Artists On Call

Major civic and religious celebrations have become such a big tradition in Ayala Alabang, so villagers are often speculating about Christmas décor or how the gates will be dressed up for a certain national holiday or a religious festivity.

Take this year’s Independence Day. Giant tricolors were proudly mounted on the three major village gates while smaller Philippine flags waved languidly from hundreds of lamp posts lining up the village’s major thoroughfares.

The governors who make up the board of the Ayala Alabang Village Association (AAVA) led by Lito Guidoti woke up extra early on June 12 and donned freshly-pressed barongs to assist in the 7 a.m. flag-raising ceremony held near the Madrigal gate. The ceremony done, they broke bread over a simple breakfast at the Cuenca covered court where the rest of the day’s activities took place.

An added bonanza of sorts that made this year’s celebration more special was the contest: To paint PLDT telephone utility boxes sitting on strategic points all over the village. It was a challenge taken by 40 people – the young and young once. Such a contest was nothing new to the villagers. Not too long ago, they also artfully painted the fire hydrants with a different theme each.

I was told that during the conceptualization process of painting the telephone boxes, interest ran high with the guys from PLDT that the company agreed to generously support the event with the needed logistics, paraphernalia and attractive prizes to boot.

After the contest was announced on streamers around the village and in the pages of the AAVA News, the response was so awesome that 17 volunteer groups were on the waiting list till the day of the event.

On the weekend of June 9 and 10, passersby saw these various groups busy as bees painting the boxes assigned to them. It was a festive sight indeed, of how a village can be the motivated to be united and act as one for a common good, how people can be counted on as long as the activity is not initiated by some traditional politician whose agenda is self-serving.

The amateur artists feverishly and painstakingly did their masterpieces, unmindful of the heat or sporadic drizzle on those two days. Groups that wanted to have flawless presentations were seen doing last-minute touchups till the evening of Sunday. This writer caught up with Baby Carandang and mother Raina Silva working on their utility box at night to beat the deadline, using the headlights of their Ford van for illumination. It was a scene that’s hard to forget.

At nine on the sunny morning of June 11, the delegation from PLDT accompanied the trio of judges – this writer, potter Jon Pettyjohn, and Winnie Zarate – to view all 41 entries. At a little past noon, all entries had been marked.

A good number of entries revolved on the themes of patriotism, religion, hope and optimism for a brighter future. Some also dealt with the importance of global communication while those done by the younger participants showed their generation’s proclivity to texting and other high-tech hobbies. Of course, a few paid lip service to PLDT, knowing that the company bankrolled the contest.

One particular entry that touched this writer was done by the youth group known in the community as the Youth Praise of Saint James the Great. In cubist form and style rendered in vivid primary colors, they articulated the belief that despite the modern times – where man is enmeshed in science, technology and commerce – he can still remain loyal to his Creator. That, I think, was the rationale behind the representation of a white-barged young man with arms slightly akimbo in praise of the Lord. Martin Gonzales, Meggy Gana, LA Lopez, Jason Buensalido and Chris van Hoven were the young men and women behind this picture really worth a thousand-and-one words.

One entry that readily showed that women were behind it capitalized on a seamless technique of gradation or umbre. A mysterious hand clutching a cell phone peeping behind a beach recliner is the only thing that interrupts the almost graphic rendition of the shore and the space beyond ending into the blue horizon with the huge golden sun in the background. Foliage cascading into the frame gives the picture a tropical feeling. Another feminine touch was the nacre and silver sequins depicting water. Real seashells were embedded on the part denoting Boracay sand. The young ladies behind the artwork were Maricar and Lindsay Hofileña, Olivia Sarabia and Marina Reyes.

The 41 entries all had a message to impart and all did it quite well. Too bad only five could be chosen as winners.

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