Yesterday, I attended the best Freeway Art Collectors’ Series launch, it was a culture enriched event filled with great poetry, inspiring learning event, great music and historical venue, definitely a very remarkable event for everyone! An intimate and heart warming Tertulia (literary gathering) was held at Legarda Elementary School was held last June 16, 2010 to launch the Jose Garcia Villa collection and paid special homage to this multi-awarded National Artist for Literature.
Legarda Elementary School
The event was opened with a folk dance medley by the students and was followed with video slideshow of Legarda Elementary School which boasts itself for the recognition given by DepEd as a heritage landmark site for its building structures, and for having consummate teachers and exemplary students. After that, a video presentation of Jose Garcia Villa’s life was shown to be able to know more of the man of the hour.
The Tertulia proper followed with lovely readings. Ms. Cherie Gil, one of the most recognized personalities in Philippine TV, theater and cinema, read selected poems from Villa’s Doveglion. While a collection of Villa’s magical and joyful poems from Villa’s children’s book Parlement of Giraffes were beautifully rendered by a group of students from Legarda in both English and Pilipino. The excerpts and readings were carefully chosen and interpreted by Philippine Literature expert, Mr. Lito Zulueta. 
Ms. Virgie Romero, a living legend herself and a contemporary of Mr. Villa at the U.P. writers club in the 1960s and co-member in “Ravens”, a group of influential writers in the 1960swas there to share her experiences. Ms. Ruby Villanueva Precilla, Villa’s favorite niece was also there to tell anecdotes.
Hale’s vocalist Champ Lui Pio sang Blue Sky and Wala Ka Na. for and with the students of Legarda Elementary, the student also did an interpretative dance of one of Hale’s songs Kahit Pa. 
Mr. Tim Yap also graced the event with a surprise gift for Legarda Elementary School! He presented P100,000 worth of school supplies. Freeway’s Sheree Roxas Chua-Gotuaco and Katty Roxas Chua-Qua also donated Jose Garcia Villa books to Legarda on behalf of John Cowen who is the Literary Trustee of Jose Garcia Villa. The school was also presented plaques of appreciation through its principal, Dr. Franklin Marcelo and to selected teachers who made the event possible. 
Freeway has successfully launched the National Artist Collectors’ Series last year that featured the works of Literary Genius Nick Joaquin and the paintings and sketches of Visionary Master Ang KiuKok last Holiday.
Freeway’s Jose Garcia Villa Collection
The collection will be out in stores today, June 18, 2010!
