Jeepney art installation celebrates 125th Independence Day | ABS-CBN

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Jeepney art installation celebrates 125th Independence Day

Jeepney art installation celebrates 125th Independence Day

Josiah Antonio,

ABS-CBN News

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A giant jeepney installation made
A giant jeepney installation made of out of yarn stands at the Lucky Chinatown Mall in Manila in this photo taken on June 8, 2023. Created by Filipino artist Toym Imao, the installation is part of the mall's tribute to the country's 125th Independence Day on June 12. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News.

MANILA — A giant jeepney art installation made of yarn created by Filipino artist Toym Imao was recently unveiled for the 125th year of the country's independence at the Lucky Chinatown Mall in Manila.

A tribute to the resilient jeepney drivers impacted by the pandemic, the installation art is seen to symbolize the Philippines' diverse culture and perseverance.

It is joined by other art pieces from Project Hulmahan’s exhibit, which runs until June 18.

"Independence is also an acceptance of the diversity of one's origins at the same time acknowledging 'yung dapat we are a product of our own collective history," Imao told ABS-CBN News in an interview.

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"The jeepney, kung titignan, it’s colorful, it represents diversity. Diversity because the jeepney is basically an American vehicle, it has a body of an American vehicle, it has the engine of the Japanese, but at the same time the sensibilities and the ornamentation can be traced back to our Spanish colonial period, especially na meron tayong altar sa loob ng mga jeepney," he added.

"This acceptance of its diversity, of its various influences, it’s what makes us Filipinos. We may assert ourselves as an independent nation but we should also acknowledge that we are a product of our collective history and that makes our independence more meaningful."

Imao stressed the importance of celebrating our country's independence.

"It’s very important because it reminds us of what’s important, our priorities... Especially in this age, there’s the democratic access to information, the internet, information on demand, one has really to assert oneself culturally and in terms of the arts," he said.

"As I’ve said before, the Filipino can be best represented by the jeepney, the product of different influences and once we embrace that acceptance of our diversity, of our shared history with other countries is the way that we can assert ourselves as an independent nation."

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