If my memory serves me right, it was summer of this year when I saw an amazing public installation using balloons in the University of the Philippines. It was such a pleasant display of colors swaying in contrast with the dry and lifeless grass of the sunken garden. I did a little research about the project and I learned that it was entitled Sea, a site specific installation made by three 2nd year students from the College of Fine Arts. It was genius. Para bang gusto mong tumalon sa gitna nang sunken garden at lumangoy langoy sa mga lobo.
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| Saan ka naman nakakita ng dagat sa isang garden? Sa UP lang yan. |
And speaking of installation, Anna Oposa's friend, Nikki Valenzuela will also be doing one. This time, she will be using sachets. Right, sachets. Sounds interesting. I remember reading Anna's post about this project last week and I told myself I want to help her with this one. Not in the building aspect but gathering as many plastic sachets as possible. I can start with our own house cause I have to admit, and Anna might kill me for saying, we have a lot of plastics at home. Anyway, I haven't met Nikki yet but I am hoping to meet her soon or after she finishes her thesis. I am quite excited about she will make use of plastics and turn it into a project that conveys the message of taking care of our environment by discouraging the use of [it].
Please read more of it below and message me if you are on board with this project.
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One sachet at a time
Nearly 80% of the wastes found in Manila Bay are plastic: plastic utensils, plastic straws, plastic wrappers, and plastic bags. It is literally a “dagat ng basura.” Or to be more specific, “dagat ng plastik.” Plastics take hundreds of years to decompose, and are difficult to recycle. If we sold one ton of cellophane plastics (the kind used to wrap turon and monay) we’d only make 30 pesos! Most of the time, these plastics aren’t even recycled; they end up clogging our canals, causing catastrophic floods when it rains. They end up in our rivers, which end up in our seas. Marine organisms mistake them for food and nibble on them, leading to their death.In the Philippines, we can’t seem to get enough of plastics. So much so that we have this sachet/“tingi” culture, where anything small can become smaller. This practice is unique to the Philippines. We buy everything from shampoo to laundry detergent in sachets, thinking we can save more. “Mas magaan sa bulsa,” “mas makakatipid na si nanay,” says all these advertising campaigns. While it’s true that little things make a big difference, little things also generate huge amounts of waste.
This perpetuating problem is the inspiration behind my thesis. My name is Nikki Valenzuela and I am from the U.P. College of Fine Arts. I plan to create an 8-foot sculpture using sachets* as the material and medium to assemble the installation. It will serve as a visual metaphor symbolizing the destructive repercussions of trash on humanity and the environment. Because of its size and height, I’ll need A LOT of sachets. Instead of throwing away your sachets (which will most likely end up polluting our surroundings), please store them for me. I will collect them come early November, which is when we start our art production. This is one way of working together to highlight a specific environmental issue “endemic” to the Philippines and recycle our so-called "plastic waste." Your help will be deeply appreciated. Please feel free to spread the word by forwarding this message to your friends, or reposting this message in your respective blogs or Facebook Notes. You may also contact me at 0917-801-6325 or nikki.valenzuela@ymail.com for questions and details.
I understand that I cannot save the environment by way of an art project, but art can be used as a tool to bring attention to an issue that is often overlooked. It will be a social commentary to convey a message I am passionate about. It’s not a coincidence that “Earth” has the word “art” in it.
Thank you! This will be your project as much as it is mine. Let’s work together towards a plastic-free Philippines.
*Sachets/"tingi" packaging: instant coffee, tea, powdered juice, powdered milk, "Milo," Zesto, snacks in a small packet; "Knorr cup-a-snack" sachet, "Skyflakes" packet, instant soup, pancit canton, seasoning powder; "Knorr", "ulam" sauces, ketchup, mayonnaise, salad dressing, vinegar, toyo; "Datu Puti", fried chicken breading, marinating mixes, shampoo, conditioner, facial wash, facial creams, lotion, "Pond's," dishwashing liquid; "Joy," fabric softener; "Downy," laundry detergent, toothpaste, insect repellent; "Off lotion," and anything at all considered to be bought in "tingi"
Check out the link below to see what my definition of sachet is.
Manila Bay
Ilog Pasig
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