Creating art from the sands of Pangasinan

A GROUP of adventurous young

people, whose ultimate aim was to

enjoy the summer in their home

province of Pangasinan, went to the

Tondaligan Beach in Dagupan City for the Pista'y Dayat (Feast

of the Sea).

Out of fun and peer pressure, the three young students--Cecille

Villamil and her friends, Richard and Orly--collected several

bags of sand along the shorelines to join the launching of this

year's sand sculpture contest.

Braving the sun's scorching heat, they painstakingly worked

with their bare hands to transform the piles of sand into a

gigantic hand. On top of the hand lies a sculpture of a child

carrying a message, ''Save the Youth.''

After two hours of sweat,

they finished what they

described as their wonderful

piece of art.

Hardly did they know,

however, that their creation

would bag the top prize in

the contest. They knew that

six other teams had flexed

their physical and creative

muscles to come up with an

equally innovative sand

sculpture.

Some converted the bags of sand into the shape of a dolphin, a

bangus (milkfish) and a mermaid. Still others designed the logo

of Pista'y Dayat with the theme ''Braced for a Lasting and

Unthreatened Environment.''

Probably, Villamil team's entry, ''Save the Youth,'' has a social

relevance that made it a cut above the rest. Later in the day, the

three youngsters had a reason to celebrate. They did not only

have fun with the sun, sea and sand but also brought home

P6,000 in prize money.

''We are thinking of a contest that would truly attract tourists

during Pista'y Dayat,'' said engineer Romeo Rosario, Dagupan

City planning and development officer, who thought of the idea

of launching a sand sculpture contest.

This event aims to inspire and encourage artists and talented

residents to actively participate in the sea festival.

Sand sculpture is an international event in Holland where the

Dutch, Germans, British and Swedes participate. During his trip

to Scheveningan, one of the coastal cities in Holland, in 1996,

Rosario was deeply impressed with the main tourist attraction

that he proposed that the city sponsor a similar contest as part

of the annual sea event.

What made the Pangasinan contest different from that in

Holland is that participants did not use any mechanical device

but only water and beach sand.

''In fact, our beaches are far more beautiful than the beaches in

Scheveningan,'' Rosario said.

Next year, the competition is expected to attract more

Pangasinenses bent on showcasing their artistic capabilities.

''Just come to think of it. People can create something from sand

and water,'' Rosario said. Gobleth Moulic and Catherine

Aquino