Filipino’s prize-winning work takes center stage in Germany

LEVERKUSEN—The artwork of a Filipino high school student was the centerpiece of an exhibit of children’s paintings at a youth environmental conference here at the global headquarters of multinational company Bayer.

Trisha Co Reyes’ “Life in the Forests” was the global winner in the 20th United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)-Bayer global children’s painting competition.

The painting in oil and watercolor by the 13-year-old freshman at St. Stephen’s High School in Sta. Cruz, Manila, bested over four million entries from 99 countries.

It was on display, together with paintings from all over the world, at BayKomm, Bayer’s communication center, during the weeklong Bayer Young Environmental Envoy (BYEE) field trip.

Some 48 delegates from developing countries were in the Bayer headquarters to interact with environment experts, visit the German firm’s facilities and showcase their own green projects.

Michael Preuss, Bayer’s head of corporate policy and media relations, noted how a simple art competition could spread awareness of environmental protection and get the attention of policymakers.

“You have an opening of the exhibition, you invite important people and when they go there, they start talking … about the content of this painting. It’s a great start for the theme of environmental protection,” Preuss told BYEE delegates at the opening plenary session.

Reyes’ painting, a colorful and optimistic view of forest preservation, was interpreted in an animated video.

The animation took elements from Reyes’ work to tell the story suggested by the painting: a terrified little girl escaped environmental destruction and found a still pristine forest, a lush refuge where plants and animals continued to thrive.

In an earlier interview, Reyes said her work was inspired by a summer family visit to the La Mesa Ecopark in Quezon City, one of the few remaining patches of green in Metro Manila. She worked on the painting for two days.

Reyes’ painting, along with the other top entries in the UNEP-Bayer art competition, will be exhibited in other parts of the world.

Meanwhile, Senator Loren Legarda has filed a Senate resolution congratulating and commending Reyes. Legarda, chairperson of the Senate committee on climate change, said Reyes’ achievement was “a celebration of Filipino creativity (and) a reflection of the increasing concern for environmental protection among Filipinos.”