Highway Billboard Art + Girl Bonding Time = Great Night!

The great thing about having 2 grown-up daughters is that I can do grown-up stuff with them. It has been a while since we did things together as they have just been through hell month finishing up school requirements and studying for their Finals. Now that they’re on sem break, we have that chance once again. And last night was one of them.

We went to the blogger launch of The Manila Outdoor Gallery Art Route, held at the Top Shelf of Fully Booked Boni High Street.

This event caught my interest because 1) the theme was environmental awareness (something that I as a yogini have become more sensitive to; 2) it had to do with art (I wanted to get back into the art scene and that, combined with bloggers coming together, was a magnet); and 3) it was time together with my girls.

Beginning today, as you travel through major thoroughfares throughout Manila (EDSA, NLEX and other major roads), try to see if you can spot huge billboards that do OTHER THAN advertise products & services. Frankly, I was never a fan of billboards. In my own opinion, highways need to be free of distractions to allow motorists to drive safely.

I am happy that for once, the Outdoor Advertising Association of the Phils. (OAAP) did something out of their commercially-oriented business and supported awareness of environment responsibility.

The plans were originally to feature 10 works of art but the interest grew so much that there are now 29 works of art throughout Metro Manila that are featured in this billboard art gallery! Some of the Filipino artists are, to name a few, Popo San Pascual, Riel Hilario, Eddie Boy Escudero, Jose Terence Ruiz, Mario V. Fernandez, Gari Buenavista, MM Yu, Christina Q. Ramilo, Lotsu Manes, and Tina Fernandez (who also curated the exhibit).

Here are some of those billboard art you can see. Try to spot some more as you travel!

After the event, the girls asked to go down to Fully Booked. Bookstores are always a favorite hangout spot for our family so I obliged. Actually, I also wanted to look around myself! When they got tired, they went to Starbucks (C2 had coffee). Then on our way home, we all felt hungry again so we dropped by McDo in the Fort for some late-night burgers and fries. All this time we covered topics ranging from the event, to school, to friends, to their inner thoughts & other not-to-be-named topics. Haha!

All in all, it was an artsy and environmentally conscious evening combined with mother-daughter bonding. What a great start to their sem break! Wonder when our next bonding will be…