THE 75-YEAR-OLD oil industry leader Petron Corp. recently announced the 2007 winners of ArtPetron, a nationwide art competition, at the Cultural Hall of Petron MegaPlaza, where the best among the oil and watercolor paintings and photographs rendered by students from all over the country were put on display.

Petron received a record 1,265 entries for this year’s competition, which had as its theme “Alay sa Palatandaang Bayan,” in honor of Philippine heritage sites that were built half-a-century ago. Thus, the entries featured landmarks such as monuments, bridges, churches, town halls, lighthouses and other historic places around the country.

National Artists Napoleon Abueva and Benedicto Cabrera led the corps of judges, which included Dr. Jaime Laya, chairman of Philtrust Bank and the author of four books on art and culture; Roberto Feleo, professor and former chairman of the Studio Arts Department of the University of the Philippines-College of Fine Arts; Felice Sta. Maria, Unesco commissioner and vice chairman of the Metropolitan Museum of Manila; Mauro Malang Santos, cartoonist, graphic designer and Gawad ng CCP for the Visual Arts awardee; and Ambeth Ocampo, newspaper columnist, concurrent chairman of the National Commission for Culture and the Arts and National Historical Institute, who reviewed the entries in the painting categories.

Judging the photography category were Wig Tysmans, portraitist and commercial photographer; Romeo Vitug, multiawarded cinematographer and Famas Hall of Famer; Edwin Tuyay, renowned photojournalist; George Tapan, one of the country’s top travel photographers; Paulo Alcazaren, magazine editor; and Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, newspaper publisher.

The three grand-prize winners in the oil category, receiving P50,000 each and an ArtPetron trophy designed by Abueva, were Raffy Napay of Eulogio Amang Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology for Lupang Pinagpulungan, Lupang Libingan; Emerson Guiam of Tarlac State University for Alaala; and Dave Alcon of the Technological University of the Philippines-Manila for Batanes (Bahay na Bato) Kauhayan Du Vatan.

The runners-up, each receiving a trophy and P20,000 cash prize, were Anna Karla Rivera of Technological University of the Philippines-Manila for Alay kay Emilio; Angelo Tabije of the University of the Philippines-Diliman for Monumento; and Julmard Vicente of the University of the East-Caloocan for Ang Naiwang Palatandaan.

In the watercolor category, the three grand-prize winners were Ronald Jeresano from the Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Santa Mesa for Revealed History Behind Mystery; Gerald Mungcal from Chasse Arteskwela (Tarlac City) for Royal University; and Julmard Vicente for Rangtay. The runners-up were Joemel Mirabuena from Tatsulok Artisans Iloilo for Hagdan Sang Padulungan; Fernando Ramos Jr. from Chasse Arteskwela (Tarlac City) for Kanlunga’t Kwento ni Pedro ng Iloilo; and Jeffrey Salon from Kurit Bicol (Camarines Sur) for Bayanihan.

Six grand-prize winners were awarded in the photography category and were given P30,000 and a trophy. They were Ramon Magsaysay Evening Vocational School’s Jo-Ann Bolis for Binondo; Dave Buenconsejo of the University of San Carlos (Cebu City) for Lighthouse of Li-Loan After Rain; Marilaine Claudette Gapal of San Sebastian College for Lipa Church; Jemerson Magay of the Asia-Pacific College for Brave; James Brian Ona from Polytechnic University of the Philippines-Sta. Mesa for Tulay ng Kalakalan at Hanapbuhay; and Dave Arjay Tan from the University of the East-Caloocan for Nahawing Ulap sa Hangin ni Bonifacio.

The runners-up who received P15,000, as well as a trophy, were Jo-Ann Bolis for City Hall and Intramuros; Dave Buenconsejo for View of Cebu Cathedral from a Car Window; Raphael Dorilag of First Academy for Computer Arts for Tulay ng Malagonlong; Graziela Isidro from Pamantasan ng Lungsod ng Maynila for Tribute to KKK Monument; Al Ameer Marco Lawan from Ramon Magsaysay Evening Vocational School for The Traditional Filipino Arko; and Maria Charmaine Layno of the Philippine Photographers Foundation for Paco Park.

During his closing remarks, Petron’s outgoing president Khalid al-Faddagh said, “I take pride in the fact that it was during my stay in Petron that we were able to publish a book called Brushstrokes from the Heart.  This is the first book on Filipino youth artistry that highlights the winning artworks of ArtPetron contestants, as well as their heartwarming success stories. As ArtPetron touched their lives, so, too, have they touched the lives of our stakeholders.”

Petron Corp. recently bagged seven Gold Quill awards from the International Association of Business Communicators-Philippines, including five Anvil Awards of Excellence from the Public Relations Society of the Philippines for ArtPetron.

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ArtPetron winners announced   

THE 75-YEAR-OLD oil industry leader Petron Corp. recently announced the 2007 winners of ArtPetron, a nationwide art competition, at the Cultural Hall of Petron MegaPlaza, where the best among the oil and watercolor paintings and photographs rendered by students from all over the country were put on display.