By Christian George Acevedo
Since 2016, the Roxas City Government through Ang Panublion Museum has been commemorating the birth anniversary of National Artist for Music Jovita Fuentes every February.
On its 10th year, the Jovita Fuentes celebration went beyond the annual exhibit. This time, the Roxas City Government partnered with the UP College of Music in Diliman, Quezon City to celebrate her 131st birth anniversary with the tribute “Alay kay Maestra”.
During the February 26, 2026 tribute, Dean of UP College of Music Dr. Maria Patricia Silvestre reminded the audience that Jovita Fuentes served as a music professor for 15 years at the very same college.
Ang Panublion Museum Director Cheryl Anne del Rosario shared Roxas City’s various initiatives to preserve the memory of Jovita Fuentes. From the yearly exhibits, she noted it became a series of talks, workshops, and school caravans.
Dr. Clement Acevedo, piano professor and extension coordinator of UP College of Music, discussed the Jovita Fuentes papers at the UP College of Music.
This author, a faculty member and head librarian of Capiz State University (CAPSU) main campus, talked about the love of Jovita Fuentes for her home province.
Representing the family of Jovita Fuentes, Professor Emeritus and journalist Randy David shared an intimate portrait of the National Artist as a matriarch—strong-willed, exacting prima donna, but fragile and dotting.
Also present was David’s daugther, the journalist Kara David. Other family members present were Lourdes Constantino and journalist Karmina Constantino Torres.
The audience were also enthused with performances by pianist Paul Johann Versula and soprano Hannah Osorio.
Jovita Fuentes, who reigned supreme as a highly opera diva in Europe in the 1920s and 1930s, was born in the town of Capiz (now Roxas City) on February 15, 1895. She eventually returned to the Philippines shortly before World War II and afterwards embarked on a career teaching music at UP Diliman, Santa Isabel College and Holy Ghost College.
She also lobbied for government support to music, culminating in the passage of a law that created and funded the Music Promotion Foundation Board of the Philippines.
In 1976, Jovita Fuentes was declared National Artist for Music. Two years later, she passed away quietly.
In 2003, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Capiz declared every February 15 as Jovita Fuentes Day. A street in the capital of Roxas City was also named after her.
It is now almost five decades since passing of Jovita Fuentes, but her legacy lives on through her lasting contribution not only in music , but in Philippine art and culture.
