Out-of-school youths find hope in art

It is so easy for hopelessness to sprout from poverty and the scarcity of options to better one’s standing in life. But it doesn’t take Herculean efforts to spark hope in these out-of-school youths either.

When Ronald Quindo, 15; John Mark Agan, 14; and Junie Pareño, 13 of Iloilo City participated in a terra cotta workshop for young people during the Biennial Terra Cotta Festival and Competition in Dumaguete City recently, their excitement was contagious.

“It’s like going back to school,” declares Ronald in his native Ilonggo, hardly taking his eyes off his work in progress.

Ronald, John Mark and Junie are young residents of Barangay Sooc, Arevalo in Iloilo—formerly home to informal settlers from all over the city, and now converted into the PLDT-Smart Amazing Gawad Kalinga Village.

As in many manifestations of poverty, difficult circumstances forced Ronald, John Mark and Junie to assume adult responsibilities. They dropped out of school, either to help look after their sizeable brood or eke out a living in the streets.

But their situation could have been worse. It is comforting to know from Ronald that finding shelter in a GK village has helped in keeping them out of trouble and away from bad influences ready to pounce on vulnerable young people. More importantly, they’ve found inspiration in quality learning experiences outside the classroom environment that is being nurtured in their village. Since March, the three, along with 16 other participants, are undergoing terra cotta art sessions under the award-winning Iloilo-based visual artist and volunteer teacher PJ Zoluaga.

These art workshops form part of a series of not just livelihood development initiatives but also character-building activities carried out in Gawad Kalinga communities adopted by PLDT-Smart, according to Atty. Jane Paredes, public affairs manager for Smart VisMin.

In line with this, PLDT-Smart sponsored an educational trip for John Mark, Junie and Ronald to the Biennial Terra Cotta Festival, where they were able to apply what they have been taught so far, as well as soak up more pointers from the best terra cotta artists in the country and in the world. The trio is actually part of the second batch sent on an educational trip. The first group was brought to Baguio City’s own artists’ haven, the Tam-awan Village, last June.

I catch them deep in concentration as they shape figures out of their terra cotta, which is also referred to as “mud clay.” Not even the flurry of activity that bounds the workshop area, found at the end corner of Dumaguete’s widely photographed promenade, the Rizal Boulevard, causes distraction.

“Nahuya ako (I’m shy),” Junie initially reacts to our request for a look at his creation. He would later yield, showing us an American Indian-inspired face, beaming and wearing a headdress.

“Though it’s too early to tell I’m hoping to discover future artists among the kids. May mga ideas sila na maganda so it’s a good sign,” says Zoluaga, who has been mentoring young people in the field of arts both in formal and non-formal settings for a decade now.

It was these boys’ first time to travel outside Iloilo and to be away from their families. They say their parents are supportive of their “training.” “Masaya kasi pasyal din,” adds John Mark. “Pasyal” or pleasure trip is no light word dispensed at will for these youngsters.

Take Junie, for example. His everyday life in Barangay Sooc spells scouring for junk and scraps in a nearby dump site to help his father fend for their family. For a kilo of scrap, he would earn P15. Like John Mark and Ronald, his family could no longer afford to send him to school. “May utang pa kami sa eskwelahan,” he explains simply. On top of that, he has no mother. “Iniwanan kami ng nanay namin,” he says matter-of-factly, no longer a stranger to the question.

Such stories are heartbreaking, but the last thing one has to do is to wallow as well in their sob stories.

As in the intention of Gawad Kalinga, which is to give the homeless a home so as to restore their dignity even in the midst of poverty, teaching them about sustainable art is empowering them, as well.

Terra cotta has been employed throughout history for sculpture and pottery, including here in the Philippines. “What’s good about terra cotta is that it’s environment-friendly, inexpensive, and readily available in the country, especially in Panay Island, which many potters and artists say is the best in the country,” says Zuluaga.

As art should not just be esoteric, which only the privileged few can enjoy, terra cotta art proves to be functional, and could very well provide a means of livelihood for these kids in the future. But of course, Zoluaga is looking to foster art appreciation first and foremost, rather than making them aware of what monetary possibilities it can offer.

And true enough the kids had loads of fun being toured around Mariah Gallery, which unveiled works of art from Negros, Japan to Macedonia. At the Dumaguete Press Club where a variety of huge earthenware was on display, they were taught to tell the difference between kinds of terra cotta. They also visited the lobby of Silliman University’s Luce Auditorium, where this festival’s winners, as well as entries from all over the country and the world, were showcased.

“Tuwang tuwa sila because they were exposed to good, quality works. They were amazed by them,” says Zoluaga.

What’s more essential is that the learning component was there. Terra cotta requires the long process of meticulous mixing, molding, drying and firing. This lasts for more than a week and calls for consistency and patience—which is what gives it its worth. “Practice lang nang practice. ‘Yan ang natutunan ko,” Ronald says.

Art has the potential to transform lives, and, if sustainable, to even feed a community. It may be too premature to tell the difference it is going to make. Then again, as the national artist for sculpture Napoleon Abueva, the festival’s guest of honor said, starting them young—with the help of groups and individuals willing to accord them opportunities for development—is already good start.