THE PHILIPPINES, SEPTEMBER 14, 2012 – The Department of Tourism’s (DOT) ‘More Fun in the Philippines’ campaign adds the humble “dyip” (jeepney) to its arsenal, using art to help the Philippines’ original “King of the Road” reclaim its old glory.
According to Assistant Tourism Secretary Domingo Ramon Enerio, 50 old jeepneys in the cities of Manila and Makati will be transformed into “works of art and culture” by painting them with designs featuring the Philippines’ cultural heritage and tourist attractions.
And to bring this about, the DOT launched the Jeepney Arts Festival at the Intercontinental Hotel in Makati City, yesterday.
The festival is a corporate social responsibility project of Hop-On, Hop-Off Travel Inc. in cooperation with the DOT and Designweek Philippines, which aims to rehabilitate the jeepney as a Philippine cultural icon and celebrate Filipino artistry.
Jeepney Arts Festival managing director Clang Garcia said that any Filipino can volunteer to paint the jeepneys “on-the-spot to foster the spirit of bayanihan, which brings people together to unleash their creative excellence for art”.
The jeepney painting will be held on September 20-23 on the SM Mall of Asia Open Grounds behind the SMX Convention Center. Participation is free and the volunteers will be provided with painting materials.
