Art in the Family: Father and son tandem gives workshops to marginalized youths
Coco, Benji and Bibi Belgica
For Benji Belgica and his son Coco, being artists is not just creating masterpieces out of their imagination. They also use their talent to provide things to do, possible source of livelihood and therapy for some marginalized youths.
Every day, Coco goes to the Regional Rehabilitation Center for the Youth (RRCY) in Nueva Valencia, Guimaras. He would take a 45-minute ferry and motorcycle ride in the island so he could teach 14 to 23-year-old boys how to design ceramics.
"I go there from 2 to 4 pm during their nap time. During the first day, I taught them how to make a mug, which is a basic structure. After a few hours, they are even better than me. They work like machines because their circles are perfect," Coco said.
The boys love to play chess, so Coco asked them to make a chess set out of clay. Some were asked to make beads and necklaces.
This is the first time for Coco to offer workshops to juvenile delinquents, thanks to the prodding of Teresita Rosales, director of the Department of Social Work and Development (DSWD) Region 6. She is an art student of Benji.
"The work was challenging at first. Now, I feel so happy that I am able to help them," Coco said of the boys, who he said are happy when there are visitors around.
Next, Coco will teach them how to draw so they could make their own cards.
"I believe that when they go out, they will be very useful to society because they learn fast," he said.
"I learned that if a person is idle and once you give him something to do, the talent comes out," he added.
On the other hand, Benji provides workshops for the abused girls at the Home for the Girls in Cabatuan, Iloilo.
"I go there every other day to teach them how to draw and paint. By going there at this frequency, I give space for them to develop their work individually. Eventually, the skills they will learn may be used for livelihood. This is also a therapy for them; a way to express their emotions," Benji said.
Benji plans that after the workshops, the girls will be taught how to present their works. "We will exhibit their works here in Atelier Banucci."
Atelier Banucci is the Benjicas' gallery in Robinsons Place Iloilo.
To get an insight on their psyche, Benji first asked them to write an original poem and create an illustration for it. When he read the poems, he realized that the girls were seeking for peace and that they miss their loved ones. "Despite the trauma they had, I did not see any hateful poem. They were seeking for love and peace."
"This is a fulfilling work because of the challenge of breaking the walls of traumatized persons. Though I pity them, I admire them for their strength in character. They have learned to cope with their problems and they protect each other," he said.
Being musicians, too, the father and son tandem plans to bring musical instruments to the girls so they could sing together. Bibi, Benji's daughter who's taking up Arts Management is also joining in this endeavor. "I will not limit their training to the visual arts only," Benji said.
Coco is a graduate of the Conservatory of Music and a classical musician while Benjie plays the guitar and he used to have a band when he was young.
PLANTING THE SEEDS
This family, which is originally based in Manila, wants to go around and hold workshops. "We want to plant seeds everywhere we go. We want to educate people so that they would be free from the bondage of suffering and poverty. When you are educated, you can cope with life's challenges and your character is strengthened. We use our art for character building," Benji said.
"You see, skills is most common but it is the most wasted because of the demands of reality. We want to awaken the talents of people so they can be productive," he added.