By EIMOR SANTOS and DANIEL ABUNALES
Video by DANIEL ABUNALES
FOR most people, it was just another Wednesday afternoon but 18 year-old Carl Lorania could not contain his excitement as guests filled the Ayala Museum to witness the “Children of the Earth” art exhibit.
Carl, a teenage wheelchair user who has cerebral palsy, is one of 39 artists whose works are on display at the museum’s Artistspace Gallery.
“Children of the Earth” compiles the best artworks by children with disabilities (CWD) from Metro Manila. The initiative started in 2004 when Philippine Association for Citizens with and Learning Disabilities (PACDLD) conducted an art workshop for CWDs. Since then it has become an annual event.
PACDLD, a nongovernment organization founded in 2001, supports persons with disabilities (PWDs) by providing their families support and information. It gives priority to PWDs in the grassroots level and is a member of the National Anti-Poverty Commission under the PWD sector.
In 2009, the group decided to set-up an exhibit to showcase the outstanding works of the children. The exhibit started at the Metropolitan Museum. Two years later, it moved to the Museo Pambata.