EspasyoWrite up- Sept.7

Baguio City is said to be the home of artists, it is the melting pot of various ideas and with that a group named Espasyo have decided to reclaim the spaces of the city in order to express the soul of Baguio City-

 Despite housing some of the best artists the country has seen, many individuals have yet to understand the depth of Baguio identity and while there is no one single word that can encompass everything there is to know about Baguio.

The group Espasyo in collaboration with various artists have striven to create a refreshing event to liven up the spaces of the city.

 On Sept. 7, 2014 a historic event in Baguio City was created. Artists from different walks of life have merged together as one in a memorable artist day collaboration at Rose Garden, Baguio City.



Baguio City as a safe haven for artists:

It would be safe to say that Baguio City is the  New York of the country, this is the home for people who want to express themselves- people go here because they don't have to feel restricted.

Many new comers in Baguio, after staying for a few years are guaranteed to feel the unspoken Baguio identity- the amount of creativity in this city has yet to be fully understood- this is the center for  growing ideas- the information in this place spreads like a speed of lightning and the creation of an event with this magnitude is no longer surprising.

People are now hungry to express themselves, hungry for space, hungry for expression- and the creation of such an inspiring concept is just one way to express this untapped potential.

Who would have thought that Cosplayers, dancers that represent various concepts, fashion models,  musicians, writers, photographers, Parkour, weavers,  theater performers, artists with mixed media and more would be able to work together as one.

The Sept. 7 event proved that a strong level of creativity is existing in the city, it was able to prove that art can inspire people, that art can be expressed through various means and that art can liven up the spaces of the city including the lives of the people.

Many have yet to notice the value of artists in Baguio City, despite having some of the best artists the world has seen. Many local artists are not getting the support that they need.

The event in Rose Garden last Sept. 7 wants to change this. Art is not something that can only be seen inside a museum. It is not something that could be contained by some people-

Art is something that is lived and felt daily-- but in order to do that- we must all be given a chance to express ourselves- we need a space to reclaim ourselves--hence the name of the group Espasyo.


 Art is something that lives inside of us, art is something that is experienced everyday- art is something that the community can enjoy.

People have forgotten to enjoy, the daily turmoil of work has pnressured the mind- and the simple joys of being able to listen to a well-written song is lost in others.

Mindless ideas in the current mass media have also weakened the chance of the masses to understand the value of art- and many sensations that should be felt by everyone is lost along the way- because art has become a commodity- something that only a few people can have.

What transpired in the event?

The art collaboration event which included artists like Maximum Parkour, a group that encourages the youth to strengthen the body while incorporating sports and movement into their daily life was able to merge with musicians that played the Djembe drums.

Artists Job Vezh, together with Djembe musicians Kadmanglayan entertained the crowd with non-stop drumming.

(*Djembe drums is a rope-tuned skin-covered goblet drum played with bare hands) 

The original Latag Boys  of Baguio with Rommel Pidazo and Del Devendra was also able to share their craft through their art exhibits presented in the park.

Fashion models of Baguio were also given a chance to strut their stuff, the public was entertained.
This was the first time that Rose Garden a public space was utilized to showcase this level of talent and artistry.

De Stilj Image reinvented, Vortex Models, Magnum Artistry,  Feel-x Models are only some of the fashion houses that joined the event. The majority of the space in the park was utilized.

Guhit Pinas, a well-known artist group in the country that houses a number of artists that specialize in drawing also joined. They performed chalk art and gave the people free workshops on how to draw better.

Kawaii Kazoku cosplayers and the Otageki group lovers of Japanese art and fashion community were also able to present their works.

Smorgasboard, a group of talented artists and weavers were also able to present their works.

SNS Naturalis and Agito Dance Group, Dance Works and other dance groups that promote hip-hop dancing as well as theater performances were also given a chance to showcase their work to the public under the guidance of Maui Fernando.

Even Baguio musicians, led by Sound Engineer Jethro Sandico were able to share their music with the crowd.

Dog owners also joined and gave the crowd a treat by showing their adorable pets.

Even San Vicente National High School presented a cultural dance that highlighted the Igorot culture while  Maryknoll Sanctuary in collaboration with SLU Ecolodians  created an eco-bag design contest in order to promote the No Plastic Policy in Baguio City.

A variety of events were also presented, including that of a book drive for the Uhaj Ifugao community by JHMC group.



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Baguio City has a lot of open spaces that could be reclaimed, and the best people to show this claiming of space would be the artists themselves.

The event of Espasyo was able to achieve this, for one whole day different art forms were able to combine their energy.

For one entire day, the people of Baguio and tourists were able to see what Baguio identity is all about through art expression.

More events of this magnitude and scale are expected to happen. There has been a positive response from the community.

Many people have shared their request, many want these types of events to emerge every now and then to liven up the city.

We are more than just the Panagbenga festival, we are more than the labels that have been given to us. Baguio is no longer just the Summer Capital of the Philippines...it can already establish itself as the  Art Capital of the North.

By reclaiming space, by sharing what we are most passionate about as human beings--by discovering ourselves and by finding what this  Baguio identity is--we can find ourselves- and we can better communicate this with everyone that will be touched by what it means to live and love Baguio.