Dino’s mural is third Heroes painting to be vandalized

Another Heroes mural at the Baguio Athletic Bowl was vandalized this week. Three names now join artist Gladys Anne Labsan at
the seven foot high mural of two time Olympian and judoka Jerry Dino.
Aside from Labsan, Eduardo, Vincent and Reindel – the last apparently a Sabsab, can be seen at the wall inside the dugouts. The last has also
a smiling emoji.
“Adda manen nag-vandal di rabii (Somebody who vandalized last night),” city sports development officer 4 Gaudencio Gonzales private messaged this writer Tuesday morning. “Or di kalman (or yesterday),” added the PM of the sports office head.
The scribbled names, one in full capital, were place outside of the figure or the windlike images placed by the artist, representing the Philippine colors.
“Narigat mabantayan… open to all gamin (It is really difficult to guard it… because it is open to all),” added Gonzales, who last month instructed security personnel to disallow suspicious characters from entering the Baguio athletic bowl. He has also instructed the guards to determine if a person show signs of being mentally challenged after one of the mural works of Harold Banario was vandalized middle of last
month.
Allegedly by a mentally challenged woman who berated a jogger at the big grandstand who asked her what she was doing with the Mark Eddiva mural. Ged Alangui, one of the three artists of the Heroes: Wall of Fame mural project said that he was able to talk with the jogger, a retired police personnel, who said that the woman of below average height, matted hair, verbally abused him and said that it is not his business and she can do whatever she wants as she used the brush and paints left by Banario near the paintings in doing re-painting the mural.
“I am against artists who vandalize other artist’s work. They should show respect. However, this is a mentally challenged woman and I forgive her,” said Banario in an interview with young film makers before fixing his work in time for the June 29 launching of the 32- athlete Heroes mural project.
Labsan said that the vandals appear to be afraid of doing damage to the work itself and instead wrote their names outside. It was her second work damaged by vandals at the sports complex. Her work, like the five others are under the long stage and are used as dugout by athletes.
The dugouts are used by athletes – even hobbyists – mostly of them into volleyball, who are there seven days a week, practically from dawn until dusk.
Last May, her Heroes Wall of Fame work on two time Southeast Asian Games marathon queen Christabel Martes was damaged by a vandal who used a sharp object to etch part of her teeth and eyes. “I hope people will stop vandalizing and instead find ways to express their creativity,” said the former Brave Fighting Championship fighter out of Team Lakay adding that there should be respect of somebody’s works.
The Dino mural was part of Labsan’s first six murals at the Baguio athletic bowl which was launched in October 2020 and completed in May of last year. Her works at the grounds include three time Olympian Hector Begeo, former SEAG javelin queen Erlinda Lavandia, former professional boxer Rey Tam, former world taekwondo poomsae champion Jeordan Dominguez and wushu sanda great Divine Wally.
She did 12 of the 32 athletes mural at the Heroes Wall of Fame portion. Banario, on the other hand, did the eight figure Team Lakay mural also at the grounds before doing 10 of the Wall of Fame, all from the martial arts discipline. Alangui, the latest artist to join them, did 10 from other sports disciplines including basketball, volleyball, golf, chess and car racing.
Pigeon Lobien/ABN

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