Launch of the UPLB Sculpture Garden

Maligayang pagbati sa inyong lahat!

Sa mundong namamayagpag ang teknolohiya at modernisasyon, naniniwala akong ang sining at kultura ay siyang gabay natin upang mapanatiling makabuluhan at buhay ang ating identidad, kasaysayan, at kwento ng ating lipunan.

Sa pamamagitan ng sining, malaya nating naihahayag ang ating kritikal na pag-iisip, at ang ating mga hangarin para sa kinabukasang mas maunlad, payapa at may pagkakapantay-pantay.

This belief is what led me to collaborate with my friend, Junyee, one of the pioneers of installation art in the country, in many creative initiatives that would promote awareness and appreciation of cultural heritage, environmental conservation, and the beauty of Filipino artistry. We share the same passion not only in art and culture but also in the environment.

We were able to install Bantayog ng Wika monuments together with the Komisyon sa Wikang Filipino (KWF). These are symbolic language markers in various provinces such as Antique, Ifugao, Kalinga, Batanes, Pangasinan, South Cotabato, and Tawi-Tawi, among others, as part of our effort to save our country’s intangible cultural heritage.

In 2018, I supported the musical play of Jun Yee’s life story. The play’s title, “Balag at Angud” was based on two important works of Junyee. Balag is a trellis structure he created in 1970 from bamboo, bound firmly by ropes or strings, and is meant to be a freedom space. Angud, on the other hand, is part of the tree trunk where holes are drilled for hauling logs from the mountains, Junyee’s visual statement against illegal logging in the country.

He gave me some of his Angud installations to always remind me of my advocacy against illegal logging and the environment. Other creations of Junyee displayed in my office are the Wood Thing, made of banana leaves and kapok buds, and door installations made of wires and traditional textiles.

Today, we gather here for another meaningful milestone in our journey of promoting art, culture, and ecological responsibility, as we launch the very first sculpture garden in the Philippines here in the beautiful natural surroundings of the University of the Philippines Los Baños.

I am happy to officially launch the UP Los Baños Sculpture Garden, knowing that the realization of this project that I funded in 2018, was made possible through the collective effort of the university, Junyee, other Filipino artists, and all of those who contributed their expertise and support.

This sculpture garden is a sanctuary of Junyee’s six decades of artistic expression. It features different installations that have meaningful social relevance, including Balag and Angud; the Bantayog ng Wika; the Bagong Binhi, originally created in 1986 made of twigs and leaves; the Ugnayan that he made for APEC in 2015; the Balanghay, which reflects the past and the present; and of course, Makiling, to whom the entire garden is dedicated to.

I also would like to recognize the Pavilion designed by the Architect Bimbo Baltre. This Pavilion will not only serve as a venue for events but will also serve as a vital source of funding to ensure the maintenance and preservation of this sculpture garden.

Isinasalarawan ng sining ang mga isyu at suliranin ng lipunan na minsan ay ating nakakaligtaan o hindi makuhang banggitin at mapag-usapan. Kung kaya, sa isang magaling na alagad ng sining, ang aking kaibigan, Junyee, lubos ang aking pasasalamat sa pagbabahagi mo ng iyong galing at talento. Sa iyong malikhaing pagbibigay boses at kahulugan sa mga talakayin sa lipunan at sa ating kapaligiran. Nais ko ding ipabatid ang aking pasasalamat sa University of the Philippines – Los Baños sa inyong masigasig na pangunguna upang maisakatuparan ang mahalagang proyektong ito na hindi lamang kumikilala sa kagalingan ng Pilipino ngunit higit sa lahat ay siyang magbibigay ng inspirasyon sa mga alagad ng sining ng bagong henerasyon.

Maraming salamat at isang luntiang Pilipinas sa lahat!