Streets and walls in this agro-industrial town were once again turned into vibrant canvases as the 13th Mandala International Festival ran from May 8 to 10, showcasing artworks that celebrate agriculture, culture, and community life.
As part of the festival’s street art activities, the Kintab Artist Group from Bicol completed a mural in Barangay Lumbac depicting a farmer resting under a tree, accented by colorful carabaos at Big Ben Wall 2.
The Arte Bauan group from Batangas transformed the Barangay Hall wall in Poblacion into a lively scene of farm family life, while the Talinhaga Artists from Bulacan highlighted the dignity of rice planting on the Mendoza family wall in Barangay Cutcot.
Pulilan Junior Artists and Baguio Visual Artists also contributed works at the Kidney Aid Dialysis Center and Big Ben Wall 1, blending themes of hope, healing, and rural life.
Ahead of the festival, the Bulacan Kapok Collective unveiled a multicolored carabao installation atop the public market in Poblacion, reimagining the town’s iconic kneeling carabao symbol.
Artists from Pampanga, including Herminigildo Pineda, also returned to the festival, linking past works with present themes on agriculture and land conversion.
Meanwhile, the Hardin Creative Artists Group from Nueva Vizcaya traveled nine hours to join the event, calling the festival an inspiration for regional art communities.
The three-day celebration also featured lectures on visual arts and cinema, documentary screenings, and the inauguration of the ‘Posong Malaki’ sculptural monument at the town plaza.
Organized by JEFARCA Arts and Historical Society Inc., the festival gathered about 120 local and international artists from countries including Australia, India, and France.
With the theme ‘Art, Earth, Action,’ this year’s Mandala runs alongside Pulilan’s lead-up to the annual Kneeling Carabao Festival in honor of San Isidro Labrador, patron saint of farmers