User:Joseph J. Cristobal

JOSEPH “Sonny” Jose-CRISTOBAL

Tourism Advocate,Community Theater organizer, Artist, Educator, Arts & Culture Administrator; Candidate for Representative, 2nd District of BULACAN at the Lower House of the 16th Congress of the Republic of the Philippines.

Sonny was the Provincial Tourism Officer of the Province of Bulacan before his bid for Congress as the Representative of the 2nd District of Bulacan. He was also the Senior Culture and Arts Officer of the CCP Outreach and was overall in charge of the Touring Programs.

Sonny has a degree in B.S. Education, major in Filipino from Meycauayan College(MC). He has also completed the Managing the Arts course at the Asian Institute of Management(AIM) as Scholar. He has TWO Masteral Degrees in Language & Literature from De La Salle University(DLSU) and Education from La Consolacion University of the Philippines (LCUP) both as a Scholar.

He taught Language and Literature at the DLSU College of Saint Benilde and at Lyceum of the Philippines.He was honored as Outstanding Alumnus of Meycauayan College and Dr. Yanga's Francisco Balagtas College - High School, both in Bulacan.

He directed several outreach performances of prestigious artistic groups such as the Philippine Madrigal Singers, A’Cappella Manila, Chorus Paulinus, U.P. Los Baños Chorale, 3-of- a-kind, Barasoain Kalinagan Foundation, Inc. and Teatro Historico Filipino.

In the 1990's he coordinated the regional performance tours of Leyte Kalipayan Dance Co., Ballet Philippines, Philippine Philharmonic Orchestra, Dagyaw Theater & Dance Co., Philippine Madrigal Singers, Phil. Bayanihan Folk Dance Co., Anino:Makiling Shadow Play, A Cappella Manila, UE Choral, College of Immaculate Conception Choral of Pangasinan and many other groups. He also joined and coordinated several major international tours of various Philippine arts groups all over Europe, U.S.A. and Asia like “Pahiyas sa Mundo” held at the Smithsonian Institute,Washington D.C. with 100-representatives from different indigenous communities in the Philippines; Japan Tour of Hinilawod, Thailand Tour of A Cappella Manila, ASEAN Tour of Philippine Madrigal Singers, European Tour of A Cappella Manila, USA Tour of "Florante at Laura", USA Tour of "Ibong Adarna", USA Tour of "Paraisong Pilipinas", and the European Tour of Philippine Madrigal Singers and participation to the 19th European Grand Prix for Choral Singing at Arezzo, Italy.

In 1995 Sonny was instrumental in conceptualizing and launching the Philippine Madrigal Singers’ Regional Choral Cliniquing Workshops and performances, which was the brainchild of National Artist for Music, Prof. Andrea O. Veneracion.

As a writer, he wrote “M.H. Del Pilar: Pasyong Dapat Ipag-Alab”, “REPUBLIKA”, “Awit ni Francis B.” in compliance with his requirements as Master of Arts in Language and Literature at the De La Salle University. The aforementioned plays have been mounted by the Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation Inc.,(BKFI) a community theater group based in Malolos, Bulacan. Other full-length plays he penned include “Serana”, “Manong Gerry”, “Bato sa Buhangin”, “Dangal ng Lahing Pilipino” Series 1, 2 & 3, “Florante at Laura”, “Ibong Adarna, “Awit ng Ina Sa Bayan”, “Nang Mabasag ang Banga”, “Bato sa Buhangin”, “JOYA: Guhit, Hugis at Kulay”, “Paraisong Pilipinas”, “Prinsesa ng Kumintang”, “Sa Kislap ng mga Tala”, “Oyayi ni Pule” and RIO ALMA River and Soul”.

Sonny wrote scripts for National Flag Day Celebration and National Independence celebrations from 1998 to 2007. Beside his work at the CCP Outreach, Sonny also regularly provided consultancy assistance to various arts groups.

In his home province of Bulacan, he served as Vice-Chairman of the Association of Tourism Officers of Central Luzon (ATOCeL; Secretary General of the Bulacan Tourism Council; Board Member and Executive Director of Barasoain Kalinangan Foundation, Artistic Director of Teatro Historico Filipino Foundation, Inc., Artistic Board of the Philippine Madrigal Singers, Board Member of Andrea O. Veneracion’s Sing Philippines Foundation, Inc., Board Member of Pamanang Bulacan Foundation, Board Member & Vice-President of CCP Cooperative for 10 years, Partner of Concert Net Philippines and Vice-President of Bulacan Convention & Visitors Bureau, Bulacan Artists Cooperative, Inc.

He also organized and founded the first ever BULACAN ARTS CULTURE AND HISTORY INSTITUTE (BACH Institute) that offers innovative College Degree in AB in Communication Major in Performing Arts and Masters Degree in Education Major in Arts Management.