Despite the heavy downpour early in the morning of St. John the Baptist's Day, members of the Cebu Lumad Lions Club made their way to the northern town of Compostela, Cebu to meet with the local police...not because they are in trouble.
They are there, to do what they love most, and that is to make a statement, painting, with huge walls, as the canvas--commonly known as murals.
This time though, has a deeper goal, and that is to transform the façade of its local police station, into child and environment friendly.
Excitedly waiting for them, is the woman who head the town police force, Police Senior Inspector Junafe Vergara. She said, she was half excited and half worried, thinking that the group may not push through with the plan because of bad weather.
Her police station she said, needs the face lift. Its gloomy and scary.
Other than that, Vergara said, being a woman, her thrust is really in decreasing, if not eliminating all types of violence of children in Compostela.
"Its one of the best way of curbing criminality, by taking care and protecting them," she said
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| PSI Vergara |
"But this is not enough, we need to put some changes, to put more life to what were doing," Vergara said.And the Cebu Lumad Lions came, armed with a talented architect / mural artist, paints and brushes.
Architect Joseph Judilla, mural artists has been initiating several "creative vandalism" since he became a Lions.
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| The Architect |
It is a project, that has as capital, not much on money, but time and patience.
"You don't have to be a good painter, everything else follows as long as you are passionate to the purpose of the mural. And its impact is big. It reaches out to a lot of people," Judilla said.
Even before he reached Compostela, he already had an idea of what the Police Station needs. That is to make a mural that will bring a positive feeling for its clients and the passing or visiting children.
"The design is eye catching, but its message is also about taking care of the environment, that it can grow a good balance with progress," Judilla said.He started with drawing the entire design using a black brush. There were traces of buildings and trees, flowers and rainbow and houses.
Then the mixing of the colors of the paints -- red, yellow, blue, orange, brown, green and white.
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| Compostela Vice Mayor Josephine Abing joins the group. #limpyoCompostela |
PO1 Mylene Edejer was all smiles. She said it was like a breath of fresh air from the usual policeman's day.
"I love it, I don't even feel tired painting all the yellows," she said
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| PO3 Mylene Edejer and POI1 Laarni Abayan |
PO3 Denn Mark Maglinte didn't show any sign of tiredness. He colored the hard to reach areas, those that were already near the ceiling.
"Makawagtang sa stress, the colors make you feel alive, and so will the police station," Maglinte saidBut what makes the activity more meaningful, is the participation of some drug surrenderees of the town. First, they thought they were just our for an exercise and other sweat inducing activities.
Laughing, giggling, they painted like little children.
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| Cebu Lumad Lions President Dr. Ma. Gaille Dejoras hands over childrens books to PO1 Laarni Abayan with Lions Ryan and Timi Solon |
But first, was a story telling by Lumad and the police to neighboring children.
This just goes to show, that things can be done when there is a forged partnership between civil society, private entities and the government...more so, if its for the children.
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| With Charter President Dr. Marilyn Campano, Compostela MPS Chief PSI Junafe Vergara, PP Ferliza Contratista and President Ma. Gaille Dejoras |
As to the police, with a building as colorful as that, it will definitely bring them closer to the community.
