LINK: EAT, SING AND ART (ALL IN ONE PLACE)

If you are looking for a place to get inspired or enjoy creativity, this is one place you should check out - MC Bar and Restaurant.  It is located at F. Calderon St., corner Jose Abad Santos, Little Baguio San Juan Quezon City.

Last 30 December 2022, ARTipolo Group's new Board of Directors visited Atty. Roland Tulay's exhibit at his very own resto-bar. We were fed, had some chill time, and met amazingly groovy people from the Department of Agriculture (DA), where Atty. Tulay also works at. It was a fresh revelation to witness individuals you may categorize as severe or profound but fun-loving, extremely creative, and adventurous when viewed differently. You cannot really "judge" a book by its cover (and so I was thinking, which side is the cover? LOL). For one, Atty. Tulay sings well... talks well... and paints really-really well! His passion is remarkable.

Atty. Roland Tulay with ARTipolo Board Directors

During that night, Atty. Tulay introduced us to Korean cuisine, and we enjoyed the food. The attorney also introduced the members of his crew. You will be surprised as he proudly shared how his chef will leave him by January to go to New Zealand for greener pastures. He is proud that he found a gem and willing to let go of him. Another one of the crew was introduced to us as "not a waiter" but actually a tattoo artist helping him part-time to jam with him in MC Bar and Resto. 

As mentioned earlier, the DA people were also there. Halfway through our stay, Ms. Kristine Y. Evangelista, Assistant Secretary for Consumer Affairs and DA Spokesperson, arrived. You may have heard of her if you were monitoring the news because of the shortage of onions. 

From left to right:  Engr. Ysmael Fontanilla, ARTipolo President Pol Mesina Jr., children of Ms. Evangelista, ASEC/spokesperson Kristine Evangelista, Atty. Roland Tulay, Mary Rose Gob, Maritess Mesina, Marie Claire Olondris-De Chavez, Mr. & Mrs. Mavic/Jun Vicaldo 

Atty. Tulay introduced Ms. Evangelista to us, and we grabbed the opportunity for a photoshoot. 

Then as Atty. Tulay showed Ms. Evangelista her exhibit, explaining each panel on the show; I listened intently to understand his painting process. To share how he worked on his art, here's some of Atty. Tulay's sharing...

"I don't rush my work; it takes time to finish one painting. Most of my works are of water because I love how lights reflect on the water. Sometimes I watched the water capture its movement and tried to translate it into a canvas. Also, some of my paintings are products of my dream. Sometimes I could not take a batch for long hours just to finish my work because I don't want to forget it and lose the moment." - Atty. Tulay

Interestingly, Atty. Tulay's wife is a Fine Arts graduate, but it was Atty. Tulay spent more time producing artwork. He shared that the idea of his resto was also inspired when he attended ARTipolo's exhibit in R Gallery in March 2019. (It was an exhibit organized by Cascade Art Studio in partnership with ARtipolo Group and the Autism Society of the Philippines. The event was entitled "Cartwheel," a fundraising event to support students of CASCADE. Read the past article here: Cascade and ARTipolo Exhibit in R-Gallery).  He mentioned that there was poem reading, choir singing, and instrument playing during the opening of the event -- which gave him the idea to have the same venue where his band can practice and play, visitors can sing, dine and view paintings that adorn the walls of MC Bar and Resto.

Atty. Tulay opened the opportunities for fellow artists of ARTipolo to exhibit their works all year round. For January, come and visit this place. You may be able to buy Atty. Tulay's paintings or just dining and singing to relieve stress by the end of the day's work.

SUSTAINING OUR CULTURAL HERITAGE - ARTipolo Group Partnered with National Commission for Indigenous People (NCIP-MIMAROPA)

On 24th of December 2022, ARTipolo Group visited the office of NCIP Region 4B (MIMAROPA) to discuss 2023's project collaboration. Both parties have the same interest, which is to protect and promote the rights of the indigenous cultural communities. The indigenous people (IP) communities sustained our local culture and creative legacies despite the massive influences brought in by Chinese, Spaniards, Americans, and other nationalities that came to our land. Other than that, they have tilled and protected many of our frontiers and natural resources - national parks and tourist spots.

The provinces of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan make up MIMAROPA. There are 21 Indigenous People Communities in these provinces. The 21 IPs' cultures, goods, and means of subsistence will be highlighted and presented by NCIP-MIMAROPA and ARTipolo in several events and exhibitions. The major goal of the project is to assist them in figuring out how to market their goods and services to eco-tourists. The first collaboration would happen on March 2023 by participating in an international event called "Green Travel Mart" which was initiated by Dr. Mina Gabor.  Other than ARTipolo, there will be other partners and collaborators, but the beneficiaries would be the IPs of MIMAROPA.

The meeting was attended by representatives from ARTipolo's board and NCIP-MIMAROPA. From ARTipolo, present during the meeting are Mr. Pol Mesina, Jr. (ARTipolo President), Mr. Mark Joseph Belloria, Ms. Eleanor Habal Robleza, and Ms. Mary Rose Gob. From NCIP-MIMAROPA, it was attended by Regional Director Mary Grace Pascua, Doc Din Mabanta, and Engr. Ysmael Fontanilla.

Action plans were drafted, and succeeding meetings will seal this partnership.  During the said meeting, RD Pascua awarded ARTipolo with the coffee table books published by NCIP.  These will serve as references for the artists to capture the essence of MIMAROPA's 21 indigenous communities through paintings and other visual forms of art.  If you are interested to avail the series of coffee table book, you may contact NCIP at https://ncip.gov.ph/, and inquire about Project Epanaw - The Journey of Our Indigenous Peoples.

  

   

  

 

It was indeed a fruitful discussion and it paved the way for more ideas and events that would support the indigenous people.  Hopefully, as we join hands together, we will be able to document our cultural heritage for the benefit of the next generations.

We welcome comments for ideas and volunteers if you are interested to be part of similar projects.