13 X 20.5 inches, watercolor on Arches rough 185gsm
Entry to the 3rd ArtPetron National Student Art Competition
May 04, 2003
The artwork depicts a local sea cucumber gatherer resting in the mangrove shade, watching egrets and whimbrels glean for food nearby a bird watching lookout in the Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary across Mactan, Cebu. "Panginhas" is a Cebuano [a language of central and southern Philippines] term for collecting edible invertebrates such as mussels and sea urchins during low tides-- a common pastime and livelihood for many coastal inhabitants in the country.
The sanctuary is an internationally recognized protected area since 1992, being the Philippines' largest "refueling station" for migratory birds from Siberia, China and Japan. The 920-hectare wetland is part of a transcontinental flyway of 77 bird species. More than 60 percent of this avifauna take a stopover on Olango's tropical shores. The rich mudflats and dense mangrove provide suitable feeding and roosting grounds for 97 species of birds, which include migratory Chinese egrets, terns, gray plovers, great knots, and whimbrels that annually fly to Australia and back to their northern breeding areas. This delicate eco-tourism site harbors not only a variety of birds, but diverse seashore plant life as well, including 27 species of mangrove.
The scene remarkably captures a simple yet profound moment of harmony between man and nature. Moreover, it communicates the important message of environmental protection and sustainability: a vital practice that must be employed to effectively safeguard the Philippines' vibrant but threatened biodiversity.
- Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap
