Based on the latest survey of the Social Weather Stations (SWS), 11.2 million Filipino families remained poor in the last quarter of 2015. The survey, taken from Dec. 5 to 8, revealed that 50 percent of 1,200 respondents – equivalent to 11.2 million families, according to SWS – still rated themselves poor.
Jhalanie Matuan is one of them. She is a beggar, a scavenger, a homeless person. But unlike many others, she has a special gift: she is a talented artist.
Matuan, 45 years old, has been selling her paintings around the streets of Buendia for only 50 pesos each to raise funds for her kidney problems. She told Good News Pilipinas that she was an awarded artist in Macau but her painful past has driven her to the streets, turning all her bad memories into a beautiful masterpiece.
Mae Catibog, a social media user, shared Matuan’s artworks and story on social media after appreciating her works on the streets of Buendia.
Artist Coco Torre found out about the story of the homeless artist through his friend Eric Madrazo who spoke about how the unrecognized artist touched his heart.
Recognizing talent in the artworks of Matuan, Torre gave her the chance to get her works of art exhibited in a solo art show at the A Space Manila gallery in Makati City entitled “Damgo Sa Kilid Dalan” (Sidewalk Dreams). Matuan sold out all her 31 artworks exhibited.
Torre said in an interview with local newspaper that it isn’t a big deal for him if other street beggars would also be given recognition because of their creative skills.
