THIRTY-THREE Filipino artists donated works for International Care Ministries’ (ICM) annual auction in Hong Kong on Oct. 8, and the sales of their works raised HK $574,400 (approximately P3.4 million) for ICM’s outreach efforts in the Philippines.
ICM also auctioned off hotel and resort stays, and other luxury items, to raise money for its antipoverty programs in the Philippines. The event raised a total of HK $15.2 million (P91.7 million).
Art works by Ram Mallari and Daniel de la Cruz set the night’s record at HK $80,000 each. Mallari, a found-assemblage artist, donated a chessboard piece, “Battle of the Nuts,” while De la Cruz donated his metal sculpture, “Forever Thankful.”
Other noteworthy: Ramon Orlina’s “Fellowshipping” (HK $35,000), Richard Arimado’s “Bilian Pangil Church” (HK $27,500), Caress Banson’s “Summer Blooms” (HK $18,000), and Migs Villanueva’s “Forget-Me-Nots” (HK $21,500).
This was ICM’s 11th annual auction and banquet, and the night featured performances and presentations from the direct beneficiaries of ICM’s programs-including a performance from a children’s choir from Bacolod.
ICM was founded in 1992 by Sharon Pastre, an interior designer from Singapore who, during a visit to Bacolod City, decided to set up and organization that aimed to tackle the problem of poverty in the Philippines.
Today, ICM has outreach centers in 17 provinces, including Negros Oriental, Negros Occidental, Bohol, General Santos, Koronadal, Palawan, Zamboanga del Norte, Iloilo, Cebu and Capiz.
ICM projects benefit over 100,000 Filipino families.
For more information on International Care Ministries, visit their website at www.caremin.com.
