Students at the De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde Interior Design recently showcased their exquisite and meaningful works during the Value+Able: Exalting Filipino Values Through Furniture Exhibit at the 3rd Level Atrium of SM Aura Premier.
The Filipino values interpreted through the furniture are based on the National Commission for Culture and the Arts’ (NCCA) study on Philippine values as part of the government’s Filipinos Values Formation Program. According to the research, Filipinos uphold 19 main values. The furniture pieces were strategically grouped into clusters that represent parts of a home where different values are instilled and flourished in every Filipino.
The “Komunidad” cluster highlights a sense of community with the values of Kapuwa, Love for Country, Human Rights, Peace and Development, and the Environment. Leading the way, this cluster included Sandra Aloran and Natalie Kyle Ongpeng’s “Hinahon” lounge chair which represents the pacifism a society needs to reach prosperity, as well as Mari Andrea Abad and Katrina Faye Marciano’s Eno sofa that aims to bridge the connection between human life and nature to enhance the experience of a certain space.
The second cluster, “Kabuhayan” portrayed a family room characterizing the values of Family, Education, Health and Wellness, Basic Needs, and Work and Livelihood. Patrice Mabborang and Paolo Madarang exhibited their “Ugnayan” center table while Jihanne Chrisia Petiluna and Paola Erica Demition displayed their “Dunong” easy chair.
The “Paglinang” cluster on the other hand showed a foyer – an entryway to one’s individual growth and cultivation towards opportunities of Arts and Sciences, Culture, and Creative Excellence. Reayenne Hernandez got inspiration from the art of tattooing by the Kalinga indigenous group as seen in her Kalinga stool.
The “Kapakanan” cluster served as a common space where a sense of wellbeing blossomed – demonstrating the values of Faith, Self, Peace and Development, Life and Purpose, and Happiness. The “Tiwala” rocking lounge chair by Jadey Gutierrez conveys balance within instability, symbolizing the equilibrium of what we feel and believe, and the perfect love that we receive from God.
Finally, the “Budhi” cluster showcased a backyard – a natural holistic space where the values of Honesty, Integrity, and Resilience are developed. Maria Beatrice De Vega’s “Dalisay” occasional table, a creation that represents the two virtues, is a captivating furniture piece that touches one’s inner being.
Students Sofia Rodrigueza and Ma. Lucia Baltazar’s “Crystal Oasis Center Table” received the People’s Choice Award. Likewise, “Bu-Ko” Swing Chair by Sheina Balayo got the Professors’ Choice Award, while “Kapuwa” coffee table by Patricia Malijan bagged the NCCA’s Choice Award.
The exhibit also included furniture pieces such as “Usad “lounge chair, Concio lounge chair, “Pangangailangan” nesting tables, and “Dominion” accent chair, among others.