May in Pinto is about gestures of care for nature • PhilSTAR Life

In Antipolo, May is marked by one of the most significant religious traditions in the country. The city gathers itself around the annual devotion to Our Lady of Peace and Good Voyage, beginning with the Alay Lakad on the eve of the month, when millions of devotees walk to the Antipolo Cathedral—an international shrine—to offer prayers and thanksgiving. The pilgrimage defines the rhythm of the season, drawing together faith, community, and place.

Pintô Art Museum and Arboretum, rooted in Antipolo’s topography and temperament, holds its own Maytime festivities, aligning its programs with both cultural and environmental concerns. On Sunday, May 3, the museum presents a series of events that bring together artists, advocates and the public into a conversation on practices that embed and embody ecological care as part of our individual and communal lives.

The afternoon opens at the Pintô Academy Auditorium with lectures on waste management and segregation by Joni Vergara, Raf Dionisio, and Khate Nolasco. Their talks focus on practical approaches to waste disposal and the role of communities in improving local systems. Outside the auditorium, the Trash Bin Art Project will be unveiled.

Developed with environmentalist Felicia Ravago, the project features 60 terracotta jars designated for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. These were painted on April 19, as part of Pintô’s Earth Day activities, by a mix of emerging and established artists. According to Dr. Joven Cuanang, founder and president of Pintô, the initiative reflects the institution’s broader direction: “This project is in part a fulfillment of Pintô’s guiding mission-vision: to promote Philippine art, culture, and ecology. We are seriously concerned about the deplorable state of waste disposal in our localities, and artists must help address this problem by using their artworks to call attention to this.”

Participating artists include Jim Orencio, Ferdie Montemayor, Erwin Leaño, Japs Antido, Agnes Arellano, and Puchette Escaño. Each jar reflects the artist’s distinct approach to a curved surface, ranging from detailed figurative imagery to more abstract compositions, while still serving a clear functional purpose.

After the unveiling, guests will be guided to the Arboretum, the museum’s collection of endangered plant species. Within this living space, essentially the “lungs” of Pintô, are the concrete sculptures of some of the most notable mythological figures by Bon Mujeres, including Mariang Makiling and Mayari. Installed within a forested setting, the exhibition, titled Echoes of the Unseen, draws from age-old Filipino narratives that connect natural landscapes with spiritual presence.

The program continues with the inauguration of the Pintô Underwater Gallery and the Arboretum Library. The new space features the sea-surface installation by Chino Yulo alongside underwater video documentation by Danny Ocampo, highlighting the biodiverse marine ecosystem of the Philippines. An eight-panel painting by Wilfred Rufon, inspired by the waters of Puerto Galera, will also be unveiled.

The day concludes with exhibitions in the Upper Galleries that engage with environmental themes. Chinnich presents Fiha Khair, focusing on imagined seascapes; Art De Leon shows Still Life: Waiting, featuring sculptural figures in quiet, observational states; Wilfred Rufon continues his focus on marine life in Dagat, Hininga, Buhay; and Khervin John Gallendez presents quiet calls, a series of monochromatic works of haunting landscapes.

Maytime in Pintô situates art within a broader conversation about ecology. In parallel with the religious observances across Antipolo, the museum’s program emphasizes how environmental awareness can be integrated into cultural practice—through exhibitions, public engagement, and everyday actions that accrue to gestures of care and responsibility.