Trash to art

CEBU, Philippines — Bangkal Elementary School emerged as winner of the “2018 MACO Trash to Art Mural Competition,” an inter-school competition that was conceptualized to promote eco-conservation through creativity and innovation.

The winning school bested four other elementary schools in Mactan that took part in the event; the Lapu-Lapu City Central Elementary School, Bagong Silang Elementary School, Pusok Elementary School and Marigondon Elementary School. Pusok Elementary School and Lapu-Lapu City Central Elementary School placed second and third, respectively.

Held at the Ocean Pavilion of Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort & Spa on August 7, the day-long event tasked its participants to craft creative visual tableaus using PET plastic bottles, discarded slippers and plastic packaging materials.

The event also included a series of talks on eco-conservation headed by marine biologist Lourdes Mae Jimenez, as well as a pre-competition mini-workshop session with Cebuano visual artist Bess “Bisai Ya” Sagario of the Artissimo Art House.

Spearheaded by Shangri-la’s Mactan Resort and Spa and The Freeman, the competition was organized with the intention to raise awareness and to support educational curriculums that focus on recycling. It was the third of a series of eco-art events organized by the resort and the publication, following the successful runs of trash-to-art competitions in 2014 and 2015. - James Amistad