With Fernando Tiong declaring Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association, Inc. – Batangas president Aurora Realon winner of an art auction of an acrylic on canvas painting of the Sagada rice terraces by councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr. at the Le Fern Hotal last Saturday, funding of the Buyog Watershed mural painting project has been assured.
The outgoing CREBA – Baguio and Benguet president practically pulled out the painting from the Panag Rikna: A Tribute to Empowerment exhibit at The Nook Kitchen & Pub Al Fresco at the lowest floor of the hotel so it could be bid out during the association’s installation of new officers led by Le Fern owner Fernando Laranang as president.
“This is for our corporate social responsibility,” announced the amiable art lover owner of Mega Towers, who started the bidding at PHPP10,000 which slowly rose to the PHP60,000 bid of Realon, who was guest of the event.
To sweeten the pot, Tiong pledged PhP40,000 to make it exactly PHP100,000, bulk of which will go to the pet project of the councilor-artist, who earlier sold two art works to Emmanuel Noel Clemente and Mon Tagle, both members of the CREBA Baguio-Benguet.
Yangot was more than pleased as he has been trying to source funding for the second Climate Action Wall mural project along Legarda Road.
The first, the biking mobility mural, was funded through mayor Benjamin Magalong, who has been clamoring that a similar and almost the same sized mural be placed at the wall at the foot of the Europa Condominiums.
“It must stop now,” said the mayor referring to encroachment at the watershed, which is one of the city’s sources of potable water.
Magalong has earlier aired his apprehension as the watershed is down to merely seven hectares from 19 hectares.
He has likewise intensified police presence at the area to stop prospecting squatters from entering as he aired the alarm saying that squatting should end lest the loses the entire watershed.
The mural project is a call to such and the Sin Agi Artists of Yangot as well as the members and officers of the Baguio Educators Arts Guild will also be mobilized to make the mural, a nine by 50 feet spectacle that adds color to one of the city’s main thoroughfares.
The mural works could not be done without the help of Laranang, who provided the scaffoldings to allow painting at the upper portion of the wall.
Sin-Agi has been very active the start of 2023 with the completion of the biking mural which was quickly followed by the Baguio Educational Art Festival at the Baguio City National High School.
Last Saturday was another very busy day for the councilor with the last two workshops of the BEAF at the BCNHS. The Mighty Bhutens of Oliver Olivete, Kabunyan de Guia and Guiller Lagac and with Olivete’s wife Marj that saw the biggest participation in the six weekend workshop.
It concluded with the urban sketching of Ged Allangui.
By 3PM, the Panag Rikna exhibit of Yangot with Sin Agi artists Gladys Labsan, Camille Machis, Krakun Prado, Jane Juan and BEAG president Ben Ebanio was launched with the CREBA officers present and with Olivete’s wife, Marj as curator.
The three month art exhibit launching is the continued efforts of Yangot to have creative spaces in the city that includes The Manor at Camp John Hay and Forest Lodge. Future venues will be the Palace Hotel and The Podium Botique Hotel.
Yangot is also eyeing to put up an art gallery at BCNHS with funding coming from the proceeds of the AlPines exhibit at The manor launched last February 15. Pigeon Lobien
