mmalabanan
BENGUET, Philippines. To promote a more sustainable tourism industry in La Trinidad, Benguet, hundreds of houses in Barangay Balili in Stone Hill in La Trinidad will be decorated with colorful murals.
According to Venus Tan, Tourism Regional Director for Cordillera, the area was chosen for the project because the mountain of houses, often deemed as an eyesore, is the first sight that greets tourists as they enter the place.
The project, under the REV-BLOOM campaign of Department of Tourism (DOT) Cordillera, was adapted from the Favela paintings in Brazil. Designed by Tam-awan Village artists, the project is considered the first in the country and will feature the sunflower as the main theme of the mural.
More than 18,000 square meters of houses will be painted. Several paint companies have promised to pitch in by providing the paint and other materials.
“‘Yung apat na design pinagsama-sama namin. Pinili namin ‘yung maganda at pinakamadali. Pinili ng artists ‘yung sunflower kasi dati itong puno ng mga sunflower,” said Jordan Mang-osan, one of the artists of the project.
(We put together four designs. We chose the most beautiful and the easiest. The artists picked the sunflower design because the place used to be filled with sunflowers.
A similar project is being eyed for Quirino Hill in Baguio City.
