LCP Marcelina Supsup
A mural is an excellent medium to strengthen collaboration across every age, identity, gender, race, and religious affiliation. Murals can integrate ideas, values, sketches, and artistic mechanisms of Rotarians, Rotaractors, youth, and neighborhood members throughout various stages of the process. A mural can communicate what a barangay or community appreciates, values, or desires to see in the future. Not only does the mural beautify and uplift the space, it gives a sense of ownership back to the stakeholders.
In a new way, murals have become community centerpieces that bring people together to celebrate the heritage and history of their home. Murals also make our neighborhood beautiful. They add color to building walls and streets that would otherwise go unnoticed, which is a treat for locals and tourists alike. Murals attract new local businesses, help bring customers to pre-existing locations, and boost the economy of an area. Some cities even offer walking or biking public art tours as a great way to interact with a city and its art.
Barangay 412 in Manila is a great example of how community murals can transform space. After years of having a vacant faded wall in the small alley of Barangay 412 from the busy street of Legarda, RC Manila San Miguel headed by LCP Marcelina Supsup began an interactive community mural and artistic signature project called One Mural Day! with a theme of “Save Mother Earth”, which is about the environment for the future generation. The murals painted as part of this project acclaimed and gave importance to the Rotary’s new area of focus: Supporting the Environment.
The purpose of the mural is to reflect the self-expression of the participant’s advocacy. The participants are the Rotaractors and Rotary Community Corps (RCC). The RCC advocates the greening of the Barangay 412 where they live. They developed a community gardening that are source of nutritious foods freshly available every day. Their goal is to help the environment and save the earth for future generation to live revitalized the residents and their community which is one of the inspirations of the mural concept. The RCC is headed by President Eulalia Obnania, together with the following officers: Vice President Beatriz Fellizar, Secretary Evangeline Andres, Treasurer Lucia Galit, Auditor Virginia Barbo, Asst. Auditor Merly Cabibijan, PRO Marilou Ranada and Dolores Arteche, RCC PP Filomena Cinco.
For the Rotaractors, the mural paintings encouraged creativity and imaginative thinking. It helped them develop self-esteem, communication skills, and socio-economic abilities. It is hope that through the mural activities, the participants can help ease stress and impact the youth and the neighborhood by allowing them to appreciate the creativity and the story behind the mural paintings, to bring ideas together both young and old, while also encouraging dialogue about how individuals can protect the Mother Earth. The RCSM Rotaract is led by President Jessa Mae Bagunas and the officers are Vice President Princess Jane Del Rosario, Secretary Joyce Andress, Treasure Rosemarie Cahanap, Auditor Alexandra Nicole Busa, PRO Daryl John Mananghaya, SAA Arven Jay Rosales, Rotaract PP Daryl John Mananghaya.
Art projects come and go. Murals are here to stay. It is a legacy, a means for Rotarians, Rotaractors, and stakeholders to communicate from generation to generation. This mural project is an artistic dialogue serving to provoke and inspire present and future generations and nourishing positive community culture.