WALONG FILIPINA

2011 Walong Filipina environmentalist honorees reunite with 2010 honorees at Pinto Gallery

On May 22, the two batches of Walong Filipina Sa Ngalan ng Kalikasan: Parangal sa mga Alagad ng Kalikasan will reunite to celebrate once again the lives of environmental advocates. The show runs until June 19, which falls on the birthday of Jose Rizal, an unheralded environmentalist, whose 150th birth anniversary is being commemorated this year.

The recent Walong Filipina edition pays tribute to Rizal and Leonard Co, a botanist who was slain while in the field, and was launched last March at the Liongoren Gallery in New York, Cubao. The honorees are: Mr. Gonzalo Catan, inventor and advocate of organic products; Dr. Metodio Palaypay, zero waste management worker; Fr. Alfredo Albor, forest conservationist; Lutgardo Labad, cultural worker; Col. Romeo Magsalos, Marikina Chief of Police “No to Plastic” campaigner; Andy Orencio, artist and gardener; Dr. Warlito Laquihon, sloping land technologist; and Dr. Jaime Galvez Tan, former secretary of Health, herbalist and traditional medicine practitioner.

The eight women artists who pay tribute to these exemplary men are: Lena Cobangbang, Marika Constantino, Marina Cruz, Hermogena Borja “Nene” Lungay, Goldie Poblador, Jeannie Tan, Josie Tionko and Pam Yan-Santos.

Joining the 2011 honorees will be the 2010 Filipina environmentalist-honorees: Evelyn Cacha, co-founder of Alyansa Laban sa Mina (ALAMIN) in Mindoro; UP Tacloban Dean Margarita dela Cruz; Sis. Luz Emmanuel of Assumption Antipolo; environmental lawyer Ipat Luna; Judea Millora, a waste management expert; Jurgenne Primavera, renowned advocate of sustainable fish farming and mangrove conservationist; Lydia Robledo, butterfly habitat conservation advocate, and Luz Sabas, 80 years old, who together with her late husband pioneered waste management in the Philippines.

The advocacies of these eight women were portrayed by eight male artists: Egai Talusan Fernandez, Efren Garcellano, Renato Habulan, Rico Palacio, Mario de Rivera, Mark Salvatus, Jojit Solano and PG Zoluaga.

The artists worked on their subjects based on research supplied by student and guest writers supervised by Walong Filipina co-curator and University of the Philippines art studies Prof. Flaudette May Datuin. The student researchers for 2011 are: Hemerson Dimacale, who was also part of the 2010 team; Christina Pangan and Loreli Pama, winners of the 2010 Walong Filipina Essay Writing Contest; UP Art Studies majors Jacqueline Ali, Aliana Gimena and Meg Fontanilla. They were joined by guest writer Malen Dulay. The student researchers in 2010 were: Ceres Canilao, Hemerson Dimacale, Aleth Gayosa, Romena Luciano, Virna Odiver Mai Saporsantos, Debbie Virata.

There will also be an essay writing contest for this edition of Walong Filipina, Details of which are to be announced later.

For updates and more details, visit the Walong Filipina website or call 9124319.