Let's go for something different and unique this time. Street arts are not only for paintings along the streets. They can also be art works from recycled materials like this campaign slogan. Like the reflectorized vest of those traffic enforcers, it is beaming bright along Balili Road in Balili, La Trinidad, Benguet. It is inside the campus of Benguet State University, few meters past the Balili Barangay (village) Hall, crossing the Balili River from the highway and near the Balili Elementary School.
I was on my way to a relative near the place when I passed by this recycling initiative and I thought it is a cool way to decorate a street and serve dual purpose: recycling and beautification.
I was walking on the same side of the sidewalk where the slogan is so I was not able to read it properly. With the close angle from where I was first approaching it, I was not able to decipher the letterings.
I crossed the street for a clearer view.
HUGS NOT DRUGS
The slogan seems to be a campaign about spreading and spending time on love instead of drugs. This reminded me of our activities in high school when our guidance conselor kept us busy of making slogans and posters especially about anti-drugs. He was the president of a Baguio-Benguet chapter organization which I forgot the name but was about keeping the youth away from drugs. He may no longer be with the school but this street art may be a continuation of his initiatives.
So what is the art made of? It is made of recycled softdrinks plastic bottles. Mountain Dew bottles to be exact. The artists cut the upper portion of the bottles and open them up to form something like a flower. With the cap still on, it looked like the flower's stigma.
The cut-outs were attached to the chicken wire fence using staple wires. The fence made that easy and stable. It would have been hard to tape those cut-outs and make them stay for long had the hence been a concrete or full wood. Nail woukd not be ideal as that will ruin the fence.
Our government does not have clear and concrete system in place for recycling waste. This art initiative is one cool way of putting waste into useful stuff and spread positivity. It seems so simple but powerful.
🌿🌞☘🌞🪴🌞☘🌞🌿
This as an entry to the CCC Street Art Contest #119 which is being hosted by 