MANILA, Philippines – The 12 finalists of the “Hindi Umuurong sa Pagtulong” art competition organized by the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) in cooperation with Sentro Artista were named over the weekend at the Sentro Artista Art Hub at the Arton Strip in Quezon City.
Meticulously picked and selected by a group of multi-awarded and internationally recognized visual artists, painters and educators, the 12 finalists, in no particular order, include Teodorico Rili Cumagon lll, Nino Cris Odosis, Benjamin Cruz, Melchor Bernaldo, Richard Dela Cruz and Eduardo Perreras. Also entering the final round were Noel Sagayap, Rolando Yakit, James Gabito, Ramsid Winston Labe, Wilfred Labana and Crisanto Sator.
The finalists were chosen from 640 entries. From these, 75 artworks were eventually selected to enter the final round. From the remaining 75 entries, 23 advanced to the next selection until the top 15 were picked. Out of the last 15 entries, the final 12 were determined.
“The response is very good as many artists have joined, and we wish to continue in doing this to inspire a new generation of visual artists to produce more. I’m also satisfied with the entries and the panel of judges who are all experts in their chosen fields. Our juries were all professional visual artists,” PCSO general manager Mel Robles said.
The panel of judges included Dean Raul Isidro, a multi-awarded painter and educator; Fil Delacruz, a recipient of the Benavides Award and consistent winner in national art competitions; Juno Galang, a seasoned artist who focuses on Filipino culture; Elmer Borlongan, a multi-awarded painter and veteran of several solo exhibitions; and Salvador Ching, a winner of several competitions in painting and installation art.
Boosting the Philippine art scene
The contest, which is the biggest in the country’s history, offers a total cash prize of more than P2 million, with the winner getting a P1 million. The first runner-up will receive P250,000, while the third placer will take home P150,000. The nine other finalists will get P75,000 each.
Entries using oil, acrylic and/or combination were accepted within a two-week period. The artists were given at least two months to paint their entries.
“A man doesn’t live on bread alone; we must put a soul in everything. I think this art competition embodies the sentiments, the feelings and even the aspirations of our visual artists and our people. Moreover, impact of the PCSO can be expressed not just in words but also in the art form,” Robles added.
The competition — announced over the social media page of Sentro Artista Philippines — also drew several entries from Mindanao. Even amateur artists inside the National Bilibid Prisons were able to join.
“We wanted to help boost the art scene in the country, which suffered much during the pandemic. With the support of the PCSO, we were able to launch this project that hopefully provided a venue for visual artists all over the country,” Marjorie Ruiz, founding partner and owner of Sentro Artista, said.
Aside from the finalists, the PCSO will feature the other 48 artworks that are in the top 60 in its own museum in Mandaluyong.
The PCSO and Sentro Artista will announce the winners on November 10 at the lobby of the Greenhills Mall in San Juan City.
The winning artworks will be exhibited there until November 12 before being transferred to the Sentro Artista Art Hub in Quezon City.
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