Keeping the community together through art
MANILA, Philippines - Beyond brushstrokes on canvas that provoke personal thought or insight, art is a universal language that can also bring people together toward a common goal, literally and figuratively.
This was the spirit behind one of the community outreach activities spearheaded by Shell under the annual National Students Art Competition (NSAC), in celebration of its centenary of operations in the Philippines this year.
The longest-running art competition for Filipino youth brought together 12 of its past winners in a community outreach program to help beautify the community of Pandacan in Manila. These are Ferd Failano, Francis Bejar, Chalk Zaldivar, Carlo De Laza, Kean Barrameda of the University of the Philippines; Mark Espina of Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology (EARIST); Chrisanto Aquino of Tarlac State University; Elisabeth Alag of Adventist University of the Philippines; Clint Policarpio and Melvin Anglacer of the University of the East; and Emil Alarcon and Didier Alarcon of Polytechnic University of the Philippines
The budding young art masters collaborated on a design that now graces the walls of the Carlos P. Garcia High School, depicting Shell’s hundred-year milestone in the country. The images illustrate the company’s achievements not just as an energy and gas technology leader in the fields of smarter mobility, clean and efficient transport, developing new energy sources and the like, but as a contributor to nation-building with its various social investment programs concerning issues such as road safety, environmental management, and many others.
“A big part of Shell’s Art program has always been the idea of ‘paying it forward,’” explained Jackie Ampil, Pilipinas Shell social investment manager. “By this, we mean that we inspire and encourage our Shell NSAC winners to give back to community their time, skills and talent. Activities such as this centennial mural are an example of such, which gains even more meaning as we mark Shell’s one hundred years in the country.”
Ensconcing the mural at the Carlos P. Garcia High School in Pandacan is also meaningful because it is in line with Shell’s social investment philosophy of looking after the welfare of the communities it operates in. “Our social investment projects are all guided with the principle of building sustainability especially impacting the communities that we work in,” said Janot Barretto, Pilipinas Shell Downstream social performance adviser. “Here in Pandacan, we not only espouse safety and security, but we also contribute to beautifying the surroundings and ensuring a pleasurable and more enjoyable environment.”
On the centennial of Shell companies in the Philippines this year, the Shell NSAC gains even more relevance as the competition now includes a category of Multimedia Arts, where student participants can submit entries such as digital short film and digital print art.
Now in its 47th year, the Shell NSAC theme is “Spark for the Future.” Filipino college students who are currently enrolled with at least 12 units are invited to join and submit entries in any of the following categories: Oil/Acrylic, Watercolor, Sculpture, and Multimedia Arts.
Grand prize winners will each be awarded a cash prize amounting to P60,000. The second and third place winners will receive P40,000 and P30,000 respectively.
Submission of entries was on July 31, Aug. 1 and 2, 2014 at the Shell House, 156 Valero Street, Salcedo Village, Makati City.
Other partners and sponsors of the Shell National Students Art Competition include Shell V-Power Nitro +, Shell Helix Motor Oils, Shell FuelOil Plus, Air21, Canson Artist Papers, Winsor & Newton, Liquitex, National Book Store and Ayala Museum.
To know more about the contest, log on to www.shell.com.ph/shell_art. Students may also inquire with the fine arts department or the student affairs office of their respective colleges and universities.
