MANILA, PHILIPPINES — In celebration of National Tourism Month, private operator of LRT-1, Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), teamed up with online communities Urban Sketchers Quezon City (USK QC) and Fujifilm XA-3 Community Philippines to help more Filipinos in rediscovering the beautiful and historic places in Manila that are easily accessible by taking the LRT-1.
To kick off the month-long celebration, artist members and other participants drew and sketched on location the excellent hubs for Philippine culture and history in Manila through the activity “LRT-1 ikotMNL Sketch Walk: Urban Sketchers QC goes to Manila.”
On September 10, LRMC gathered artists together to visit public parks and open spaces near LRT-1 stations and captured the essence of a place or tell a story through sketching. The event was open to all sketchers of all artistic levels with no previous drawing experience necessary. Participants also learned more about urban sketching techniques through a talk that was given by representatives of USK QC.
A week after the sketch walk, LRMC will showcase a plethora of colonial architecture, historical open spaces, and other Instagram-worthy tourist destinations in Manila by engaging photographers through “LRT-1 ikotMNL Photo Walk with Fujifilm XA-3 Community Philippines” to capitalize on a traveler’s desire to capture a unique perspective of Manila through photography.
On September 17, participants in the photo walk got the chance to join different photographers in exploring the best of Manila and inspire people to communicate hope through photos that feature ecological, cultural, and historical tourism. This event was open to all aspiring and professional photographers, whether Fujifilm XA-3 user or not, seeking to stimulate their imagination while letting their feet and creativity roam free.
Recognizing that tourism is inevitably linked to transport, participants of the sketch walk and the photo walk visited three LRT-1 stations, namely United Nations, Central Terminal, and Carriedo, which are known for many nearby interesting tourist sites.
The LRT-1 ikotMNL Tourism Month celebration will culminate with a pop-up exhibit that will bring together the stories, sketches, and photographs from the sketch walk and photo walk activities. The exhibit will be located at LRT-1 Doroteo Jose Station, and will open on World Tourism Day from September 27 to October 31.
ikotMNL was launched in 2018 as a tourism campaign, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and local tour operators to promote the rediscovery of Metro Manila’s historical spots and landmarks that are accessible by riding the LRT-1. Through LRT-1’s ikotMNL, local and foreign tourists can rediscover more of Metro Manila since they can take the train and have more time to explore food, shopping, museums, and parks.
USK QC is part of a global network that likes documenting everyday experiences and showing the world, the country, and the city through on-location drawings and sketches with members coming from diverse backgrounds and possessing different artistic skill levels.
Fujifilm XA-3 Community Philippines, on the other hand, is a group of photographers using Fujifilm XA-3 to help and guide fellow users to maximize their cameras and share their experiences in photography. The group organizes various events like photo walks in the metro to tell stories and inspire people.
For more updates and info on the LRT-1, follow LRMC on Facebook and Twitter. Download the ikotMNL mobile app for free on Google Play and App Store.
