schools. Arts organization directors did not cite this as a facilitator and indicated they rarely offer programs linked to school curriculum. Rather, they listed personal relationships with school staff and teacher commitment and enthusiasm as critical facilitators. School staff did not seem to be as interested in building relationships as they were in accessing individuals and information that would help them select and schedule programs.
FINDING A BETTER WAY
Given the pervasiveness of simple-transaction relationships, and the difficulties of developing more-complex interactions, schools and arts organizations should work to improve the educational value of simple transactions, even though more-sophisticated partnerships may have greater potential for educational impact.
Establish partnerships that address the goals of both schools and arts organizations.
Although the needs of students and schools have been emphasized as being central to the goals of arts education, the needs of arts organizations are of equal importance to a partnership’s growth and sustainability. The potential of arts education partnerships to establish the arts as a core subject will not be realized unless schools and organizations understand how their goals interconnect.
Focus on teachers.
Given their limited resources, schools and arts organizations should focus available resources on developing teachers. Teacher support is critical to the success of arts partnerships. Investing in teachers can also help disseminate program benefits widely to students, other teachers, members of the community, and potentially to other schools when teachers change jobs.
Use program selection to improve available programming.
As the consumers in a simple-transaction partnership, schools can shape available programming to better meet their needs through their choice of programs.
Provide comprehensive and user-friendly information.
Arts organizations require comprehensive information about schools’ needs, organizational structures and goals, curricula, and available funding in order to design educational programs. Schools require accessible and relevant information on arts organizations to select programs providing the best fit with school needs.
Enhance the “brokering” role of Liaison-Facilitators as arts advisors.
Both schools and arts organizations tend to be highly diverse and decentralized. The Liaison-Facilitators who act as promoters, as "friends of artists", who act as advisors to schools, have the potential to provide much-needed guidance to schools that are looking for ways to evaluate arts programs and to arts organizations that are working to develop programming that addresses schools’ needs.
IMPLICATIONS ON SCHOOL POLICY
The most significant implication we put forward in this article is that schools must assume responsibility for creating a coherent, standards-based arts curriculum and become better-informed consumers of arts programs. Even within the context of a well-designed and ambitious program, development of complex partnerships may be impractical and inefficient. Finding ways to make simple-transaction partnerships work more effectively may ultimately enable many schools and arts organizations struggling with limited resources to make a lasting impact on school reform.
We still celebrate the figurative works of great Filipino artists who inspired our senses for patriotism. The great Filipino artists still lives in our heart. Artistic paintings created by Filipinos began in the 17th century during Spanish colonial times and continued until the present, with such revered artists as Luna and 
Amorsolo. Other popular artists include Hugo C. Yunzon reflecting an earthy style that touches on indigenous Malay culture in pieces such as Early Risers, Nestor Leynes with Mag-ina Sa Banig, and Tam Austria with Mag-Anak.
Arts in our country has transformed the Philippine artscape. In the nearly 30 years, the arts in the Philippines have exploded. Our writers, dancers, musicians, actors, visual artists, photographers, animators, video and filmmakers have provided our country with wondrous creations, with an inspiring view of The Philippines.
In addition to what they contribute to society as a whole, the arts continues to enrich our lives. They inspire the Filipino youth and promote learning. They bring our communities and cities to life. They bring us together. They are part of us all. The current breed of Filipino artists nourishes our imaginations and our dreams.
As I have surveyed in cyberspace, and even here at Multiply, there more arts organization today. These organizations have sprouted to tap the rich potential of creative talent and to satisfy the desire of Filipino artists for their own art and their own stories. The rise of these organizations is a bold and visionary statement about the future --- a declaration of independence and an expression of confidence in the future of a rising cultural revolution in our country.
As social purpose organization, it is our un-shakeable belief that our Filipino artists are the soul this nation! They propagate culture and remind us of our cultural identity. They are our sole hope for protecting and changing our culture --- as they continue shape our cultural landscapes and hold the symbols of national identity.
We all know that culture can strengthen social cohesion, increase personal confidence, improve life skills, improve people’s mental and physical well-being and strengthen people’s ability to act as democratic citizens. Artists creates the spark to all of these and burn it within our souls.
The ultimate creative activity is the uplifting of the human spirit. It is our responsibility to bring art back into the hands of the people and to do so in an accessible manner.
The current differentiation between art, architecture, craft, and design is false, it is a false schism promoted by the art world. This unnatural taxonomy has crippled the artists and turned those who participate or attempt to participate into victims of fashion. There is no essential difference between the artist and the crafts-person. The artist is an exalted crafts-person. The conscious cooperation and collaboration of artists and craftspeople must be re-introduced to rise above the current constriction and strangulation extant in the art world.
This artistic differentiation and intolerance, based on prejudice and fear of commerce, must stop. We must take matters back into our own hands and return to the idealism of our youth. Art schools filled us with impossible dreams and gave us no concrete way of supporting ourselves except through teaching, working at odd or related jobs Or that most coveted and jealously desired 
possibility, hitting it big. It is time to take back the power inherent in our decision to become artists and to work at a grass roots level to create objects for use and contemplation that uplift the spirit. Participate in craft fairs. Great art at the right prices, if possible, at an achievable price for even the common mass citizen . Explore unexpected venues. Embrace commerce. The most important artists throughout history were adroit business people.
