Balili River houses set as giant artwork; DOT inks MOA

By Redjie Melvic Cawis

LA TRINIDAD, Benguet -- Houses on the mountainous slope along the Balili River in this capital town will soon be transformed into a giant art piece.

The Department of Tourism – Cordillera Administrative Region recently forged  memorandum of agreement with Chanum Foundation or the Tam-Awan artists group, the Municipality of La Trinidad and the Davies Paint for transformation of the veranda of houses along km 3 here,  popularly known as Stone Hill.

DOT regional director Venus Tan said painting of at least 200 houses into a single mural similar to the Favela art of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil is part of the tourism transformation plans of DOT-CAR.

The Favela art earned popularity in Brazil after heavily populated urban informal settlements characterized by substandard housing and squalor were turned into tourism attraction by painting houses in a rainbow of bright colors.

Tan said the beautification plan is in consonance with the Baguio-Boracay Redevelopment Task Force created in 2013 by President Benigno Aquino III under Memorandum Circular 47.

La Trinidad Mayor Edna Tabanda said Stone Hill residents were consulted and have given their consent for the project before the MOA was signed.

Tabanda said transformation of Stone Hill will be a community effort.  Residents of La Trinidad as well as government employees, police force and other volunteers would be working together in creating the giant canvass.

They will be trained by Davies Paints personnel and be supervised by the artists during the painting process.

Chanum Foundation President Jordan Mang-osan said the mural will feature a connective landscape of sunflowers, strawberries and rainbows as conceptualized by the Tam-awan artists who were commissioned by the DOT.

He said that the design depicts the view of the area before houses were built. It will also highlight the One Town One Product of the municipality which is the strawberry.

Davies Paint shall provide for the paint materials for the houses .The painting is expected to commence after the training of residents and finalization of the design. It is expected to be finished in time for the summer season.