11-year-old Pinoy wins in UNESCO art contest
An 11-year-old
Filipino boy from Navotas City won in the 2012 to 2013 United Nations Girls'
Education Initiative (UNGEI) art contest that had over 800 entries.
Lord Ahzrin Bacalla and 14 others won in the UNGEI's contest participated by youths aged 18 below from the Asia-Pacific region, according to the UNGEI's website.
Bacalla's work was among the final 56 drawings presented for public viewing and voting by the UNGEI, a branch of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
In a phone interview on Tuesday, Rowena Bacalla, Lord Ahzrin's mother, told GMA News Online that her son has been into drawing since she was at a young age.
“Bata pa mahilig na siya mag-drawing. Pinanglalaban din siya ng school niya sa drawing competition,” Rowena said.
Rowena mentioned that Bacalla recently graduated from Kapitbahayan Elementary school and is currently being trained by visual artist Fernando Sena under the Art Discovery and Learning Foundation.
Bacalla told GMA News Online that he wants to be a popular painter when he grows up.
“Idol ko po ang nagtuturo sa akin, si Mr. Fernando Sena,” he said, adding that he has loved drawing since he was in Grade 3.
When asked what he wanted to be aside from being a painter, Bacalla said he dreamt of being a chef even if he does not know how to cook at present.
He finds inspiration in his father, whom he said excels in cooking.
Gender equality
The contest, aimed at promoting gender equality, had the theme: “What can a teacher do to ensure girls and boys benefit equally from quality education?”
Bacalla's drawing depicted three smiling people,
a boy, a girl, and a teacher wearing glasses.The woman stood in the middle of the two children, with her hands placed on their shoulders, in a gesture that depicts guidance.
A logo of a book was placed below the woman. Her head contained a ball, pencil and teddy bear, among other symbols that represented growth, learning, and leisure of young children.
Behind the woman was a lighted wooden torch with two protruding arms acting as a balanced weighing scale that carried the Mars and Venus gender symbols.
Bacalla's and the others' drawings will be featured in notebook and lesson plan covers produced by UNGEI to be distributed in the Asia-Pacific by the end of May.
The youngest among winners was eight-year-old Yashwant. V from India while the eldest was 18-year-old Karau from Bhutan.
The winners, listed in alphabetical order by country name, are:
- Dipta, 12 years, Bangladesh
- Karau, 18 years, Bhutan
- Wing Sum, 16 years, China
- Yashwant. V, 8 years, India
- Nandarie Rahma, 10 years, Indonesia
- Katya, 10 years, Kazakhstan
- Saichai, 13 years, Lao PDR
- Wern Sze, 15 years, Malaysia
- Azha, 13 years, Maldives
- Ankit, 9 years, Nepal
- Zaigham Nisar, 11 years, Pakistan
- Lord Ahzrin, 11 years, Philippines
- Shanika Rangani, 16 years, Sri Lanka
- Pkamon, 17 years, Thailand, and
- Huyen, 13 years, Vietnam.
- VVP, GMA News
