The Cultural Center of the Philippines was created in 1966 through Executive Order no. 30, with the purpose of promoting and preserving Filipino arts and culture. It was formally inaugurated on September 8, 1969, starting a three month long inaugural festival opened by the epic musical Dularawan. Since then, the CCP has sought to truly embody its logo of katotohanan (truth), kagandahan (beauty) and kabutihan (goodness). The best artists from all over the country and around the world have graced the CCP theaters and galleries, enthralling Filipinos for over thirty years.
The CCP is attached to the Office of the President and is under the umbrella of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts for policy and program coordination.
Performing companies representing dance, music and theater reside within the CCP. It has four resident dance companies: Ballet Philippines, Philippine Ballet Theatre, the Ramon Obusan Folkloric Group, and the Bayanihan Philippine National Folk Dance Company. Tanghalang Pilipino is the CCP's resident theater company while music is represented by the Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, the UST Symphony Orchestra, the Philippine Madrigal SIngers and the National Music Competitions for Young Artists Foundation (NAMCYA).
The CCP also covers the mass media as well as the literary and visual arts, encouraging the growth of aspiring artists in these fields through numerous workshops, seminars, anthologies, exhibits, symposia as well as competitions and awards.
Through its Cultural Exchange Program, the CCP supports the growth and development of arts councils all over the country through relevant workshops and seminars. In addition, the CCP has also established ties with various international organizations such as the Association of Asia Pacific Performing Arts Center, the Conseil International des Organisations de Festivals de Folklore et d'Arts Traditionnels (CIOFF), the World Dance Alliance and the International Theater Institute. Through exchange programs with these organizations and with other institutions, Filipinos have been able to glimpse the beauty of different cultures from various countries, withnessing many a triumphant performance from highly-acclaimed artists all over the world.
The CCP continues to nurture and promote artistic excellence, Filipino aesthetics and identity, and cultural values towards a humanistic global society. With the CCP Business and Master Development Plan now being implemented, the CCP complex is poised to truly becoming a mecca for arts and culture in Asia.