BenCab's art featured in activity book for underprivileged kids

Children who have suffered from disaster, poverty, and trauma will soon be gifted with activity books featuring illustrations by one of the country's finest artists.

The masterpieces of National Artist of the Philippines for Visual Arts (Painting) Benedicto "BenCab" Cabrera will be available to underprivileged children from poor provinces and towns through a collaboration with the Center for Art, New Ventures & Sustainable Development (CANVAS).

According to CANVAS Founder and Director Gigoy Alampay, 3,000 copies of "BenCab's Activity Book for Children" will be sold to the public, while 15,000 will be given away to kids. BenCab's art may be re-imagined and recolored by these children as a form of therapy and learning.

For every book that readers purchase, two are donated to kids in need.

"For many of the children who will receive these books, this is the very first book that they will get to call their own," Alampay said during the launch of the activity book on Tuesday at the Manila Peninsula Hotel.

The idea was first executed when the 2013 Zamboanga siege displaced numerous families, Alampay recounted. A group of doctors had pushed for the use of books as therapy for traumatized children. 

This time, instead of simple books, CANVAS is distributing activity books so that the kids will learn about art.

It is the theme of Cabrera's paintings that made him the best candidate to produce such a book. The artist's work deals with disasters and underscores heroism, which are relevant to the children's experiences.

"The good idea about this one, I have existing paintings that can be used by the kids, to learn about art," Cabrera said.

"It just so happened that I cover those kinds of subjects. That's why they thought, isn't it a good idea to use my paintings so the kids can react to it," he added.

Alampay hopes that the books may be the first step to healing the children from their trauma.

"We give away our books because books...[get] the children to a place where they can begin to hope for a better life," he said. — AT, GMA News