CCP Poised to Reach Greater Heights with its New Leaders
Ms. Kaye C. Tinga, President of the Cultural Center of the Philippines
In just seven months since businesswoman and philanthropist Kaye Tinga assumed the presidency of the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), her vision has already begun to take shape: making art and culture accessible to every community across the nation.
Tinga took office on 21 May 2024, following her election at the CCP Board of Trustees meeting a week earlier. She succeeded Michelle Nikki Junia, an early childhood educator who served as president ad interim from Sep 2023 to Mar 2024.
A champion of Filipino design talent, Tinga is the co-founder and co-chairperson of the Red Charity Gala, a prestigious annual event that celebrates local fashion through the works of renowned Filipino designers and raises substantial funds for various charities, including the Philippine Red Cross.
A business economics graduate from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, with an MBA from Fordham University, Tinga is the co-founder and managing director of W/17, a home furnishings and accessories brand that collaborates with artisans from various regions of the Philippines. Under her leadership, the brand promotes local artisans, preserves cultural skills, and contributes to economic development.
Committed to nurturing the next generation of creative talent, she served as a board member of MINT College, a business and creative arts school in the Philippines that offers an innovative learning experience and empowers young people through pioneering programmes in fields such as music business management, multimedia arts, and film and video.
Although her tenure is still in its early stages, Tinga’s directives aim to create a more inclusive and youth-oriented cultural landscape, focusing on nurturing emerging talents, broadening opportunities for new collaborations both locally and internationally, and expanding public appreciation and arts education. With Tinga’s fresh perspective at the helm, the CCP is primed to bridge the gap and make art more accessible to all.
“My goal is to make meaningful improvements that benefit our CCP stakeholders—from the boardroom to the streets, from the capital to the regions. I also want to ensure that we deliver the best possible viewing experience for the public through our physical locations and online channels. Looking ahead to the next year, I plan to focus on expanding our outreach, fostering new talent, and creating more opportunities for the public to engage with the arts in innovative ways,” said Tinga.
Her biggest challenge after taking the reins is ensuring that the three-year rehabilitation plan for the CCP Main Building stays on track. The center’s iconic building has been under rehabilitation since Jan 2023.
“We are still aiming for 2026 as the target for the first phase of the CCP’s reopening. The public deserves to step inside the iconic and historical CCP building soon, and we are committed to that. While we continue to uncover more structural retrofitting issues than anticipated, we are hopeful that this will have minimal impact on our timeline,” said Tinga.
Leading a team of changemakers and dedicated public servants
The CCP Board of Trustees during the CCP General Assembly held at the Tanghalang Ignacio B. Gimenez: (from left) Isidro A. Consunji, Jonathan M. Velasco, Dr. Jaime C. Laya, Atty. Gizela M. Gonzalez, Margie Moran Floirendo, Junie S. Del Mundo, Felix S. Duque. Not in photo: Marivic del Pilar and Carissa Coscolluella
Tinga has been working closely with the CCP Board of Trustees, chaired by Dr. Jaime C. Laya, and supported by Vice Chairs Margie Moran Floirendo and Carissa Oledan Coscolluela, along with new appointees by Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
In a press announcement in April, the new members of the CCP Board of Trustees include real estate magnate Isidro A. Consunji, award-winning conductor Jonathan Velasco, master light designer Felix “Monino” Duque, lawyer Gizela M. Gonzalez, and public servant Carissa Oledan Coscolluela.
Consunji, who earned his degree in civil engineering from the University of the Philippines and an MBA from the Asian Institute of Management, is currently the CEO of Semirara Mining Corporation and DMCI Holdings Inc.
Velasco, currently a lecturer in voice at the UP College of Music, is a member and assistant conductor of the World Youth Choir. His choirs have won first prizes in choral competitions in Slovenia, Ireland, Germany, and Spain. He is also the conductor of the Ateneo Chamber Singers.
Duque served as the theatre director of CCP from 1973 to 1994 and has designed numerous productions at the CCP, including Tales of Manuvu, Swan Lake, Don Quixote, and Madame Butterfly, among others.
With a Master of Laws degree from Harvard, Gonzalez has expertise in corporate and intellectual property law. A director of several corporations and trustee of various non-profit organisations, Atty. Gonzalez continues to champion poverty alleviation by addressing basic human needs.
Coscolluela, formerly a member of the House of Representatives, has 30 years of experience in government service, humanitarian and socio-civic work, and sports leadership. Since 2011, she has been a member of the board of governors of the Philippine Red Cross. From 2016 to 2017, she served on the board of Philippine Ballet Theatre, a resident dance company of the CCP.
The new appointments complete the Board, which includes reappointed members Dr. Laya and Junie del Mundo, as well as interim Trustees Moran-Floirendo and Marivic del Pilar. With these new additions, the CCP is poised to continue its mission as the leading institution for arts and culture in the Philippines.
“The CCP is stronger with the new appointments by President Marcos Jr. The new trustees, I believe, will greatly contribute to theatre management, law, engineering and construction, and artistic productions,” said CCP Chairman Laya.
Under this new leadership, the CCP Board and management are prepared to tackle the challenges ahead, strengthening its role as a beacon of creativity, heritage, and community.