Arts and crafts at 13th Las Pinas City Waterlily Festival

Waterlily-inspired gowns and costumes and waterlily-made handicraft brought splashes of color and vibrant life to this year’s celebration of the 13th Las Piñas Waterlily Festival held at the Villar SIPAG grounds in Las Piñas City last July 27.

The annual festivity, a brainchild of Las Piñas daughter Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, was packed with families and foreign and local tourists who flocked to the city to marvel at the exhibit display of creative and innovative water lily products and to participate in the handmade paper demonstration using the versatile aquatic blooms.

 Sen. Cynthia Villar (center) poses with the winners of the Miss Water Lily Festival 2018 now on its 13th year. The winners are Arlyn Claire M. Sangab of Barangay Pamplona 1 who won the grand trophy and P20,000 cash; Rebecca Kirsten S. Lopez of Barangay. Talon 4, 1st runner-up who got P15,000 cash and Rojielen Angela Autencio of Barangay. Pulanglupa 1, 2nd runner-up who got P10,000 cash. Patricia Mariel R. Velasquez of Barangay Talon 3 bagged the People's choice award. The water lily festival is an annual celebration in Las Pinas to showcase the useful products out of the aquatic bloom.

Villar, who initiated the use of waterlilies as raw materials for handicrafts, cheered at how weavers from the country’s weaving and handicrafts industry were able to introduce modern concepts and innovation in the development and production of artistically designed waterlily baskets, bags, textiles, trays, mats, hampers, slippers, chests, lampshades and other products.

‘We have come a long way with the idea of transforming these flowers into unique arts and crafts. From swamping our waterways and causing floodings in our city, these lovely blooms have become stable sources of livelihood not only for Las Piñas residents but also for many of our kababayans, especially those who live near the rivers," she said.

Villar expressed hope that the growing weaving and handicrafts industry would lure more entrepreneurs and local residents to venture into waterlily-making businesses to further boost the flowers’ usefulness.

‘I am always excited to see new products made out of these waterlilies. I look forward to the time that the waterlily industry is named as among the country’s top earning industries and waterlily-made products considered as major goods for export to other countries,’ Villar said.

Participants in the exhibit display were the Water Lily Arts & Crafts Center ( Las Piñas City), Sta. Rosa Livelihood Organization Inc. (Sta. Rosa, Laguna), Cardona Livelihood Products (Cardona, Rizal), Kabuhayan sa Water Lily (Cainta, Rizal), Joneg Foundation (Teresa, Rizal), Pililla Waterlily Weavers  (Pililla, Rizal), Maynilad Waterlily Weavers (Potatan, Muntinlupa) and Pateros Weavers.

Aside from the waterlily products showcase and demonstration, festival visitors likewise feasted their eyes on the parade of 13 beautiful ladies clad in uniquely - designed mestiza terno made of 100 percent waterlily who participated in the Miss Las Piñas Water Lily 2018.

A streetdancing competition among Las Piñas’ junior high school students, who gyrated to modern beats in costumes and props using waterlily as their main components, also got visitors on their feet as they clapped and cheered their favorite groups.

Villar, the chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, was among the board of judges in the beauty pageant, which was participated in by representatives from the city’s 13 barangays, and the streetdancing competition.

Ms. Arlyn Claire M. Sangab of Barangay. Pamplona 1 brought home the Miss Las Piñas Water Lily 2018 crown and P25,000 cash. Her first runner-up, Ms. Rebecca Kirsten S. Lopez of Barangay. Talon 4, won P15,000; while Ms. Rojielen Angela Autencio of Barangay. Pulanglupa 1 went home with a cash prize of P10,000.

                                                          Slippers made from water lily

The biggest criteria for judging the winners was 40 percent for the uniqueness and creativity of the contestants’ mestiza ternos, which must be made of 100 percent waterlily and should reflect the natural color of the  aquatic plant. Other criteria for judging were physical beauty, 30 percent, and intelligence and wit, 30 percent.

Meanwhile, students from the Golden Achers National High School won the top honors in the streetdancing competition and brought home the grand champion trophy and a cash prize of P50,000.

Dancing students from CAA National High School won the second honors and brought home a trophy and P30,000; while the Las Pinas East National High School dancing group won the third honors and got a trophy and P20,000 in cash.

Participant groups, with maximum of 50 members each, were required to submit their unique concept synopsis with waterlily as its main component in the costume and props.