BUILDING OF BCNHS ART GALLERY STARTS

April 29, 2023 Metro BLISTT

Baguio City

The building of the first art gallery in a public high school started Tuesday when councilor Leandro Yangot, Jr. turned over materials to start construction. And that did not end the day for the artists-councilor when he led city officials including mayor Benjamin Magalong in opening the first art bank at the Baguio athletic bowl later. Baguio City National High School officials, alumni of the
school and students of the city’s biggest high school received the initial materials for its construction from Yangot Tuesday morning.

BCNHS principal Whitney Dawayen received in behalf of the school the donation of the councilor, who initiated a BCNHS based art festival last February. “We thank the good councilor of his donation which has been the desire of our school,” said Dawayen during the morning ceremony at the school library. Yangot’s donation was a pledge he made earlier this year when he started the art
workshop at the school and attended by students from other high schools. And it came during the celebration of his 56th birthday.

The money used was sourced out from the sale of his artworks that were put on display at The Manor at Camp John Hay for exhibit last February 15. He also got part from the sale of similar art works on display at the Le Fern Hotel. He said that works on the construction would definitely go full blast next week with Special Program in the Arts teacher Ben Ebanio who will lead workers in the construction. The president of the Baguio Educators Art Guild is set to defend his thesis this
week and was unable to join Tuesday’s groundbreaking ceremony.

“From then we can go full blast,” said Yangot. After office hours that day, Yangot welcomed Magalong, city administrator Bonifacio dela Pena, tourism officer Aloysius Mapalo, sports officer Gaudencio Gonzales and Baguio Creative Council cochair Raymundo Rovillos in unveiling the first art bank in the city at the former city tourism office at the sports complex. This is for our students,
the younger generation where we can train them and have their works displayed or even sell, said the birthday celebrator. The athletic bowl art bank was first opened in December last year.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN