The sports heroes mural project at the Baguio Athletic Bowl, which features Cordilleran athletes and Team Lakay stars, is nearing its completion.
Team Lakay's own artist Harold Banario, the younger brother of former ONE Championship featherweight champion Honorio, is on the run to finish the 9x24ft portrait of Team Lakay stalwarts in Baguio's sports complex.
Harold, an architecture student at the University of the Cordilleras, only needs to put the finishing touches on his masterpiece that highlights Team Lakay founder and head coach Mark Sangiao, former ONE champions Eduard Folayang, Kevin Belingon, Geje Eustaquio and Honorio, and reigning strawweight king Joshua Pacio.
Stephen Loman, the longest-reigning champion in BRAVE Fighting Championship under the bantamweight division, and former PXC bantamweight titleholder Crisanto Pitpitunge are also included in the mural.
For Sangiao, the artwork serves as inspiration for the younger generation of athletes who want to follow the footsteps of their idols in their respective sports.
"Itong mural na ito bale recognition din sa mga athletes natin na nagre-represent ng Cordillera -- hindi lang sa Cordillera kung hindi sa Philippines," the 41-year-old Sangiao told Manila Bulletin. "At the same time magiging inspiration siya dito sa mga sumusunod na atleta natin. 'Di lang naman sa mixed martial arts kung hindi sa kani-kanilang mga sports."
"For them to be inspired na these athletes also came from nothing, nagpursige lang sila. Ginawa lang nila 'yung part nila hanggang sa naging champion sila."
Aside from the Team Lakay stars, another mural project is in the works at the Baguio Athletic Bowl.
The other artwork pays homage to Cordilleran sports icons that brought pride to the region and the country including Olympians Hector Begeo (athletics) and Jerry Dino (judo), former Southeast Asian Games javelin queen Erlinda Lavandia, 2019 SEAG gold medalists Divine Wally (wushu sanda) and Jeordan Dominguez (freestyle poomsae), boxing legend Rey Tam and former three-time world Muay Thai champion Brent Velasco.
The mural paintings are expected to be finished just in time before the end of Baguio's "Ibagiw" 2020 Creative City Festival this month.