HEROES MURAL PAINTINGS GO OVER DRIVE TO BEAT MID-OCTOBER “DEADLINE”

September 7, 2024 Metro BLISTT

 BAGUIO CITY

Paintings of the remaining “inductees” to the Heroes Wall of Fame shift to overdrive at the Baguio athletic bowl. Artists Ged Alangui and Gladys Anne Labsan will have their hands full until mid October as they finish painting the last phase of the mural project or the Final Push. The Final Push will see 85 athletes and sportsmen at the top most portion of the grandstand. Labsan has completed most of the Running Wall component of some 28 former and present athletes.

Former Gintong Alay athletes like David and Manuel Carmelo, Arturo Alimbuyao, Eduardo Laureano, Redentor Bautista, Jose de Vera, Albert Caoili, Ernesto Mendoza, Ruben Kiang and Jeff Tamondong, Alex Cabosura, Sandi Menchi Abahan, long jumper Kath Santos and Rosario Alberto and the Ramos family of Jet, Lou Ann, Josh, Arrow and Dash have been completed.

Labsan will also include the Mandapats of Federico Sr. and Jr., Romeo and Julius and former national team members Eden Banta, Jesusa Jose and Flor Cachero. She will also paint the Leonor Fe Brawner and John Hongitan from archery, former national bowler Rebecca Watanabe and dancesport great Stephaine Sabalo, bike racer Ranidel Resuello, amateur golf great Fred Puckett and Fil Am Golf co-founder Sem. Rogelio dela Rosa.

She is also scheduled to paint basketball greats Romualdo Cabading, Florendo Ritualo Sr. and Benedict Fernandez. She will also have on the same wall basketball international referee Ferdinand Pascual. A bas relief of PBA legend Robert Jaworski, Sr., who was born here, will be placed beside Labsan’s basketball wall and to be done by sculptor Kigao Rosimo. Alangui is expected to finish the martial arts component with the arnis squad needing completion.

Of the four arnisador to be included, Abegail Abad and Elmer Manlapas are completed, while two time Southeast Asian Games gold medal winner Crisamuel Delfin and Eza Rai Yalong, who are still with the Philippine team, are yet to be completed. “I just saw one great photo of Crisamuel and I like that to be painted on the wall,” said Alangui, who is saddled with barangay duties at City Camp Central where he is a kagawad.

Mixed martial artists and wushu players are up next for Alangui. This include MMA fighters Eric and Eduard Kelly, Jeremy Pacatiw and Danny Kingad. Wushu sanda player Gideon Fred Padua will join his elders from the same discipline like Michael Humiding, Rolly and Roger Chulhang, George Lusadan, Marvin Sicomen and the late Rexel Nganhayna. Karate black belts Buguias mayor Ruben Tinda-an and the late Arsenio Dawingan, Sr. will join taekwondo djinns Kobe Macario and Keno Anthony Mendoza. Line up for Alangui are muay Thai greats Edzel Ngina, Billy Alumno and Zaidi Laruan.

The latest addition for Alangui are wrestler Jason Balabal, retired boxer Juvielet Chilem and kickboxer Jomar Balangui. The Final Push’s 85 athlete/sportsmen when completed will see 133 murals at the grandstand and the walls fronting the volleyball courts. The earlier paintings include that of the former Team Lakay by Harold Banario and the Legends of Labsan that include Rey Tam, Hector Begeo, Gerry Dino, Erlinda Lavandia, Jeordan Dominguez, Divine Wally among others.

Backed by MPT Mobility, the Breau of Copyright and Related Rights, the Philippine Veterans Bank, Jomarcann Construction, Davies Paints, Boysen and the Baguio Filipino Chinese Community, the mural project was started in October 2022. A concert for a cause to be staged September 13 and an indigenous people athletes exhibit at the Luisa’s Café by Alangui are also slated as side events for the mural painting in the hope to raise funds that will support the final stages of the project. Friday the 13th will be staged at Kalei’s Bar next Friday and will feature performers like The Edralins and Arman Bergavera, among others.

Pigeon Lobien/ABN