The Faura Project Holds Advanced Charcoal Drawing Workshop for Zone 72 Children in Ermita, Manila

August 10, 2026

Text by Jackie Borja
Photos by Hacel Buenbrazo

*Children draw the Nilad, Balete, and Pandan plants.*

The Faura Project, in collaboration with UP Salinlahi, recently completed their heritage conservation awareness campaign through a series of charcoal drawing workshops for the children of Ermita.

Dubbed “Los Niños Ermitenses” – A Charcoal Drawing Workshop for the Children of Ermita and other Districts of Manila, the activity was held on July 25, 2026, and aimed to increase the awareness of children in Zone 72, Ermita, of their bio-cultural heritage. The children were taught how to draw the pandan plant, nilad, and balete by UP Salinlahi member and visual artist Zai Pacardo.

Six batches of children from Barangays 666, 667, 668, 669, and 670 have been trained since Nov 2025. Over the last months, the series of workshops ( basic, intermediate, and advanced categories) were held at the UP Manila Museum of a History of Ideas (MHI) grounds and at the plaza of Brgy 668, Sta. Monica Blvd in Ermita.

Aside from Pacardo, the charcoal drawing sessions were also facilitated by other artists such as coffee painter Jorge Milante of Art Jam Mla Inc. and former MHI Creative Officer Vince de Dios for print-making.

The Pandan plant was chosen as one of the subjects of the drawing session because of its unique history. It is said that the oldest Marian image, the Nuestra de Guia, was found atop a pandan plant. The Nilad, on the other hand, was ubiquitous in colonial Manila; hence, the original name Maynilad (originally “May Nilad”), which eventually became Manila.

Another plant, the balete, which is found in the grounds of the University of the Philippines Museum of A History of Ideas (MHI), is also known to be associated with mythical creatures (kapre and tikbalang) in local Filipino folklore.

The recent workshop marks the culmination of nearly eight months of heritage conservation training for Zone 72. Two additional workshops are scheduled on Sept. 24–25, 2026, at Zone 72, ahead of the program’s grand finale: an Ermita-wide, on-the-spot charcoal drawing competition in October 2026. The event will bring together participants in a creative celebration of Ermita’s rich cultural heritage and the knowledge and skills they have gained throughout the training program.

Behind the success of the program is the dedicated team of active members of The Faura Project: Operations Officer Jackie Lumain, Executive Director Dr. Levi Labor, Architect Rosalie Flores of the Campus Planning, Development and Maintenance Office (CPDMO), Gia Veloso of Biznov8, Zai Pacardo, Mark Fidelino of UP MHI, and artist Rancho Arcilla, who is also known as the creator of the digital works “SC Padre Faura Community” and “Istilong Korte,” that were featured in the Supreme Court of the Philippines’ 125th Anniversary in 2022.