‘MMA @ 25’ Spotlights Achievements, Milestones on 25th Anniversary of Benilde MMA
‘MMA @ 25’ Spotlights Achievements, Milestones on 25th Anniversary of Benilde MMA
23 September 2024
Milestones are always worth celebrating, especially the grand ones. Such was the case for the Benilde Multimedia Arts (MMA) program, which celebrates its 25th year this 2024. To commemorate this, the program held the “Celebrating 25 Years of Making Waves: A Homecoming of Creative Minds” last September 20 at the 10th floor of the Design+Arts Campus, gathering students, faculty, and alumni to mark the momentous occasion.
MMA Program Chairperson Katrina Juane opened the event with her welcoming remarks, emphasizing how MMA has produced generations of creative minds since its inception. “For the past 25 years, the MMA program has been making waves. Its indelible mark can be seen in various films, advertisements, illustrations, websites, and many other media—and I’m proud to witness all of that,” she declared.
Juane also recounted how the idea of holding the anniversary event was brought up in 2023, and that planning and the footwork began as soon as the ideation process was in motion. She then applauded everyone who was involved in realizing the event and segued to introducing SDA’s first dean, Ar. Rose Marie Bautista, for her message. “As we celebrate 25 years, it is only fitting that we hear from someone who was instrumental in Benilde having the first MMA program in the country,” Juane said.
Bautista then began her message by expressing how unbelievable it is to see everything that the MMA program has done throughout the years. The former dean narrated how Br. Andrew Gonzalez FSC had her check the programs of LASALLE College of the Arts in Singapore as a benchmark, revealing that this was where the idea of an MMA program sprouted. “With all the works that are being done, I’m so wonderfully amazed,” she ended her message, congratulating each one within the program.
Following these messages, Benilde Chancellor Benhur Ong also offered his words of support to the event, to the program, and its history. “Benilde MMA program stands as a beacon of creativity, innovation, and excellence. Our program has cultivated an environment where students push the boundaries of our imagination, harness the power of multimedia, and bring to life stories, stunning visuals, and groundbreaking solutions,” he stated.
The Chancellor also mentioned the feats of the program and its students, “These achievements exemplify the excellence that we strive for in our programs.” He also mentioned the state-of-the-art facilities of the School of New Media Arts, which he dubbed as being crucial in fostering the students’ talents, including the Blackmagic Cinema Camera, iMACs, and the multimedia laboratories like the advanced audio labs that opened in August this year. “Our facilities ensure that our students are well equipped to meet the demands of the industry,” he added.
Before ending, Ong reminded the current students that they are the torchbearers of the program’s legacy. “You have the opportunity to build on the strong foundation laid by those before you. Together, we will shape the future of multimedia arts,” he concluded.
Benilde Vice Chancellor for Academics Angelo Lacson also gave his optimistic views for the program’s future, claiming that with MMA’s population, it is not impossible that it will soon have its own building and campus. He also said that he looks forward to welcoming deaf students to the School’s mainstream programs.
What transpired afterward was the showing of a snippet of the “MMA @ 25” documentary, and the awarding of Cory Castronuevo-Rasco and Rico Fernandez for their service and work within and for the program.
Closing the event were remarks from Benilde Vice President for Lasallian Mission and Student Life Maria Veronica Templo Perez, who shared her excitement for the next 25 years of MMA.
An art market, multimedia exhibits, and a film showing for the “MMA @ 25” documentary were also staged on the same night.
The College, a pioneer for being the first to offer a Multimedia Arts program in the Philippines, welcomed its first batch of MMA students in 1999. Groundbreaking at its time, the program has since continued to hone creative and innovative multimedia practitioners proficient in the necessary digital art skills and confident in the practice of innovation. Provided with the most useful and practical lessons for a future in the digital creative industries, students are prepared to build digital arts projects holistically, starting from the task of conceptualization to actual execution and exhibition.
For more information on Benilde undergraduate programs, contact us at (63) 2 8230 5100 local 1801 or admissions@benilde.edu.ph. You may also visit our website at www.benilde.edu.ph.
