Baguio artists present special mural at CJH Manor
BAGUIO CITY: Nine individuals on the autism spectrum who are beneficiaries of the Fashion Arts Autism Benefit (FAAB) project of the Autism Hearts Foundation painstakingly worked hard to present an 8x8 feet painting on canvas, a diptych titled “Elkat: An Enchanted Forest” now on display at the Camp John Hay (CJH) Manor.
This mural is part of the CJH Manor’s Enchanted Holidays presentation to the public launched this month.
The artists worked for six weekends to complete their masterpiece, which is also their first major collaboration under the guidance of Special Education (SPED) teacher and artist-mentor Yvonne Almazan-Malaga.
The nine artists are proud products of art therapy sessions that began in 2018 in what used to be the Lone Star Steakhouse inside Camp John Hay, with the help of volunteer artists including Robert Joaquin, Gladys Ann Labsan and Ged Alangui, among others, and with the sustained support of Lissa Sobrepeña, the chairman of the FAAB project and project lead of the Autism Hearts Foundation Board of Directors.
The two-year art therapy program for FAAB Baguio beneficiaries should have culminated with the observance of World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) at the United Nations headquarters in New York in 2020 via an event that was supposed to showcase the artist’s outputs from the art sessions, but it was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Despite the limitation, the artists continued to hone their skills with the encouragement of their parents and the help of Alangui and Almazan-Malaga.
In April, Baguio’s FAAB artists Justin Zambrano and Emarnel Pasana, along with their parents and counterparts from FAAB Kalibo, represented their peers at the World Autism Awareness celebration in New York City’s Guggenheim Museum in the Philippines consulate office with an art exhibit and fashion show that premiered FAAB Philippines’ works of art.
Dr. Erlinda Borromeo, AHF founder and chairman of the AHF Board of Directors, said the partnership with the Sobrepeña family began in 2016 when they first established the FAAB project in Manila, then later on in Kalibo, Aklan, and then in Baguio in 2018.
At the height of the pandemic, AHF added FAAB Quezon City to their list of valued beneficiaries.
AHF’s founder is a Filipino grandmother of a child living with autism based in the United States. Since her grandson’s diagnosis, it has been her mission to spread awareness of autism and help others living on the spectrum to be able to foster a more inclusive community, especially in the Philippines.
CJH Manor General Manager Ramon Cabrera expressed his gratitude to those who patronized the Nov. 12, 2022 benefit dinner as the hotel has already become the country’s beacon of world-class service and fine guest experiences.
The project aims not only to broaden awareness of autism but also to provide sustainability to help more individuals on the autism spectrum become productive citizens.