BUILD. Expand. Repeat. The burgeoning development of residential lots continues to narrow the streets of arguably every city in the Philippines, even in the provinces.
As more structures built closer to one other, the less inviting the view until we can no longer see vibrancy past the large gray mountains of mortar and stone.
Not only does this affect stakeholders, tourists and other prospective investors who see such slums as visible barriers from foraying into what the city actually offers, but such clutter greatly hastens the decline of property values of the land—both financially and ecologically.
Communities in a state of overbuilding and squalor can definitely benefit from the beautification of their area. This is achieved by two simple factors: art and involvement.
Art and involvement
A major movement that has been tapped into by governments across the globe is “street art.” A more acceptable term for graffiti, street art has been used by artists to convey their messages for decades. For the most part, this has been mostly considered illegal and has built the connotation that this art form is exclusive to vandals and gangs.
In more recent times, governments have been encouraged to embrace this visual art culture for community and property development. By engaging the public and refurbishing the purposes of street art, it easily serves as a means to revitalize both the image and the mindset of their communities.
In Mexico the youth organization Germen Crew (along with members of the community) was sanctioned to paint over 200 houses spanning 20,000 square meters in the town Palmitas. This resulted in, among a lot of other intended outcomes, the eradication of youth-oriented violence in the area.
In Brazil’s tourist haunt Rio de Janeiro, the ongoing Favela Paint Project involves the Dutch art duo Haas&Hahn working with locals in various slums to create a more beautiful façade for the towns, resulting in a large decrease in drug trafficking.
La Trinidad
Here in the Philippines, the biggest street-art project making waves at the moment can be found in La Trinidad, Benguet. Known for its strawberry fields and chilly climate, tourists flock to La Trinidad for a taste of the succulent fruit and a refreshing landscape of nature and mountains. But the view of natural rock formations have been cascaded over with mountains of run-down houses piling over each other.
Hence, residents, government officials, artists, and police enforcers all came together to create a large mural covering over 180 houses and spanning 18,000 sqm. Davies Paints supplied 2,800 gallons for free to facilitate the project’s completion, and so that the painters may truly have free reign in their artistry. Designed by the Tam-awan Village artists, the colorful canvas of homes has been a major component of the region’s CAR Rev-Bloom campaign.
With the aim to “rev up, revive, revisit, revitalize” the Cordillera region, the local government has been able to convert the once shabby-looking town into a gorgeous Stone Hill mural that serves as a wonderful underline to the natural beauty that Benguet already possesses.
From retouching and upkeep alone, the large mural brings together the household volunteers to maintain the campaign through the next decade. This project united the locals and gave them a better sense of community, paving the way for a cleaner environment that is both sustainable and serves to elevate the socioeconomic benefits that can be reaped from happy citizens in a great location.
“Benguet is a place where adventure is worth remembering,” said former Benguet Governor Nestor Fongwan in a message to his constituents. “It is a place conducive for retreat of weary souls in search for inner peace and momentous solitude.”
Indeed, this sentiment rings true and is now realized by the welcoming floral display painted across the humble structures of the town.
The success of this movement has encouraged the city of Baguio to follow suit and highlights the efforts of Bonifacio Global City to spread street-art culture as a form of improvement, rather than a drawback to development.
Sustainable community properties
Street art not only drastically changes the façade of properties and communities for the better. More important, this intricate art form provides a source of interest from within the community itself.
Locals maintain the artworks that they themselves created and, in turn, contribute to the sustained interest in built-structures. This can greatly lessen the prevalence of neglected buildings or houses that, more so than being depressing reminders of the glorious past, stand as a structural threat that simply waits to topple over unknowing bystanders.
Artists, like Banksy from England and Manila’s own Kampo, caused a resurgence in street art that isn’t simply “gang bombing” by spreading their graffiti across urban settings. And although most business sectors still see graffiti as radical and obstructive to urban development, these recent projects prove that it may just be the new breath of life that old structures need.
Successful development is not about continued building. More often than not, this only leads to overbuilding and overcrowding spaces that could have been used to make members of the community come together. Instead, successful development should be all about creating sustainable structures that can benefit a community’s environment, socioeconomic stature and even harmony.
Former Benguet Vice Governor Nelson Dangwa could not have said it any better. “The challenges of globalization, tourism and cultural awakening are on our door steps. The resources are here. We can tap them and give our people the development they need.”
Image credits: Davies Paints Philippines Facebook page, Street Art News