Even a patch of trees holds countless stories, each tree a city. Pulitzer Center grantees,artists, and changemakers will tell the stories of Philippine flora and fauna and how you canhelp protect them in If The Walls Can Talk, an art exhibit opening on December 12 atthe historic First United Building in the heart of Old Manila’s Escolta District.
According to a Pulitzer Center supported story, the Philippines was once blanketed by lushforests spanning 27.5 million hectares—over 90% of the country’s total land area—prior tocolonization. However, centuries of population growth, land conversion, and the absence of aunified forest policy have drastically reduced this coverage. By the end of American rule,forest cover had dwindled to 15.8 million hectares, dropping further to 10.6 million hectaresbefore Martial Law was declared in 1972. Following the People Power Revolution in 1986, itshrank even more, reaching just 6.4 million hectares. Despite reforestation efforts datingback to the 1910s, the country's forest cover has struggled to recover, stabilizing at anaverage of under seven million hectares today.
Recent super-typhoons, with their unusual timing extending well beyond the rainy season,have sparked growing discussions among Filipinos about deforestation. We hope theseconversations go beyond the immediate loss of trees and greenery and expand to address thebroader implications: how deforestation fuels climate change, threatens livelihoods,endangers lives and property, and causes lasting harm to future generations of Filipinos andthe global ecosystem.
Installation View: "Rooted" by Resty Flores one of the six prints hung along Escolta Street, Banquero Street, and Burke Street
Three Filipino artists—Eunice Sanchez, Kookoo Ramos-Cruda, and Resty Flores—will showcase works inspired by the Pulitzer Center’s Climate Crisis Reporting. Through various mediums, their creations will explore critical issues surrounding Philippine rainforests.
“Journalism, like art, sheds light on critical issues,” shares Intan Febriani, Director of International Education and Outreach, “such as rainforest protection. As urbanization rises, we must acknowledge that forests are essential—they provide food, reduce carbon emissions, and support biodiversity. In the "If the Walls Can Talk" art exhibition, Filipino artists engage with investigative journalism supported by the Pulitzer Center, expressing concerns about deforestation and the expansion of mining. This event fosters a dialogue between journalism and art, inspiring action to protect our forests and demand accountability.”
Organizer Veejay Villafranca shares his rationale behind the show: “Street art takes its rootsfrom dissent and revolutions. In today’s highly visual landscape, we harness said roots ofstreet artists in taking the message to the streets: the state of the Philippines’ naturalenvironment. This will hopefully instigate not just conversations but a wider movement.”
Installation View: "Anino ng Kasagsagan" by Kookoo Ramos-Cruda Two satin sheets hung along the FUB mezzanine staircase
The exhibition is part of the #ShowMeYourTree campaign, a regional call to protect Southeast Asia’s rainforests. Organized by photojournalist Veejay Villafranca, it brings together artists Eunice Sanchez, Kookoo Ramos-Cruda, and Resty Flores—whose practices span photography, street art, and community-based work. Curated by LK Rigor of 98B COLLABoratory, the show invites viewers to reflect on memory, preservation, and grassroots resistance through diverse visual forms.
This project is supported by the Pulitzer Center, a nonprofit organization funding global journalism on underreported issues, and 98B COLLABoratory, an artist-run initiative in Manila fostering interdisciplinary and socially engaged art.
Installation View: "Di Kalaunan" by Eunice Sanchez @eun.sanchez Installed on the FUB 3rd floor air well, can also be viewed on FUB 4th floor
