Kulayan. Karagatan. Kalayaan. Tatlong salita lang — pero para sa mga visual artist ng BAGSIK, ang tatlong salitang iyon ay isang panawagan na hindi nila mapapagwalang-bahala.

BAGSIK — Batangueñong Grupo sa Sining at Kultura — the first established artist group in Batangas, has officially entered the West Philippine Sea Mural Festival 2026, a nationwide open competition calling on Filipino artists, collectives, and communities to transform walls across the country into powerful works of art celebrating the West Philippine Sea.

At kung kilala mo ang BAGSIK, alam mong hindi sila gagawa ng basta-basta.

What Is the WPS Mural Festival?

The West Philippine Sea Mural Festival 2026 is a landmark national initiative that invites artists of all kinds — individuals, art collectives, student groups, and community organizations — to paint murals that speak to Filipino identity, maritime heritage, environmental stewardship, and sovereignty over the West Philippine Sea.

The stakes are real. From all submissions nationwide, 100 murals will be selected by a national jury, each receiving ₱30,000 in recognition and qualifying for the major awards — including a ₱1,000,000 Grand Prize. Selected finalists will also be asked to produce a 2 ft × 3 ft canvas version of their work for an official national exhibition.

Your art. Our seas. One shared future.

BAGSIK’s Answer: Bantay ng Karagatan, Kulay ng Kalayaan

The group’s mural entry, located at Poblacion, Agoncillo, Batangas near Agoncillo’s Public Market, just a few meters away from the town’s Municipal Hall, carries a title that says it all — “Bantay ng Karagatan: Kulay ng Kalayaan.”

The piece centers on the West Philippine Sea not simply as a body of water, but as a living symbol of Filipino identity, livelihood, and sovereignty. Sea creatures inhabit the composition as guardians of the deep — representing the rich biodiversity of the West Philippine Sea that has long sustained Filipino fishing communities and the nation as a whole.

Rising through the imagery is Amanikable, the warrior god of the sea from Philippine mythology, embracing the western reaches of the archipelago — a protector of the maritime kingdom that has always belonged to this people. The colors of the Philippine flag and map flow with the movement of the waves, as if the ocean itself is wrapped in the nation’s colors.

Spirited youth figures anchor the composition, representing the country that is standing up in defiance — and the Filipino people’s enduring struggle to break free from oppression and reclaim what is theirs.

The message, in BAGSIK’s own words, is clear: ang West Philippine Sea ay hindi lamang espasyo sa mapa — ito ay sagisag ng dignidad, kabuhayan, at kalayaan ng sambayanang Pilipino.

Why This Matters for Batangas Arts

BAGSIK joining a competition of this scale isn’t just a proud moment — it’s a statement. As the pioneering artist collective in the province, their participation puts Batangas on the national arts map in a conversation that matters deeply to every Filipino right now.

Art has always been one of the most powerful ways a community asserts its identity. And with this mural, BAGSIK is doing exactly that — not just painting a wall, but planting a flag. Saying: nandito kami, at mahal namin ang aming bayan.

Batangas has long been known for its tapang — its fighting spirit. Sa pamamagitan ng sining, ipinakita ng BAGSIK na ang tapang na iyon ay buhay pa rin at makulay na makulay.

Submissions for the WPS Mural Festival 2026 are open until April 10, 2026. Follow the festival on Facebook at @WPSMuralFestival and support Filipino artists telling our story — one wall at a time.