Day 28 - SALINLAHI - Our Park has Finally Risen in Puerto Princesa!!!

The Pacific Rim Salinlahi Park was officially dedicated by Mayor Edward Hagedorn for the City of Puerto Princesa.

It overlooks the sea, where dolphin watch tours are done... so this park will eventually become a new stop for tourists who go on those tours.
CANVAS' Looking for Juan Outdoor Banner Exhibit lined the back of the park, defining its space, and also partly shielding an old, dilapidated and abandoned building in the back.

That building will eventually be torn down, and we hear it will be the site of the campus for the City's planned international school for the environment.One one of the walls of the structure, they did a flower mosaic. The students from each of the countries represented (Russia, the US, China, Korea and the Philippines) got to work and express their thoughts on one petal.

The Pacific Rim Sanlahi Park is now in the good hands of the city, which has committed to forever run it as a public space. We hope it provides the spark that will turn its big dreams into reality, while also becoming a bridge to continued peace and harmony among the peoples of the Pacific.

Cheers to everyone involved for all the hard work, dedication and commitment. It has truly been a privilege being part of this great, and lasting project! :-)





The Looking for Juan Outdoor Banner Project was made possible in part by generous support from The Pag-IBIG Fund.

Emilie Ledieu shares her thoughts.....

It is said that to give is to receive, and at this very moment I believe that we, as a group, are all feeling this notion strongly. We are giving the gift of a park, a park which most of us will not be able to visit or use frequently. However, in exchange, we receive two of the greatest and most unique of gifts: this special time and each other.

We have strung yet another pearl onto this beautiful necklace surrounding the majestic Pacific Ocean. I know that whenever life brings us near this water again, we will look out onto its power and remember this remarkable time. It has been a time of learning on the highest of levels. In this classroom like no other we have gained knowledge not only from our teachers (Jim and Kyle), but from the materials we build with (the cement, the steel, the tiles, and all of the tools), the land we are building on (with its wonderfully diverse flora/fauna and enchanting view), the ocean (with its endlessly inspiring horizon), and, perhaps most importantly, we learn invaluable lessons from each other (as individuals and as representatives of our culture).

We may be giving a gift of a pearl and its park to Puerto Princesa, but I genuinely believe that we have become the clams, each with a newfound and stubborn piece of sand slowly and patiently growing into a pearl deep within. The Pacific Rim Parks house the physical pearls, but now our hearts and souls carry pearls as well. Therefore, we are receiving a gift; a gift which will stay with us for the rest of our lives. As we share the magic of our individual pearls with the world around us, the necklace continues to grow, change, and inspire. This is how the Pacific Rim Park project can bring a bit of peace to the world, as it has clearly already brought friendship. This wondrous strand of pearls reaches far beyond the pacific; it reaches the four corners of the world.

We have all struggled, at times, throughout the last month. There have been minor injuries, illness, some bruises, many aches, and maybe even a bit of homesickness. With this said, today when taking a moment to soak in this magnificent white arch that we have built, poised on a ridge and ready to take flight out onto the Pacific, any and all adversity melted away…flew away on its precious wings. The only feelings remaining were awe and complete peace. Today peace was made in the form of a park.

Emilie Ledieu is a mosaic artist from Philadelphia, USA.

Day 27 - Tomorrow is the BIG day!!!!!!

"Pacific Rim Salinlahi Park"

The name reflects the City's and the builder's vision of the park as a gift to the next generation.

To commemorate the opening tomorrow, CANVAS mounted its first Outdoor Banner Art Project
featuring images from the "Looking for Juan" show at the CCP.


Then the rest of the day was spent doing the planting and landscaping of the park.

The staff of NCCC Shopping Mall headed by Engineer Jusette Cortes were there for the day to help.


Then its time to celebrate the team's achievement. :)






The Looking for Juan Outdoor Banner Project was made possible in part by generous support from The Pag-IBIG Fund.

Day 26 - The Last TWO Days :)

Two more days before the final launch and we are positive that we will FINISH everything on time.

They finished painting the arc with white paint.


The highlight of the park - the black blue pearl - was done using mosaic tiles.


Big trucks came to help bring more sand and level the land area.


Horticulturists from Puerto Prinsesa visited the site to check the soil condition and the delivery of plants also came.


In the afternoon they started doing the wood work for the trellis.

They put so much love and hardwork for this park and now that we are counting the days we are hoping that everything will fall into place. :)