Last Sunday, October 6, around 200 artists gathered at the North Cemetery in Sta. Cruz, Manila to paint a mural on the 500-meter stretch of its Bonifacio Wall. Called Flores Para Los Muertos, it’s a project of Pinto Art Museum, Davies Paint, the City of Manila, Mayor Isko Moreno, and Congressman Yul Servo. Especially meant for the coming All Saints Day, the goal was to finish the mural in one day. 

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Congressman Yul Servo. 

Artist Romeo Lee arrives. 

Artist Jim Orencio (in blue). 

A sketch for one of the sections of the Bonifacio wall. 

Ferdie Montemayor. 

John Paul Antigo AKA Japs. 

Demetrio Dela Cruz AKA Dems. 

Jerson Samson. 

Jay Viriña. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery.

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery.

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

At last Sunday’s mural event at North Cemetery. 

“It’s our offering for the dead,” said Dr. Joven Cuanang of Pinto Art Museum. “The project is a bayanihan type with all the artists working as one!  Purely on a voluntary basis.” Hence, when some artists were already done with their sections, they offered to help complete the unfinished ones. The event’s lead artist organizers are Demet Dela Cruz, Ferris Montemayor, and Japs Antido. Each group was assigned a section, and followed a sketch. Some of the artists were in the area early morning while others followed in the afternoon. Mayor Isko checked out the mural later in the day and proudly commented to passersby how clean and beautiful the wall is now. 

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Photographs by Daniel Soriano