Kikik Kollektive and Northern Iloilo State University (NISU Main Campus) in Estancia, Iloilo, unveiled Dagyaw Mural 2025 on May 23, 2025, highlighting its 3rd university week celebration. It shows the rich marine bounty of Estancia, Iloilo, with each wall featuring a fish species that can be found in its rich waters.

The work stands as both a celebration and a statement through the Rooted in Rural Dignity Project of Kikik Kollektive.

It pays a vivid homage to the people, stories, and traditions often overlooked or misunderstood beyond rural boundaries. Grounded in symbolism and with bold imagery, the mural spotlights the rich marine resources of the town, conveying cultural memory while offering a subtle yet firm resistance to narratives that paint rural existence as something to outgrow or escape from. Rather, it invites viewers to reimagine the countryside as a place rich in pride, history, and human dignity—a place worthy not only of remembrance but of honor.

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The mural offers a powerful visual affirmation of the strength, beauty, and resilience embedded in the rural and coastal life of the people of Estancia, a first-class municipality in Northern Iloilo and known for its “Panagat Festival”—an” annual celebration of the rich fish harvest.

These characteristics—respect for rural identities and lifestyles, honoring indigenous stewardship of the land and sea, connection of people to the environment, and economic and social justice—were brought to life by Kikik Kollektive and NISU through the Dagyaw 2025 Mural.

Community at the heart

A three-day collaborative mural project between Kikik Kollektive and NISU, Rooted in Rural Dignity Project, brings color, connection, and cultural pride to the university’s walls, transforming them into a canvas of shared stories and values.

“We are so grateful and excited for the next two days of outdoor painting! ” shared Kikik Kollektive.

“It feels good to be by the sea, play with students who are children of the uma (farm) and the isla (island), paint walls to break walls, and build new communities.”

Day one of the mural-making journey began with an opening program that served as a grounding space to reflect on the “why” behind the project.

Kristine Buenavista, co-founder of Kikik Kollektive, gave an inspiring talk and a walk-through on the collective’s past community mural efforts, emphasizing the importance of localization and the central theme of rural dignity.

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Her message set the tone for a mural that’s not just art but a visual affirmation of the strength and beauty of rural life—a declaration that rural identities are vibrant, valuable, and deserving of pride.

The day also featured a hands-on workshop facilitated by artists Marrz Capanang, Khian Barniego, and Matmat Abela. With warmth and openness, they introduced participants to the skills, methods, and ethos behind collaborative mural painting.

The session empowered beginners to contribute meaningfully, reinforcing the idea that everyone has a part in telling the story of their place.

Day three was the actual mural making, rendered with NISU’s Civil Engineering and Drafting students with the presence, support, and care for all participants of Raul Deguma and Arch. Jid Aquino. 

Outcome of meaningful conversations 

The Rooted in Rural Dignity Project was realized through the power of meaningful conversation between collaborators, Kikik Kollektive and NISU leadership: Dr. Bobby D. Gerardo, University President, and Dr. Gilda Evangelista Deguma, Vice President for Academic Affairs.

Their early conversations with Kikik Kollektive helped shape a shared vision for the project—a mural that would reflect not only the land and sea surrounding the campus but also the spirit of its people.

The Dagyaw Mural 2025 invites all who encounter it to recognize the deep dignity rooted in rural life—where traditions, languages, and ways of living speak to generations of wisdom. It honors the land-based knowledge, interdependence, and community values that define rural existence, urging us to see not just what is often forgotten, but what must be remembered and revered.

Credits: 
Photos used were taken from the Facebook posts of Kikik Kollektive and Northern Iloilo State University.