 |
| Photo by Janna Pineda / PIA-NCR |
By Janna Marie Pineda
QUEZON CITY (PIA) — The National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) jointly launched a nationwide mural festival aimed at fostering a deeper sense of national pride and awareness regarding the country’s sovereign rights and maritime heritage.
Filmmaker Baby Ruth Villarama, representing Voyage Studios, introduced the inaugural “West Philippine Sea Mural Festival” during the opening ceremony of the 2026 National Arts Month held at Rizal Park on Sunday, February 1.
Building on the synergy established during the production of the award-winning documentary “Food Delivery: Fresh from the West Philippine Sea,” Voyage Studios and the PCG underscored that the festival is the extension of their shared mission to utilize creative expression as a tool to amplify the voices of coastal communities and honor the courage of those on the frontlines.
“The festival was born from one question: ‘How do we bring the West Philippine Sea into our hearts and souls?’ How can we take an issue that mostly lives in news reports and on maps and make it something people can feel? We believe art has the power—whether in a gallery or on a community wall—to help us feel, understand, and participate,” Villarama explained.
Under the theme “Kulayan ang Karagatan para sa Kalayaan,” the WPS Mural Festival is a nationwide call to Filipino artists and communities to use public art to narrate the stories of Filipino fisherfolk and the ecological importance of the West Philippine Sea, transforming common spaces into canvases of shared responsibility to advocate for the preservation of the nation’s maritime future.
WPS Mural Festival 2026 Guidelines
Unlike traditional art competitions, the WPS Mural Festival features a unique nationwide selection process. Rather than simply accepting open proposals, a national jury—in collaboration with the NCCA—will select 100 winning mural designs from across the country.
Each of the 100 winners will receive a P30,000 cash prize in recognition of their artistic excellence and their contribution to enhancing public spaces. These selected works will then become eligible for major awards, including a P1 million grand prize, as well as various special and sponsorship awards.
The festival is open to a wide range of participants, including individual artists, artist collectives, student groups, and community-based organizations. The organizers also emphasized the importance of local government unit (LGU) support in bringing these visual narratives to life.
The murals may tell stories about Filipino identity, marine and coastal life, environmental conservation, peace, and hope for future generations.
Regarding artistic style, the organizers emphasized that the festival is open to diverse interpretations. Artists are free in their form and manner of expression, provided that the work remains respectful and does not serve as propaganda for any political party or candidate.
“Kaya sa paglulunsad nito ngayong National Arts Month, pinapaalala namin ang mahalagang papel ng mga artist–hindi lamang bilang tagalikha, kundi bilang tagapangalaga ng ating kultura at tagahubog ng ating kolektibong imahinasyon,” said Villarama, emphasizing that the festival is a call to action for the creative community to stand in solidarity with the nation’s maritime frontliners.
(As we launch this initiative during National Arts Month, we are reminded of the vital role of artists—not only as creators but as guardians of our culture and shapers of our collective imagination.)
The submission period for entries will run from February 10 to April 10, 2026. (JMP/PIA-NCR)
0 Comments