Concerned Artists of the Philippines

The Concerned Artists of the Philippines (CAP) is an organization of writers, artists and cultural workers committed to the principles of freedom, justice and democracy. It was founded in 1983 to unite Filipino artists against the dictatorial regime of then President Ferdinand Marcos who imposed repressive laws that curtailed freedom of expression and enforced orders that victimized citizens with arrest and detention even without charges.

After February 1986, many of its members opted to work away from people’s and mass organizations. CAP’s activities waned until the group became virtually dormant.

On June 17, 2000, several CAP members, recognizing that conditions make it imperative for artists and cultural workers to renew their involvement in the people’s movement for justice, nationalism and democracy, met in Quezon City to initiate the revival of the organization.

Since then there has been no let-up in the CAP’s activities to promote artys and culture which are relevant to our people and their conditions, in order to countervail the onslaught of globalization and remnants of feudalism. We have likewise been in the forefront in the continuing fight for freedom of expression. Most of all, we are working with different sectors of society in the struggle for the people’s political and economic liberation.


Declaration of Principles

We hold that artists are citizens anmd must concern themselves not only with their art but also with the issues and problems confronting the country today.

We stand for freedom of expression and oppose all acts tending to abridge or suppress that freedom

We affirm that Filipino artists, in their exercise for freedom of expression, have the responsibility to do so without prejudice to truth, justice and the interest of the Filipino people.

We affirm that Filipino artists are workers in the field of culture and are entitled to just compensation for their labors, protection of their intellectual property, protection from unfair foreign competition and economic well-being in general.

We stand for the development of a genuine national culture responsive to the contemporary needs of the Filipino people.

Vision
A free egaslitarian, democratic and progressive society and

A nationalist, democratic, people-oriented, non-sexist, liberating and progressive culture.

Mission
Promotion of the social orientation of folk culture;

Transformation of the feudal and colonial content of traditional and polular culture into a scientific, democratic and progressive one;

Strengthening of the culture of resistance and struggle against oppression;

Enrichment of the artistic resources, styles, techniques, media and forms for a more potent art and culture;

Propagation of culture as the principal agent in the formation of values and humanization of society; and

Development of a cultural ideology to compliment political ideology for national identity and freedom.