Days before the Philippines commemorates the July 12 anniversary of the landmark 2016 South China Sea Arbitral Award, a new milestone in the country’s West Philippine Sea story emerged not in a courtroom or diplomatic forum, but on walls across the country.
A total of 220 murals were completed nationwide as part of the West Philippine Sea Mural Festival, bringing the issue into schools, public markets, military camps, community centers, municipal halls, and public spaces from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.
From the 220 entries, 100 murals were selected. Each will receive a ₱30,000 cash prize and advance to the next stage of the competition, where artists will compete for the festival’s ₱1 million Grand Prize, along with other prizes and special awards.
Among the winning murals were works located in Barangay Pag-asa in the Municipality of Kalayaan, Palawan, placing the festival at the very heart of the West Philippine Sea.
Festival Director AG Saño said, “As someone who has spent years painting murals in communities across the Philippines, I was deeply moved by how people embraced this project. What began as a call for artworks became a shared effort involving artists, schools, local governments, and ordinary citizens.”
The winning muralists represented more than 40 cities, municipalities, and communities across the Philippines.
Among them were artists from the National Capital Region, including Sim Tolentino and Crishaira Bode of Pasig City; Samuel Peñaso, Jayvie Maglente, Abegail Juan, and Kerry Villazor of Quezon City; Froilan Galpo of Mandaluyong City; Bon Labora of Taguig City; Emmanuel Dane Ventura of Caloocan City; and artists from Manila including Dandela Mari Cortez, Balthazar Gamba, Bea Fulgencio, Antonio Pacuan Jr., and Jonathan Joven.
Winning muralists from Luzon included Jonathan Benitez, Leonard Ansiong, Edward Kim Beguina, and the collective led by Ralph Graspela from Palawan; Gino Tioseco and Erwin Griño from Pangasinan; Rodel Dayoan and Emmanuel Peralta Jr. from Ilocos Sur; Michelle Diwa and Bengt Levin Quitoriano from Cagayan; Gromyko Semper from Nueva Ecija; Mark Joseph Beloria and John Paul Antido from Rizal; Resty Lopez from Baguio City; Alexis Benavidez, Roselle Antiqueño, and Mark Ugbinar from Cavite; Joseph Albao and Rashid Sandigan from Batangas; Melchor Bernaldo, Ryan Francisco Caslib, Emmanuel Robles, Jeff Andrew Estabillo, Ronwel Cruz, and Mark Christopher Quizon from Bulacan; Bernard Naorbe from Laguna; Joselito Casao and Augusto Paraiso from Occidental Mindoro; Ivan Geromo from Catanduanes; Jerome Cuison from Tarlac; and the Northern Luzon Naval Command from La Union.
The Visayas was represented by Lloyd Lusica and Loie Guibone from Bohol; Laurence Dee Tanate and the Local Government Unit of Tigbauan x TAGATIG from Iloilo; Eduardo Labana, Willfredo Labana, and Mayola John Lloyd from Samar; Marianne Gonzales from Southern Leyte; Reynan Dinoyo Dingal from Cebu; and Ace Gibson Bulandres Jerusalem, John Magne Lisondra, and Devine Tabig Mahinay from Negros Oriental.
Mindanao’s winning muralists included June Gallego from Mati, Davao Oriental; Virgil Aurillo from Nabunturan, Davao de Oro; Deborah Arevalo and Rellieto Wate from Sto. Tomas, Davao del Norte; Lebron Rey Ruiz, Jared Duplito, and Bryan Cabrera from Davao City; Rene Navalta Jr. from General Santos City; Ronald Tribugenia and the Surallah Artist Group from South Cotabato; Enrique Sanico from Sultan Kudarat; Jarren Dahan, Eugene Cañadilla, and Sherwin Rahj Biñas from Cotabato; Jose Jerry Gumanad Jr., Jeferson Balaobao, and Ian Ondong from Dipolog City; Crismiero Tamis from Butuan City; Edzon Dela Cruz from Cagayan de Oro; Walad Solaiman from Marawi City; and Kasmir Samdak from Sulu.
While public discussions on the West Philippine Sea often focus on territorial disputes and geopolitics, many of the winning entries centered on themes of hope, livelihood, unity, cultural heritage, and stewardship of the sea. Notably, themes of hope, livelihood, heritage, and community appeared more frequently than themes of conflict, revealing how many artists viewed the West Philippine Sea as a source of identity and opportunity rather than merely a geopolitical issue.
Titles such as Pangarap ng Pamamalakaya (Fishing for Dreams), Alon ng Pag-asa, Lambat ng Pag-asa, Karagatan, Tahanan, Karapatan, Pamana ng Bayan, Paninindigan ng Sambayanan, and Atin ang Pag-asa reflected a shared view of the sea as a source of life, opportunity, and national pride.
Several murals paid tribute to fisherfolk and coastal communities whose lives remain closely connected to the sea. Others drew inspiration from Philippine maritime history, indigenous traditions, the 1734 Murillo Velarde Map, the BRP Sierra Madre, and the country’s enduring identity as a seafaring nation.
Festival Founder Baby Ruth Villarama said, “When we launched this festival, we knew in our bones that the West Philippine Sea is more than a place on the map. It is part of our history, our livelihood, our identity, and our shared future. Not every Filipino will set foot in the West Philippine Sea, but every Filipino can help protect its story. Some will paint. Some will teach. Some will create. Some will simply start a conversation. We don’t all have the same role, but we all have a part to play in protecting its story.
This festival has revealed that patriotism begins with caring enough to participate. If more Filipinos walk away believing they have something meaningful to contribute, then every mural becomes a landmark not just of art, but of a nation choosing to remember, celebrate, and protect what it holds dear.”
The Top 100 murals will now advance to the People’s Choice Award, where Filipinos will have the opportunity to help choose this year’s public favorite. Voting opens in the coming weeks, inviting everyone to support the artworks that resonate most with them. By voting, sharing the murals, and sparking conversations, every Filipino can help amplify the story of the West Philippine Sea through the power of art.
The Top 100 finalists will also vie for the Grand Prize, with the winners to be announced during the Grand Finals in November 2026.
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