Painting auction raises more than P80,000 for CARD’s scholars

MANILA – The Paint for Love: A Silent Auction for CARD MRI Love Fund has generated more than PhP 80,000, which will be used to support the scholars of CARD-MRI Development Institute (CMDI).

The auctioned paintings were from the True North Painting Contest of CARD Mutually Reinforcing Institutions (CARD MRI).

There were 59 painting contest entries for the competition, which were shortlisted to 13 for the final deliberation. The final 13 were included in the auction.

According to Flordeliza Sarmiento, the Managing Director of CARD MRI, the initiative is in time for the opening of the school year. “This will surely help our students who want to study but are financially challenged. I commend the organizers of the painting contest and auction for initiating efforts like this and for having education as its top priority. This raised fund will already help five students to continue their schooling at CMDI.”

The painting contest was organized by CARD MRI Publishing House Inc., one of the institutions of CARD MRI, to promote the creativity and celebrate the artistry of local artisans, CARD MRI clients, and the youth and to reinforce the mission of CARD MRI for poverty eradication.

The auction was held during CARD MRI’s midyear business review and planning on July 10-12, 2019.

The bid starts at PhP 5,000. Fifty percent of the highest bid per painting will go to the artist while the other half will be donated to the scholarship program of CMDI dubbed as CARD MRI Love Fund.

“All the final entries chosen by the judges exhibit the most artistic and meaningful story. It also captured CARD MRI’s journey of eradicating poverty, in the country in the most creative way,” said Cyrene Grace Lubigan, the General Manager of CARD MRI Publishing House Inc.

Among the judges of the painting contest were Mr. Guillermo Ramos Jr., an award-winning book designer; Mr. Lito Ballaran, a full-time painter at the same time an arts teacher and was also conferred Outstanding San Pableño in the Culture and Arts Category; Jaspher Penuliar, a realist painter whose works revolve around love and death; and Mr. Gig de Pio Sr., an artist that specializes in pastel, oil and charcoal.

The winners of the painting contest were Jayrald Sandoval (1st place) “Tagumpay sa Likod ng Bente Pesos”; Emil Reambillo (2nd place) “Matatag na Bukas”; and Raymond Rivera (3rd place) “CARD MRI: Ang Maskara ng mga Dukha ng Masa”.

“My painting represents how CARD MRI, through the twenty peso-bill, helped many poor families get out from poverty by starting and growing their own business,” said Sandoval who was a former Account Officer of CARD and later on pursued his dream to become a full-time painter.

Lubigan also announced that the painting contest will be done by CARD MRI annually. “The success of the painting contest inspired us to do this every year. We are hoping that in the next painting contest, we will receive more entries,” said Lubigan.

Announcement of next year’s painting contest will be posted on its official Facebook account @CARDMRIOfficial.

CARD MRI is a group of 22 social development-oriented organizations, including CMDI, the school of CARD MRI that is in the business of ending poverty in the Philippines by providing affordable and quality education.