WWF-PH Earth Exhibit holds fundraising auction featuring works of celebrities, artists

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Philippines’ Earth Exhibit initiative is set to wrap up this December with a fundraising auction featuring curated items from partner local artists, celebrities, and WWF-PH ambassadors, in partnership with Gavel & Block by Salcedo Auctions and Bid for the Future.

The auction, which aims to raise funds to provide food assistance and livelihood equipment for 209 partner Dumagats and their families in Ipo Watershed, will feature over 100 art pieces and pre-loved items by celebrities, including pop diva Kuh Ledesma and WWF-PH Ambassadors Pia Wurtzbach, Rovilson Fernandez, and Enzo Pineda.

“Definitely, artists have a voice.  They have fans that will listen to them. When they speak, people are attentive especially when it is a positive message. We could be more purposeful with the messages that we put out there whether on social media or even  with the things that we wear like t-shirts with positive messages. There are also many artists who show their homes to share ideas. The way artists speak also influence their followers. People listen when they speak loudly about causes like the conservation of our environment and most specially for the far-flung places. When  artists are doing their part to use their voices and their names to send out powerful messages to restore, to protect, and to conserve our environment, then we have done a good service to our country and our fellowmen, ang ating mga kababayans,” said Ledesma, who is an active supporter of WWF-PH’s fundraising efforts.

WWF-PH Ambassador Pia Wurtzbach, who has also mounted her own fundraising drives for the organization’s partner communities and environmental frontliners, encouraged art aficionados to participate in the auction and find meaningful gifts for the holiday season.

“I donated some items and I wish you guys bid for them because they are really important to me, but I’m willing to share these items for WWF!” said Wurtzbach.

Salcedo Auctions Managing Director, Mr. Victor M. Silvino, shared their team’s excitement to work with WWF-PH and its partners for the initiative.

“We’re excited to partner with WWF through our subsidiary, Gavel & Block, as the official auction platform for their fundraiser. There’s always been a close link between art and nature. Artists either take inspiration from nature or take their paint pigments from it! But more than that, it’s the power of art to communicate ideas and experiences that this partnership highlights. With WWF, we’re helping artists and collectors find new ways to share and discuss important issues about nature and community,” Silvino said.

Australia-based Filipino artist Emmanuel Santos, who has committed cotton rag archival prints for the auction, encouraged fellow artists to use their platform in creating awareness for environmental conservation.

“If art is the manifestation of beauty and grace from master creators of the universe, then we must unleash it and embrace it, after all every single creation that we live within our planet is a unique masterpiece of our heavenly creator. We experience the beauty, the harmony which gives birth to inspiration for music, poetry, writings, sculptures and paintings. Each dawn is a new color and each dusk is a reflection of the theatrical day that’s been. And this is repeated over and over without end. So let’s not let it fade, let’s nourish and nurture our nature and be the warrior of light for planet Earth. Life is short, art is eternal,” Salvosa shared.

The auction will kick-off on December 5 and feature pieces by Olivia D’aboville, Agnes Arellano, Jinggoy Buensuceso, Rom Villaseran, Jao Mapa, Carmen Westendorp Brias, and more local artists. To browse the auction catalogue and bid, simply log on to Salcedo Auctions’ official website at https://salcedoauctions.com/ and register an account for bidding.

WWF-Philippines is set to launch more fundraising initiatives to #ChangeTheEnding for the environment and to help our environmental frontliners and partner communities. For more information, log on to https://wwf.org.ph or follow WWF-PH on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.