SUBIC Freeport—The Redondo Peninsula Energy Inc. (RP Energy) and its partners, held Artcycle: an educational, environmental, and recycled-art competition.
The event was participated in by around 120 students from local elementary and high schools here held at Sitio Nagyantok in Barangay Cawag, Subic, Zambales recently.
The teams were required to bring a bag of recyclable materials, which they used to create art pieces. Each team was given 60 minutes to assemble their Artcycle masterpieces after a brief lecture.
“We believe this activity is a great venue not only to teach our youth about caring for the environment but also to encourage their creativity and resourcefulness in solving problems,” said Jason Gavina, RP Energy’s Corporate Social Responsibility officer.
Edmond de Jesus from Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Ecology Center emphasized the need for young people to become environmental stewards.
He urged the students to “use their natural creativity in coming up with artcycle masterpieces from local materials.”
RP Energy’s Multipartite Monitoring Team Members served as judges of the contest.
The artworks were judged based on functionality, creative use of materials, replicability, and design.
The students from Cawag High School won first place with their yellow chair made from old tires.
Olongapo City Environment and Natural Resource officer Marife Castillo, one of the judges, commented on the winning artcycle: “This is ingenious. We are very happy to see this because old tires are something that are usually hard to recycle. I am happy to see young people solving this problem.”
The contest was supported by the DENR, SBMA Ecology Center, Barangay Cawag, Subic Municipal LGU, Rotaract Club of Kolehiyo ng Subic, and Umicore.