KALOOB: Philippine Music and Dance Ministry is a worship group composed of musicians, dancers, researchers, and enthusiasts committed to the research, redemption, and promotion of indigenous culture for use in contemporary Christian evangelization and worship. The word KALOOB means gift, and the group believes that one of God’s greatest gifts to the Filipino people is music and dance, and that the

same expressions can comprise the Filipinos’ profound offerings to Jesus. Just as dancing was a ritualistic offering for Filipinos of the past, the group regards each performance as form of prayer.

Advocating the preservation and creative use of Philippine indigenous music and dance, KALOOB’s utmost desire is to spur the Church into the future with feet firmly grounded on solid cultural heritage and sense of self. One goal of KALOOB is to see churches use and reinterpret the rich musical, dance, and costume heritage of the Filipino people for contemporary worship. This is mainly because the dance and music vocabulary of the Filipino Christian and the Filipino nation as a whole, at present, needs enriching and Filipinization. Today, most worship teams are confined to and limited by borrowings from foreign forms, missing a treasure trove of sights, and movements expressive of the Filipino soul.

Reaching out to a general audience.

KALOOB was founded as an institution for Christian Ministry. Organized by Pastor Ed Lapiz of Day by Day Christian Ministries, its main aim was to use indigenous culture in contemporary Christian Worship. KALOOB saw its informal beginnings in 1994, when Day by Day made a bold statement as the whole church marched as Christians in the context of Filipino history and culture.  The performing arm of the foundation, formally called KALOOB Philippines Music and Dance Ministry, is composed of a team of artists committed to preserving folk music, dance, and rituals in its original and genuine format. And because of the group’s commitment

to the authenticity and faithful staging of native dances, KALOOB was especially selected by the Philippine government to be the resident dance company of the Philippine Centennial’s “EXPO Pilipino” in 1998.  

The ministry has now branched out to arranging performances for a general audience in the hope of spreading profound appreciation for Philippine heritage.

To maintain the integrity and authenticity of the group’s performances, KALOOB does not only have a panel of consultants and advisers, the group’s research team also travels around the nation to touch base with the country’s indigenous peoples. KALOOB records, documents, and analyzes the folkways, music, and dances of these ethnic societies. The team is taught and coached by the tribal elders themselves, ensuring the genuineness of the dance steps. Consequently, working close with ethnic societies led to a deeper affinity with traditional attitudes and conduct. Focusing on music and dance as the fundamental expressions for indigenous notions, the group dedicated itself to the study and translation of these art forms into rejuvenated instruments for praise and offering.

For completely authentic performances, KALOOB reproduces indigenous music using only native musical instruments. Filipino gongs, drums, strings, and wind instruments are used to recreate the rhythms and sound that resonated in the ears of ancestors. Colorful and vivid costumes, designed based on real clothing complement the vitality of the presentations.

Because of its continuing efforts in fostering a love for native dance, KALOOB is now recognized by the Cultural Center of the Philippines as one of the major dance groups of the country, featuring the group in major arts and dance festivals it organizes.

While the insignia of KALOOB can be taken as a graphic representation of a person dancing, it is actually an ancient Tagalog script for the syllable “KA”. The point above it gives it the form of a dancing person. In the Filipino language, “KA” connotes a sharing that promotes oneness. KALOOB uses dance to promote a unified understanding of a diverse culture. Integral to the mission and vision is the establishment of a true Filipino identity that is defined by a solid cultural heritage.