When Albert Einstein discovered the theory of relativity, he wanted to explain it so that a school child could understand it. Let our work become that clear. Our ideas can be
challenged and clarified by a direct experience with the public.
We believe in the superiority and excellence of our Filipino Artists. They make useful, beautiful, interesting, and or challenging objects. They have the talent and intelligence to educate an inquisitive public in a very unique way.
To our artists: make a living doing what you love to do. Be irreverent. Get up. Get going. There is a revolution going on in science, math, economics, sociology and psychology that is recognizing the parallel experiences of all the disciplines. Invite the public --- not just the rich or the middle class, but the ordinary "Juan". Stir their inspiration. Stir their souls.
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Remember the movie "Field of Dreams" with famous whispering voice in the wind that said, "If You Build It, They Will Come!." I am not a baseball ball fanatic and don't recognize much of the characters there, but I like the motivational drift that the movie conveys. It's all about building a dream, something worthwhile that you have been deeply yearning for that you always wanted to achieve. And it well be what God has purposed you to achieve in your lifetime.
When I was an executive in an advertising agency that handled the Milo advertising account in the the 80's, we sparked a blue ocean of possibilities in youth sport development. 
We triggered Nestle Philippines to take some of its advertising budgets into supporting grassroots school for sports now known as the MILO Summer Sports Clinics. In my time during the 1970's we barely had clinics or workshops to attend to during summer. It was really boring and the only workshop available was the "devil's workshop". When we finished college, that frustration moved us to spark sports educators (P.E. teachers) to pursue a dream, to build mini-schools for a variety of sports activities outside of school. Our mantra was: Conceive. Believe. Achieve. We evangelized the dream and sold the idea like it was a franchise business. We built it, and they came. And it was never the same again. Only a few know how it all began, and to many it just seemed like an advertising campaign. But however way people perceive it to be, the one main thing is that children today enjoy many worthwhile activities every summer. And today, everybody seem to be doing the same thing. We didn't mind if new faces now run the the various clinics, and didn't remember how it all started. The important thing was it was running. We enjoyed the thought of knowing that it is possible.
We experimented with our mantra over and over again, beyond sports --- with the Bear Brand Kite Festivals that went nationwide, with the grassroots cultural activities like theater and music events, with livelihood programs 
among tricycle and jeepney drivers cooperatives --- and even with the 100th Independence Day in 1998 (that was a big historical thing). With the right dream, with the right goals, everything was possible! These 'experiments' has even brought us to even think that a peaceful cultural revolution is possible, and it could transform people and places.
But what made it possible? It was the unselfish sharing of the dream. The kind of dream that sparked hope among citizens who have been longing for change. It was by freely sharing the dream, at the same time creating advocates who could to create an ecosystem of transformation. People simply needed a springboard. Once they owned the dream... they will build it.
I cited in one of the post-message here in this cyber-site, that any dream worth living is worth sharing with others. The person who shares his dreams gets to watch it grow. The synergy of shared ideas often takes it to a whole new level. The dream becomes greater than the person launching it ever imagined it could be. And those who participate in it often adopt it as their own dream.
I believe that each of us has a dream placed in the heart. I'm not talking about wanting to win a lottery --- that kind of idea comes from a desire to escape our present circumstance, not to pursue a heartfelt dream. I'm talking about a vision deep inside that speaks to the very soul. It's the thing we were born to do. The one thing that draws on our talents and gifts. The one that appeals to our highest ideals. It sparks our feelings of destiny. It is inseparably linked to our purpose in life. The kind of dream starts us on the success journey.
A dream does many things for people:
- A dream gives us direction.
- A dream increases our potential.
- A dream helps us prioritize.
- A dream adds value to our work.
- A dream predicts our future.
Everybody has a dream. Everybody tries to move in closer to achieving that dream day by day. The great thing in this world is not so much where we are but in what direction we are moving.
This is also one of the great things about having a dream. You can pursue your dream no matter where you are today. And what happened in the past isn't as important as what lies ahead in the future. As the saying goes, "No matter what a person's past may have been, his future is spotless."
You can begin pursuing that dream today. If you build it they will come... and later you'll wake us to celebrate your dream, with eyes wide open.
But remember, you can't build everything on your own: you have to share the dream. Don't be afraid to spread it. If you have the right kind of dream, "we are more than conquerors".
Neither be afraid about people "stealing" your ideas. Of course there will be times when you don't know if people around you are just 'posers'. I always keep in mind what Rudyard Kipling once said, "They copied all they could, but they couldn't steal our minds. So we left them sweating and stealing... a year and a half behind."
Dream on. And make it the right dream. If possible, one that you could even present to our great boss in heaven. If you do that, everything will work together for good!
The right kind of dream is one that can build our society. Spread it out. One day you'll be happy to wake up a better society. And see how beautiful it is too walk into places that has been transformed by people who shared your dream.
Until then... all this is but a dream. We have to work it out and build the right dream with our fellow citizens.
It's 12 midnight now. I'll sleep on it... Enter my dream... and there, visit it online. Tomorrow when I wake, I'll pray to my boss up there for things to go beyond reality. If He wills it to be... it will be done. .
