12/12/2025
✨🏆🏆 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒!!! 🏆🏆✨
𝙇𝙊𝙉𝘼-𝙉𝙊𝙍𝙎𝙐 𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙖 𝙋𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡 𝙈𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙜𝙚: 𝙒𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙄𝘿𝙇𝘼𝙆 𝙈𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘼𝙧𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘼𝙙𝙫𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙘𝙮
When it comes to using art as a medium for change, three visionary architecture students of Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) Main Campus II proved that creativity and courage can unite a community for a greater cause. The group brought their passion and skills together to win the 1st Provincial Gender and Development Resource and Coordinating Center (GADRCC) Mural Painting Competition, also known as “SIDLAK” 2025 with the
Theme: ThUnited for a VAW-Free Philippines
(STOP VAW, Look Beyond the Silence, Listen with Compassion)
The artists ( Kritz L. Cimara, Rajhie A. Matugas, and Devine T. Mahinay ) formed LONA with a purpose: to have their art recognized across diverse canvases, from traditional walls to wider public platforms. Guided by their coach, Meguilito Barrera (Their Mentor since High School from Junob National High School), the trio represented NORSU among 10 entrants from colleges such as Foundation University, Silliman University, ACSAT, COSCA, and Metro Dumaguete College.
Notably, NORSU had two competing groups in the event, both of which emerged victorious. LONA-NORSU was declared Champion, while the other NORSU team secured 2nd Place and COSCA placed 3rd. An impressive sweep that showcased the university’s strong artistic talent and commitment to advocacy. The awarding ceremony was held at the Plenary Hall, 2nd Floor, Negros Oriental Convention Center on December 12, 2025, where LONA was officially announced as the Champion.
SIDLAK 2025, officially launched on December 1 under the leadership of Governor Manuel “Chaco” Sagarbarria and spearheaded by GADRCC head Ms. Alein Serion Balsamo, was more than a competition. Held over 10 days at the Women’s Crisis Center, it was a visual call to action—engaging youth to express themes of hope, resilience, and gender equality while promoting a society free from violence against women (VAW). Along the fence walls of the center, participants transformed bare concrete into powerful murals highlighting gender equality, empowerment, and community solidarity.
LONA’s mural, positioned as the second art piece on the Crisis Wall, was completed despite numerous challenges. The group began painting officially on the second day of the competition and raced against time and the weather to finish. There was one evening, Devine recalls, when all the artists on-site were caught off-guard:
“There was one evening during the painting, together with other participants, nga nikalit rag buhos ang ulan. It was in the middle of suspension due to the tropical depression and the sun’s out in the morning, so that downpour was really unexpected pagka evening. Karag-karag jud mi tanan didto sa site. The paints, us, were soaking wet while setting up our ginamang trapal. The struggles and experience was worth it jud!”
Despite the rain and the pressure, the group pushed through until the very last minute of judging.
“Wala mi nag-expect na mu-champion kay honestly, puro maayo tanan,” shares Rajhie. “But gi-hatag namo ang best na concept na pwede namo i-idealize while at the same time mu-sulod sa tanang criteria sa competition. Honestly, we painted the artwork last minute na jud, like the judges were already there on the site. And we are so happy sa outcome sa painting and most especially sa result.”
For Kritz, the experience was not just about winning, but about setting a benchmark for their future as a team.
“This is our first mural competition as a group, so we made sure to set a standard for the many more competitions the group will participate soon. All throughout sa process, the artists see to it that the color-wise and positioning of elements are there.”
Their winning mural carries a layered and meaningful concept. It begins with the red portion of the Philippine flag, symbolizing the signs and forms of violence—its painful, negative weight and the urgent issues it brings to light. From this foundation, the artwork transitions into scenes that depict how individuals, communities, and government sectors can work together to stop violence against women and build a VAW-free Philippines.
At the heart of the piece stands the Philippine Eagle, representing strength, resilience, and the power to rise above adversity. The eagle’s presence underscores the collective potential to break free from violence that affects all ages (from infants to the elderly) reflected in the multigenerational figures in the mural.
Another poignant element shows a mother and a teacher embracing a daughter or student, reminding viewers that the first frontline against violence is the home and immediate community. It is a call for families, friends, and educators to listen, to see, and to respond to silent suffering behind closed doors.
The mural further widens its lens to highlight equality and justice. People gathered around a table, alongside government logos, symbolize active engagement and collaboration among public institutions, private organizations, and communities. This imagery points to the importance of strong justice systems, accountability, and support services for survivors—counseling, rehabilitation, and sustained advocacy.
One of the mural’s most striking figures is Gabriela Silang, a powerful icon of women’s revolution and empowerment in Philippine history. In the artwork, she rides alongside the Philippine Eagle, wielding a bolo and the national flag. Her image reinforces the idea that Filipino women are not just survivors, but leaders and agents of change in the movement toward a violence-free nation.
From enduring rain-soaked nights to racing against time with brushes still wet as judges arrived, LONA-NORSU’s journey was anything but easy. Yet their dedication, teamwork, and vision transformed a bare wall into a compelling story of pain, resistance, and hope. Their championship win—alongside the 2nd Place finish of the other NORSU team—cements not only their artistic excellence, but also their role as young advocates for a VAW-free Negros Oriental.
