𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗺? I saw these wall markings at the pedestrian bridge along Bonifacio Street. It reminded me of the never-ending debate on what constitutes urban art and when it should be considered as vandalism.
Baguio City has been tackling vandalism issues for as long as I can remember. Last year, Councilor Van Dicang proposed an amendment to the Anti-Graffiti Code of Baguio City. The proposed amendment includes the creation of legal art zones in the city where street artists can freely express their craft. If I'm not mistaken, this proposed ordinance was approved by the city council on second reading on January of this year.
Also, even before this proposed ordinance by Councilor Dicang, a very similar ordinance was proposed by Councilor Leandro Yangot in 2024. Yangot called for the designation of artistic spaces in barangays of the city. This way, urban artists can use these designated spaces as their canvas instead of defacing public structures and private properties.
