After the end of World War II, the streets of the Philippines were dominated by refurbished surplus vehicles known as the Jeepney. The colourful vehicle has not relinquished the title, ‘King of the Road,’ ever since and has continued to weave its way through the country’s traffic-heavy streets.
With its cramped seats, deafening music, blinding lights, and a mosaic of art works dominating its main frame, including the names of love ones and famous actors, riding the Jeepney for the first time can be an unnerving experience.
To preserve the status of the Jeepney as a cultural icon and enhance the art work that goes with it, a three-day festival is set to start today 20 September until 22 September 2012 at the SMX Convention Center. With the Jeepney as its main attraction, the Jeepney Art Festival is expected to help stir the vehicle in the right direction as well as boost tourism in the country.
The highlight of the said festival will be a Jeepney-painting session, where viewers will witness the art of breathing vivid colors to the king of the road with images showcasing the best of the Philippine islands. Aside from the Jeepney paintings, people will also see different kinds of Jeepneys dating as far back as the post-World War II to its current air-conditioned incarnation used by Jeepney Tours, a tourism enterprise behind the Festival.
According to Clang Garcia, Managing Director of the Festival, the Philippine Jeepney industry has been suffering from the negative imagery attached to it and a number of workshops have been closing over the past years, including the iconic Sarao Motors, known for its colourful paint jobs and the famous horse on top of the Jeepney hoods.
"The jeepney is an icon. But the Jeepney art is already dying, and I’ve been thinking of the best way to promote it. We’re in the tourism group so we have to move the people around and I thought of Jeepney as our official transportation,” Garcia said. She also said that a ride with the Jeepney across key tourist destinations will promote a positive vibe to the vehicle.
With its cramped seats, deafening music, blinding lights, and a mosaic of art works dominating its main frame, including the names of love ones and famous actors, riding the Jeepney for the first time can be an unnerving experience.
To preserve the status of the Jeepney as a cultural icon and enhance the art work that goes with it, a three-day festival is set to start today 20 September until 22 September 2012 at the SMX Convention Center. With the Jeepney as its main attraction, the Jeepney Art Festival is expected to help stir the vehicle in the right direction as well as boost tourism in the country.
The highlight of the said festival will be a Jeepney-painting session, where viewers will witness the art of breathing vivid colors to the king of the road with images showcasing the best of the Philippine islands. Aside from the Jeepney paintings, people will also see different kinds of Jeepneys dating as far back as the post-World War II to its current air-conditioned incarnation used by Jeepney Tours, a tourism enterprise behind the Festival.
According to Clang Garcia, Managing Director of the Festival, the Philippine Jeepney industry has been suffering from the negative imagery attached to it and a number of workshops have been closing over the past years, including the iconic Sarao Motors, known for its colourful paint jobs and the famous horse on top of the Jeepney hoods.
"The jeepney is an icon. But the Jeepney art is already dying, and I’ve been thinking of the best way to promote it. We’re in the tourism group so we have to move the people around and I thought of Jeepney as our official transportation,” Garcia said. She also said that a ride with the Jeepney across key tourist destinations will promote a positive vibe to the vehicle.
Posts
0 comments
Post a Comment