Rediscovering Metro Manila through visual arts
IN CELEBRATION of National Tourism Month, private operator of LRT-1 Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), is teaming up with two organizations: Urban Sketchers Quezon City (USK QC) and Fujifilm XA-3 Community Philippines to help more Filipinos in rediscovering the beautiful and historic places in Manila that are easily accessible by taking the LRT-1.
To kick-off the month-long celebration, artist members and other participants will get to draw and sketch on location the excellent hubs for Philippine culture and history in Manila through the activity “LRT-1 ikotMNL Sketch Walk: Urban Sketchers QC goes to Manila”.
On September 10, LRMC gathered artists together to visit public parks and open spaces near LRT-1 stations, and to capture the essence of a place or tell a story through sketching. The event was open to all sketchers of all artistic levels – no drawing experience necessary. It was an opportunity to learn more about urban sketching techniques through a talk to be given by representatives of USK QC.
A week after the sketch walk, LRMC showcased a plethora of colonial architecture, historical open spaces, and other Instagram-worthy tourist destinations in Manila by engaging photographers through “LRT-1 ikotMNL Photo Walk with Fujifilm XA-3 Community Philippines” to capitalize on a traveler’s desire to capture a unique perspective of Manila through photography.
On September 17, participants in the photo walk got the chance to join different photographers in exploring the best of Manila and inspire people to communicate hope through photos that feature ecological, cultural, and historical tourism.
Recognizing that tourism is inevitably linked to transport, participants of the sketch walk and the photo walk visited three LRT-1 stations, namely United Nations, Central Terminal, and Carriedo, which are known for many nearby interesting tourist sites.
The LRT-1 ikotMNL Tourism Month celebration will culminate with a pop-up exhibit that will bring together the stories, sketches, and photographs from the sketch walk and photo walk activities. The exhibit will be located at LRT-1 Doroteo Jose Station, and will open on World Tourism Day on September 27 until October 31.
ikotMNL was launched in 2018 as a tourism campaign, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and local tour operators to promote the rediscovery of Metro Manila’s historical spots and landmarks that are accessible by riding the LRT-1. Through LRT-1’s ikotMNL, local and foreign tourists can rediscover more Metro Manila since they can take the train and have more time to explore food, shopping, museums, and parks.