A mural by Northwest Samar State University Arts, Social, and Cultural Affairs (NwSSU ASCA) student artist and alumna were named among the Top 100 National Finalists of the West Philippine Sea (WPS) Mural Festival 2026, the country’s first nationwide public-art competition on Philippine sovereign rights and maritime heritage.
The mural was created by John Lloyd D. Mayola, president of the university’s Dagao Visual Arts Group, and co-created by NwSSU alumna, Ainah Erica Solayao. It was selected from 220 entries submitted from Luzon, the Visayas and Mindanao.
Mayola attended the Grand Awarding Ceremony yesterday, Nov. 12, at the National Museum of Natural History in Metro Manila. He was accompanied by Mr. Jonas L. Robles, the personnel-in-charge of the off-campus trip.
The winning work can be seen on the walls beside the Calbayog City Legislative Hall, at the Rosales Boulevard–Rueda Street intersection.
The festival was organized by the We Protect Our Seas Foundation, with the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) and the Philippine Coast Guard as partners. Under the theme “Kulayan. Karagatan. Kalayaan.”, artists, collectives, students and community groups were asked to turn public walls into stories of Filipino fisherfolk, coastal communities and the ecological value of the West Philippine Sea.
A national jury working with the NCCA judged entries on four criteria: relevance to the theme, creativity and originality, visual impact, and technical execution. The Top 100 National Finalists were chosen from the entries based on these criteria.
The festival also marks the tenth anniversary of the 2016 arbitral award.
Congratulations to John Lloyd and Ainah on their remarkable achievement!Â