Young Pinoy Artists Immortalize Cory

Since the 1980’s, both the Philippine Long Distance Company (PLDT) and the Directories Philippines Corporation (DPC) have been organizing an annual arts competition in order to give chance to hundreds of young students with artistic potentials to showcase their talents and works of art. And whoever wins the first prize gets the privilege to have his or her painting be the cover page of the annually-updated Philippine Telephone Directory, or more popularly known as the Yellow Pages.

And this year, to honor the memory and legacy of the late President Corazon C. Aquino, the PLDT and the DPC decided that the 24th Visual Art National Competition would be themed, “Cory Aquino: Her Legacy to the Filipino.” The competition, which began late last year, culminated with an awarding ceremony held at the National Museum in Manila last February 3, 2010.

DPC President Bong Bautista salutes young artists

In his opening remarks to the young artists and the general public, Mr. Ricardo ‘Bong’ Bautista thanked the participants for their eagerness and willingness to join this year’s competition, especially that the theme was about the life and legacy of President Cory Aquino to the nation. Mr. Bautista noted that there was a significant increase of entries for the competition and that the participants employed a broad range of tools and techniques — from traditional oil, acrylic and watercolor to wood etchings, solar painting, and the use of unconventional material, such as eggshells, ribbons and plastic toys.

Also during his remarks, Mr. Bautista said he was puzzled and amazed at the affection poured out by young people for Cory Aquino, who were not even born during her tenure as president. It was because of this curiosity, on the part of older people like him, that led the PLDT and DPC to choose the legacy of Cory Aquino to the Nation as this year’s theme for the visual art competition.

Grandson Kiko Aquino Dee expresses gratitude to young artists

This year’s awards night turned to be more special with the grandson of the late President Aquino, Francis Joseph ‘Kiko’ Aquino Dee gracing the event. During his message of gratitude to the organizers and participants of the event, Kiko said that he and his family are humbled and honored by the affection being bestowed upon them by Filipinos, particularly the young ones, through their paintings.

Further, he praised the artworks of the participants as faithful depictions and renditions of her grandmother, saying that every work of art conveys a message of truth and reality to the one who sees it. In particular, he shared with the audience that he is amazed at how young people like him who did not have the chance to talk, meet and even see her Lola Cory in their lifetime were able to depict her so powerfully and wonderfully as a mother not just to the Aquino family but to the entire Filipino nation, most importantly.

iamninoy-iamcory seeks to form circle of young artists

Also, during the event, Mr. Boom Enriquez, director for community development of the Ninoy and Cory Aquino Foundation (NCAF), encouraged the young participants to join the advocacy of iamninoy-iamcory youth movement. He said that the movement could serve as an avenue for these talented young people to express their not only their creativity and freedom as artists but their patriotism and good citizenship, as well.

As such, he encouraged the young artists to join and pioneer in the formation of the iamninoy-iamcory artists’ circle by holding exhibits and art workshops that are anchored on the five levers of change of the movement: governance, livelihood, education, environment and health.

Participants from schools throughout the country honored

For this year’s arts competition, a total of 69 students from various schools and universities throughout the Philippines participated and sent their entries and artworks. During the awards’ night, all of the participants were acknowledged and recognized for their efforts in joining the competition.

Furthermore, the following contests were announced as the top five prize winners during the ceremony:

5th Prize – Chris Espectato, from Adventist University of the Philippines (AUP), for his work “Cory: Inang Nag-Aruga Ng Ating Demokrasya”

4th Prize – Franz Nikko P. Lacsina, from Far Eastern University (FEU), for his work “Pagkakaisa tungo sa Kapayapaan”

3rd Prize – Lexter B. Longalong, from Philippine Women’s University (PWU), for his work “Iniwang Pamana”

2nd Prize – Dionamyr S. Ceria, from Technological University of the Philippines (TUP), for her work “Alaala”

Grand Prize – Julian Eymard L. Paguiligan, from Bulacan State University (BSU), for his work “Ika-25 ng Pebrero 1986”

Top 3 Winners share their lessons and feelings on Cory

When asked about their feelings and thoughts on joining and winning in the competition, the top 3 winners – Julian, Dionamyr and Lexter – all felt happy, privileged and honored for the achievement and accolades they received from both the judges and the audience.

Lexter, the 3rd Prize Winner, said that it took him two months before he finished his painting. And since he did not live during the presidency of Cory Aquino, he became curious about her and the sacrifices she did for the country during its dark days under Martial Law. These facts and stories about Cory that further inspired Lexter, a fine arts major student at PWU, to depict the life of Cory Aquino on oil canvas, which he entitled as Iniwang Pamana to reiterate the lasting legacy of President Cory to the Filipino people.

Meanwhile for the 2nd prize winner, Dionamyr, a 19 year-old fine arts student at TUP, it was her baptism of fire as a budding artist. She revealed that the PLDT-DPC’s 24th Visual Art National Competition was the first prestigious national arts competition that she ever participated in. Just like Lexter, Dionamyr admitted that she did not have any clear idea on who Cory Aquino was all about. But thanks to the stories narrated by her mother, Dionmayr expressed in her watercolor painting the values which Cory fought for during her life time: freedom, democracy and justice – values and ideals which will never be forgotten by a grateful nation. As such, Dionamyr, the lone female among the top five winners, aptly titled her work of art, Alaala.

As for the grand prize winner, Julian, who comes from Bulacan, painting has always been a passion. Julian relayed that he had been painting since he was young and that among all the three siblings in his family, he is the only one that is into painting. With regard to how he felt about his winning work of art for the 24th Visual Art National Competition organized by PLDT and DPC, Julian, a fine arts major also at BSU, said that it was an honor for him to bag the grand prize since it was also his first time, like Dionamyr, to participate in a nationwide art competition.

Moreover, Julian said that his painting serves as a tribute to Cory Aquino, who is revered by all Filipinos as the Philippines’ Icon of Democracy. He also said that his painting, Ika-25 ng Pebrero 1986 depicts the late President Aquino as holding a basket full of maya birds with various hand signs of Laban in the background, which symbolizes the country’s yearning and cry for change. He also narrated that during and after his painting, the life of Cory Aquino served as an inspiration to him to persevere and excel more not only as an artist but as a person, as well.

School officials express elation over their students’ respective wins

Meanwhile, the respective school officials who accompanied the top three winners Julian, Dionamyr and Lexter expressed their joy over the triumph and recognition of their students’ talents and potentials.

For Prof. Reiner Suva, dean of the School of Fine Arts and Design at PWU, said that it was really an honor for his student Lexter to participate in the competition. Prof. Suva said that it gave all the participants to go through the experience of winning and losing in life and taught them the importance of the value of a healthy competition. He stressed that the competition also gave the chance for the artists to become more spiritual in the sense that the artist was able to express through his or her artwork his or her inner-self.

On the one hand, Prof. Ramon T. De La Cruz, head of the Fine Arts Department of TUP, said that the competition not only gave the chance for the participants to win prizes but also find their motivation in life and discover their hidden talents and potentials. He expressed also happiness for the achievement of his student Dionamyr since it will be a stepping-stone for her as a potential master artist in the future.

On the other hand, Prof. Vim Kiester C. Rivera, BSU Department Head for Fine Arts, felt proud for his student Julian as a fellow Bulakenyo. He also credited the innate artistry of Bulakenyos, like Salvador Ching and Guillermo Tolention, behind Julian’s talent and potential as artist and painter. He further stated that Julian’s feat in the arts competition would serve as a testament that there is a bright future for painters like him in the country, especially if they would be given the chance to compete internationally to showcase the natural greatness of the Filipino as a painter and as an artist.