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Murals raise environmental awareness at Paseo
Murals have been painted around the Paseo de Marianas in Garapan as part of the Bureau of Environmental Quality’s 2014 “Storm Drain Mural Art” project to raise awareness about storm drain dumping in the area.
“This is like the heart of the center, this is where everybody comes,” Olivia Tenorio the project’s coordinator said.
A contest was held to select the mural painted near the storm drains, with seven overall selected from a pool of 70 drawings to be painted unto sites with supplies provided by BECQ.
April Cabrera a senior who just graduated from Kagman High School won first place. Second place went to Javin Okawa, a senior at KHS. At third place was Melvin Sakisat, also a senior at KHS. Honorable mentions were Roxy Lamar, who had the help of her art class in Oleai Elementary paint her mural, according to Tenorio, and Nemie Baiza Jr of Marianas High School, Janet Estrellado of MHS, and Brett Halstead of KHS
Tenorio said she asked the artists—who were largely students—to provide something “eye-catching” as well as something that could serve as an “environmental tool and message” that could draw public attention to the connection between storm drains, pollution, and impacts on marine life.
“All [the artists] needed to do was to come up a message and design and transfer it on to the pavement,” she said.
One mural of a person with his mouth wide eating fish, with a message to the side that read: “Treat it like you’d eat it.”
“[People] think that [the water] is treated but it’s untreated. Unlike [water] treated in a plant… it goes directly to the ocean,” Tenorio said.
She said BECQ has plans to put the murals up on their website, along with profiles of the contributing artists.
Money awarded for first place was $100; for second place, $80; third place, $60. The four other honorable mentions received $50 each.
Judges for the contest were Vinnie Sablan and Tom Pangelinan of BECQ, Geralyn Dela Cruz of Division of Fish and Wildlife, and Mary Ann Arriola of the Zoning Office.
