Neo-Urban Plan: Clay City + Parola Compound

Clay City
workshop at Museo Pambata ng Maynila
Feb 28, 2009

These kids are from Parola Compound in Manila (Binondo side), "Looban" - a walled slum maze-like neighborhood.

First, I asked them to draw their community- mapping their neighborhood - drawing their houses and other structures like stores, bakery, internet shop, basketball court, barber shop, school, water well etc. and they explained their typical day in the community...



Since all of them live in Parola (except Xtian who is from Pandacan), I asked them to model thier ideal "Parola" using children's clay... and these kids has an amazing grand plan for their community...


*Planning their ideal city/community (construction site)



After doing the activity, the kids invited me to come with them in Parola... and it would be nice to see their actual neighborhood and suddenly I realized that I am already riding with them in a motorized pedicab flying along Roxas blvd! hehe. They toured me around the maze- amazing! hehe

It's a very unique experience - I remember hearing the Poverty Tourism of India and Brazil
But I went there not as a tourist but for my new friends.

These kids has a grand plan for their community and maybe we can realize their plan in the near future...




Their actual neigborhood in Parola Compound



*This is part of Mark Salvatus’ Neo-Urban Plan project that was developed during his 2-month residency at Green Papaya Art Projects and Diego Maranan’s suggestion (from the online call) to ask people to model their ideal version of the city using children's clay. The project is a collaboration with the Children's Advocacy Program of Museo Pambata

The Children's Advocacy Program or CAP is an alternative educational program that aims to help children understand and appreciate their roles in their families, schools, communities, and in society. It uses the child-to-child approach wherein children advocates serve as mentors who help inspire other disadvantaged Filipino children through outreach activities in schools and communities. Children advocates are chosen from various street children centers and disadvantaged communities and are exposed to workshops, field trips and film showings to enhance their awareness on identity, nation-building, rights and values formation. CAP is a venue for children to learn how to formulate ideas and speak their minds on issues affecting them.

http://neourbanplanner.blogspot.com/
http://www.museopambata.org/