HOW much does one scholar of the government-run Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) in Mt. Makiling, Laguna, cost Filipino taxpayers?

Well, it?s not cheap. Some time ago during a Senate budget hearing, recalled the new executive director of PHSA, none other than prominent character actor Nanding Josef (who has held this position before), he informed the legislators that the cost of subsidizing one Makiling scholar was around P200,000.

The senators expressed surprise at the amount, so Josef told them the school has strict standards and enrolls only the best young artists and writers from all over the country.

Whereupon he asked some of the PHSA scholars present to perform, ?at natahimik sila.? In other words, the senators were impressed by the performance, agreed that the expense was all worth it and they no longer objected to the budget.

The cost per Makiling scholar now is around P300,000.

Josef spoke during a press conference to announce that the PHSA is now accepting applicants to the 2009 Annual Nationwide Search for Young Arts Scholars. The presscon was held at the Silangan Hall of the Cultural Center of the Philippines.

Scenic

PHSA is located in a cool, scenic, mist-laden slope of Mt. Makiling. On a clear day you can see Laguna de Bay, Isla de Talim, the mountains of Rizal and Laguna and, to the southeast, Mt. Banahaw.

The school facilities are good for 250 persons at most. These are native-style and attractive buildings, including 30 cottages that serve as residence for students, teachers and support staff. There?s a ballet studio, dance rehearsal hall, visual arts and photography studios, journalism room and so on.

The most luxurious non-instructional feature is the Executive Guesthouse, once the exclusive preserve of the Imeldific One.

The specialized curriculum of PHSA focuses on creative writing, dance, music, theater and the visual arts.

Applicants for a scholarship must have graduated from grade school in the year 2008-9, be of above average intelligence, proficient in oral and written Filipino and English, and without any debilitating illness.

?We need 30-40 scholars for the school year 2009-10,? Josef said. ?They must have exceptional skills [in their discipline] ?? Another important criterion, he added, is ?emotional stability.?

Upon graduating, the scholars must be determined to pursue a college degree in their chosen field or any related course.

Hobby as passion

During the presscon, a graduating student majoring in creative writing, Inshalah Montero, talked about ?secret escapades? and the ambience at PHSA, which doesn?t strike her as being in a school.

?Here, everyone knows one another,? she said. ?We share the Makiling experience. All of us share our knowledge of the different arts, not just our major. Hobbies are transformed into passion.?

Students Kennedy Rocas, flutist, and Marial Rodriguez, pianist, performed Mandelssohn?s popular classic ?On Wings of Song,? while Earl Sorilla, Abigail Carlos, Deborah Afuang and Danilo Dayo essayed a modern dance.

?PHSA has been a model for many countries in Southeast Asia,? noted CCP President Nestor O. Jardin. ?We are very proud of it.?