MANILA – The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and iAcademy on Thursday formalized a partnership that would beautify key locations in EDSA with the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF)-themed mural.

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This partnership is also aimed at making EDSA a cultural landmark for visitors and locals.

According to MMDA chairman Romando Artes, the project’s theme is “Sine - Sigla sa Sinkwenta” – which promotes MMFF’s 50th anniversary milestone, highlighting the rich history of Philippine cinema.

“Ito po ay ‘di lang pagpapaganda ng walls na supposedly bare, minsan nilalagyan ng graffiti, nagkaroon siya ng artworks. Marami dyan ay tungkol sa adbokasiya ng road safety and at the same time makakatulong para ipromote ang 50th anniversary ng MMFF,” he said.

(These will beautify walls that are supposedly bare. Sometimes there's graffiti and artworks. A lot of them are about road safety. Now they can promote the 50th anniversary of MMFF.)

A wall standing at 4 meters high and 653 meters long will serve as a canvas for the MMFF-themed murals in EDSA, specifically between Buendia and Ayala.

“Ito po ay nasabi na namin dahil 50th edition ngayong taon, gagawin po natin nostalgic ang EDSA. Kung makikita niyo yung mga old posters po di na siguro to inabot ng mga estudyante, for your information kids, posters noon ng mga cinemahan particularly billboard ay hand painted billboards,” he said.

(This is the 50th edition of the MMFF. We will make EDSA nostalgic. If you see the old posters--for the information of students, movie posters back then used to be hand-painted billboards.)

“‘Yung iba’t ibang MMFF movies na ganito pa posters ay ating ire-replicate sa EDSA para nostalgic pag dadaan ka sa EDSA maaalala mo childhood movies na favorite mo nung araw,” he added.

(We'll replicate some MMFFF movie posters in EDSA so you can remember your favorite childhood movies.

Students from iAcademy along with former painters would come together to put old MMFF movies into life again.

“We’re communicating mga old owners ng sinehan sa Recto area na maka-hire kami ng mga dating nagpipinta. Yan ay makakatulong ng mga estudyante ng iAcademy sa pag replicate ng old posters na ito sa kahabaan ng EDSA,” he said.

(We're communicating with old cinema owners in Recto so we can hire former painters. These will help iAcademy students in replicating old posters along EDSA.)

“I’m also excited sa partnership na ito. I’m Looking forward sa iba pang collaboration with your school (iAcademy) and I’d like to thank you for helping us make spaces a work of art.”

Artes said the project that would start rolling out on September 10, would be graced by a guest celebrity painter.

Meanwhile, the chairman assured that the wall mural would not be distracting to motorists.

“Sa road safety standards ang bawal ay nakakasilaw. ‘Pag ganito po ‘di naman. ‘Di naman nakaka-distract, in fact nakakagising nga po yan,” he said.

(These are in line with road safety standards. If they're like this, that's not distracting. In fact, it can wake people up.)