'Love Stories' exhibit raises funds for Basilan scholars

(Art for Our Scholar’s Sake)





Art and romance make a lovely pair in Love Stories, a fund-raising exhibition of paintings and photographs organized by the Philam Foundation for its scholars in Basilan. The exhibit runs from February 11 to 20 at the Philam Lobby on U.N. Avenue, Ermita, Manila.

Comprised of visual narratives on romance, Love Stories features the paintings of Wilfredo Alicdan, Mark Arcamo, Caña, Convocar, Marc Cosico, Joe Datuin, Vincent Padilla, Sherwin Tan, Roger "Rishab" Tibon and Inna Vitasa, and the photographs of Paul Escobar, Edwin Loyola, Martin Macalintal, Peter Marquez, Kaye Pizarro, Vic Sollorano and Harvey Tapan.

Held in celebration of National Arts Month and the Valentine season, Love Stories will open on February 11, Monday, at 6 p.m. To underscore the exhibit's theme, the opening-night program will feature poets Vim Nadera, Mike Coroza, Teo Antonio and Marra Lanot reading love poems and poet Pete Lacaba crooning his "salinawit" - romantic songs which he himself translated from English to Filipino.

Love Stories is specifically intended to build up resources for the Aid for Basilan Children (ABC) Fund, a project of the Philam Foundation in partnership with the Philippine Business for Social Progress (PBSP) since 2002. The ABC Fund sends over 500 children to school in war-torn Lamitan, Basilan, providing them with uniforms, books, school supplies and supplemental feeding over a period of six years to cover their elementary education.

Through the years, various components such as a mentoring program, remedial sessions, teacher training and audio-visual materials have helped improve the learning capabilities of students as well as the teaching skills of the instructors. In 2007, the Philam Foundation and the PBSP reached an agreement to sustain the scholars' secondary education.

Through the Love Stories exhibit, Philam is creating a synergy between the various causes it upholds - promoting Philippine art and artists while also raising funds for its scholars.

Starting with Love Stories, the Philam Foundation is looking at revitalizing the insurance company's arts program this year. Already recognized for its corporate social responsibility efforts in Health, Education, Arts & culture and Livelihood and Enterprise Development (HEAL), the Foundation wants to further strengthen its role in the field of arts.

This is a nod to its history as a premiere supporter of the arts. Philamlife on U.N. Avenue was among the country's pioneers in hosting exhibitions in the 1960s with its Lobby shows drawing crowds of art enthusiasts and patrons.

In recent years, the Philamlife Theater, also on U.N. Avenue, has been home to the acclaimed Manila Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO). The Philam Foundation has also produced Christmas CDs like "Payapang Pasko" (2004), featuring the MPO playing traditional Filipino Christmas songs arranged for an orchestra and "Iyo Kailan Pa Man" (2005), featuring traditional Filipino kundimans or love songs as sung by the world-renowned Philippine Madrigal Singers.

For inquiries on Love Stories and the ABC Fund, please call the Philam Foundation at 526-9449/ 526-9446 or e-mail philamfoundation@aig.com.

Paintings:
Wilfredo Alicdan
Mark Arcamo,
Caña
Convocar
Marc Cosico
Joe Datuin
Vincent Padilla
Sherwin Tan
Roger "Rishab" Tibon
Inna Vitasa

Photographs:
Paul Escobar
Edwin Loyola
Martin Macalintal
Peter Marquez
Kaye Pizarro
Vic Sollorano
Harvey Tapan

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