By Cyrus A. Natividad

CPUDC Artistic Director Prof. Dyran Lero speaks to the audience during their virtual homecoming.

On March 12, 2022, Central Philippine University Dance Company had their online Homecoming via Zoom with the Kawauchi-Nagano International Exchange Program. Officers, host families and volunteers of KNIEP headed its Chairman Prof. Lilia Shiba and former Chairman Mr. Akihiko Yamamoto and former Secretary General Ms. Kanako Bando – with trustee Ms. Hiroko Matsumura and Ms. Harumi Goto attended.

CPU Dance Company Adviser and Artistic Director Prof. Dyran Lero and CPUDC President Ms. Shyra Thyress Cerbas (3rd year CPU BS Accountancy) and 30 dancers of the group represented CPUDC.

A video presentation of Iloilo City, CPU and the memoirs of CPUDC showing the visits in Japan was shown at the start of the program. Activities participated before and during pandemic with messages of the dancers and host families were part of the program’s finale. CPUDC group performed a song number “Ako’y Pinoy” for Japanese people and a dance number from Antique which is a part of the incoming virtual concert entitled Saludo 2. Director Lero said that, “The Japanese people promised to support our show as part of a fund raising program for CPUDC scholarship funds.” The program was initiated by the Nagano City, Osaka Japan Media Center headed by Prof. Umeda and Prof. Harumi Goto and Chairman Prof. Shiba .

In addition, Lero said that, “on March 22, 2022 the CPUDC (Philippines) together with other dance and musical groups from Nepal, Japan, Indonesia, France and Taiwan will present an online International Program online with a wish for World Peace.”