MANILA, Philippines - Mallgoers had the opportunity to view an exhibit of well-cultivated miniature trees at the recent Bonsai Festival at The Podium in Ortigas Center.
The event, a project of the Philippine Bonsai Society Inc. (PBSI), the country’s premier bonsai organization, brought together plant lovers like PBSI president Bobby Gopiao, past presidents Atty. Vic Ceballos, and Willie Hahn, Natural Stone Society president Fely Gupit, and Horticultural Society president Wendy Regalado. They were welcomed by Podium officers led by the Group brand manager Ericson dela Cruz.
The exhibit featured well-cultivated bonsai trees from all over the Philippines through some of the PBSI’s provincial affiliates — Bulacan Bonsai Artists Inc., Kapampangan Horticulture and Bonsai Artists Association of Tarlac, the Nueva Ecija Bonsai Society, and the Pangasinan Bonsai Society. A lecture demo series based on PSBI’s education module and a hands-on workshop by the club’s leading bonsai artists were also conducted.
Highlights of the event included a performance by Asia’s only harpist Noelle Cassandra, and the announcement of the Suseki competition. Just as bonsai is the art of growing trees or woody plants shaped as trees in containers, suseki is the art of stone appreciation, which may take many forms like human figures, landscapes, and abstract expressions. These Japanese arts are known to bring about contemplation for the viewer and ingenuity for the grower.
Winners of the Suseki competition were Bhoy Apostol’s “Cascade Stone,” first place; Erwin Tica’s “Dancing Dolphins, second place; and Pabling Dychitan “Talampas,” third place. The awards were presented by Natural Stone Society of the Philippines (PBSI) president Fely Gupit.
PBSI has been instrumental in putting the Philippines on the bonsai global map as it hosted the Asian Bonsai Friendship Federation (ABFF) Convention and Exhibition in Clark Pampanga in 2010.
The Bonsai Festival is one of the many exciting events at The Podium.