COLOURFUL ARTWORK A LABOUR OF ARTIST’ S LOVE
August 2017 THE CANBERRA REPORTER | 3
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
PHILIPPINE CONSUL GENERAL Anne Jalando-on Louis.
Bye, bye to our most approachable Annie
LEAVING POST AS CON-GEN AFTER SIX YEARS
TO HER family, classmates and closest friends she was‘ Annie’ who loved to sing but didn’ t quite play musical instruments. Annie Jalando-on, born in Bacolod, Negros Occidental, Philippines started to use her natural birth name‘ Anne’ only when she enrolled at university“ I didn’ t want to get into trouble later legally,” she explains. During a farewell party for her departure as the 17th Philippine Consul General in Sydney, Anne Jalando-on Louis – her married name today – was happily surprised to be referred to again as‘ Annie’. Her hosts, members of the Filipino Press Group of Sydney, had paid a fond tribute to her with a song,‘ Bye By Annie’ without their knowing it was her childhood name. The Filipino community now addresses her as‘ ConGen Anne’ or simply‘ ConGen’; and most of them regard ConGen Anne as arguably“ the most approachable Filipino diplomat” it has had.
EXPECTATIONS. On taking her new Sydney post in 2011, ConGen Anne said she got more than she had expected from the Filipino-Australian community, her staff, and her Australian hosts.“ It exceeded my expectations of my welcome to Sydney; I found it to be a vibrant community,” she said.“ My functions encompassed so many areas – political, economic and social – such that the experience these past six years truly enriched me.” ConGen Anne has kept a busy schedule:“ My responsibilities call for a 24-hour, seven-day week.“ I have to thank my husband Gerry for being unbelievably supportive; the same goes for and daughter Gabby and son Gerard.” Young Gerard, of course, had a simpler description of his mother’ s responsibilities as Philippine Consul General when asked by his schoolteacher to explain:“ My mum attends functions.” Despite her tight schedule that requires ConGen Anne to constantly attend not just community functions but also high-level meetings with Australian government officials and visiting dignitaries, she gives high priority to time with here family at every opportunity.“ Is your Sunday free, mommy?” Gabby would often ask. And mommy would try her best to be free to drive out to Bilpin for stone fruit picking, or to the family’ s favourite“ quieter” beaches of Clovely and Maroubra for a picnic.
BALANCING ACT. It’ s been a trick balancing the diplomat’ s responsibilities with family activities, particularly with having to attend the children’ s school activities. Outside her main occupation, ConGen Anne is an advocate for rights and welfare of nurses:“ I am a nurse by profession, a diplomat by occupation,” she says.“ As such, I try to look at how nurses are doing, and at maintaining links with nurses.” She has followed the progress of nurses taking bridging courses, including the top three nursing students in NSW in 2014 who were Filipinas. Above all, ConGen Anne doesn’ t lose sight of her role as the Philippine Government’ s link to Filipino expatriates and Filipino immigrants to Australia as well as to Australian government and non-government bodies.“ My staff try to keep all of them abreast of developments at home, to facilitate links and involvement of Filipinos overseas,” she says. On Thursday, August 31, 2017,‘ Annie’ will return to Manila and served two years at the Department of Foreign Affairs office. •
COVER STORY
Pawpaw’ s street art is
leaving footprints in Canberra landmarks
COLOURFUL ARTWORK A LABOUR OF ARTIST’ S LOVE
University studies were not enough to satisfy a Filipino student’ s hunger for expression. He chose graffiti, the street art he learned from boyhood in his native Davao, in the Philippines. Today University of Canberra architecture student Paul Gordo Licayan, also known as‘ Pawpaw’, joins local artists around Canberra spraying colourful murals across the city.
By BIANCA MONTIEL
ART had always been an“ outlet” to Paul Licayan since boyhood.“ It helped me express myself to the people who did not know me,” says Licayan, otherwise known as Pawpaw..“ Through art, I have made new friendships and learned new painting techniques.
The young Filipino from Davao in the Philippines now dreams of honing his craft in Canberra.
Pawpaw has already gained some reputation as a street artist in Canberra and across the ACT.
His latest work was doing a mural on the large roll-a-doors of the newly relocated Lolo And Lola restaurant at Watson. Earlier Pawpaw had done a mural as a gift to the children of Narrabundah Early Childhood School.
“ It has always been my dream to paint for children and contribute to their art experience,”. he said.
COMMUNITY
ABOVE: Paul
‘ Pawpaw’ Licayan with one of his murals at The
Civic in Canberra.
RIGHT: Lawpaw starting a mural at the new Lolo And Lola restaurant.
Some of his works can be seen around the The Civic in Canberra’ s central business district.
Paul plans to take up graphic design next year and continue to make his artwork“ visible to the eye of the Canberra art community”. He has a free-flowing art style that is colourful and graffiti-like.“ I have my own style which I believe gives it a different kind of art that sets it apart from other graffiti arts in Canberra,” Pawpaw says. Pawpaw graduated as a computer engineer in Davao but I had a passion for sketching and graffiti.
“ I got a job as a graphic designer which helped me explore my artistic side more,” he says.“ I started doing murals back in 2013 with friends.
“ I experimented with spray paints, and I painted a wall in my parents’ house without their permission.
“ Thankfully, it turned out great and they liked it.“ Since then, I could not stop myself from doing murals.” Pawpaw’ s art style is abstract.“ It consists of flower petals, worms and an observing eye hidden in the artwork,” he says.“ Sometimes my mural would form my name‘ PAW’.“ But it’ s so abstract that no one can really figure it out.“ I also like to play with colours and shadows to give depth to my work.” •
Have a merry Christmas in July
MORE than 80 people attended this year’ s Christmas In July celebration at the Pride of Siam restaurant in Deakin on Saturday, July 29, 2017. The Philippine Australian Association( PAA) hosted the party wich featured entertainment by 16-year-old singer Vhivien Puno, violinist Heather Roche, and the female barbershop quartet The Shenanigans. Earlier in May, the PAA celebrated Philippine Heritage Day with the theme‘ Fiesta’. There was a lecture by Filipina music scholar and anthropologist from the Australian National University, Fredeliza Campos Piper, who presented videos of six different Philippines festivals. This was followed by cultural performances. This year’ s Heritage Day celebrations coincided with PAA’ s 40th year anniversary, and the event culminated in a formal programme commemorating the organization’ s long history and honouring its past presidents. PAA is the oldest Filipino community organisation in Canberra. •