For my countrymen (Filipinos), some of you might have the idea what's I'm pointing in my headline. While others scratching their head and pouting, "anong klaseng title yan" in translation, "what a nonsense title". Don't bother folks, let me just spend your time for a three-minute reading of this article.
Ladies and Gentlemen, I want you greet one of the Benguet's tourist attraction situated in LA Trinidad. Meet the StoBoSa Hillside Homes Artwork which also called "Valley Of Colors" and "Colors Of StoBoSa". For those who were already visited the said spot will have now the idea why I quoted the Brazil in my headline. Well congratulations for those who caught what I mean.
For those still have no idea what it is, see photo below.
Quite similar to popular mural houses from Favela Painting in Rio de Janeiro and São Paolo Brazil isn't it? See photos below for reference.
A brief history of Brazil's Favela Paintings:
In 2005, Jeroen Koolhas and Dre Urhahn (both Dutch) commonly known as Haas&Hahn started the art revolution of the slums thru Favela Painting Foundation- an organization devoted by conveying community art for social change in some of Rio’s most underprivileged areas.
An excerpt from britannica.com: Favela in Brazil typically comes into being when squatters occupy a vacant lot or area at the edge of a city and construct shanties of salvaged or stolen materials."
For more information, just visit their official website here to be updated on their expanded projects worldwide.
Back to the Philippines, it is common to see houses constructed on mountain terrains in Baguio and Benguet. Honestly, I am amazed on my first visit on how they used these as advantage to build their houses and apartments.
Fast check: In 2016, the project artwork was initiated by local tourism unit with cooperation of local residents and other volunteer organizations. Designed by Tam-awan Village Artists (local arts community) and sponsored by country's local paint brand, Davies Paints, for gallons of various colors.
The main goal is to attract local and foreign tourist to visit the area which once dubbed as an eyesore before. Communities benefited in this project were sitios of Stone Hill, Botiwtiw, and Sadjap wherein the tourist spot name "StoBoSa"originated.
To endorse and boost tourism, it was once featured on various TV shows such as Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" and ABS-CBN's hit primetime series, "FPJ's: Any Probinsyano". See the short clip of FPJAP Episode 84 aired on March 05, 2018.
Hoping after this Pandemic, you visit the said tourist attraction in La Trinidad to witness and meet the Philippines' colorful version of Brazil's Favela Painting. For sneak peak I inserted a seven (7) seconds video clip during my visit there with my classmates last September 2018.