29/10/2026
𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭 𝐂𝐀𝐋: 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐟. 𝐄𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐚 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐨 𝐂𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐉𝐢𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐍𝐚𝐯𝐚𝐥’𝐬 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲
Professor Emerita of Art Studies Elena Zarco Rivera Mirano (second from left) dropped by the surprise birthday lunch organized by administrative, research and extension, utility and security staff members for UP College of Arts and Letters (CAL) Dean Jimmuel Naval yesterday afternoon.
Dean Lenette—as she is fondly remembered at CAL, where she served as dean from 2009 to 2015—is an ethnomusicologist, cultural historian, and performing artist. She earned her BA in English (cum laude), MA in Comparative Literature, and Ph.D. Philippine Studies at UP Diliman, as well as a second master’s degree in Humanities from Stanford University.
A pioneer in traditional Philippine music and performance studies, her landmark works include the award-winning books 𝑆𝑢𝑏𝑙𝑖: 𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝐷𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝐹𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑉𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠 (1989) and 𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐿𝑖𝑓𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑊𝑜𝑟𝑘𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑐𝑒𝑙𝑜 𝐴𝑑𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑦 (2009). Her research and heritage preservation efforts earned her the Prince Claus Award from the Netherlands in 2001 and the DOST National Research Council of the Philippines (NRCP) Achievement Award in Humanities in 2007.
Beyond her research and academic leadership, she has long directed the UP Cherubim and Seraphim, the university's official children's choir—serving as its Assistant Director from its founding in 1971 until 1996, and later as its Director starting in 1996 🌻
(L) Associate Dean for Public Affairs Jose Wendell Capili, Professor Emerita Elena Mirano, Dean Jimmuel C. Naval, College Secretary Vina Paz, Associate Dean for Administration Aura Albano Abiera and UP Departamento ng Filipino at Panitikan ng Pilipinas Chair Schedar DT Jocson
