Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) Student Receives Merit Award at International Arts Festival in Tokyo
Ms. Gabrielle Therese R. Espino from the Philippine High School for the Arts receives a Certificate of Merit for her artwork entitled “La Niña.”
Ms. Gabrielle Therese R. Espino from the Philippine High School for the Arts (PHSA) received a Certificate of Merit at the 27th International High School Arts Festival Awards Ceremony at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo, for her artwork entitled “La Niña.”
In her acceptance speech, Ms. Espino explained that her work “portrays the loss of childhood, innocence, dreams, and opportunities of girls forced to become wives and mothers at an early age because of harmful traditions, cultural pressures, poverty, and gender inequality.” Through her winning piece, Ms. Espino expressed her hope that the artwork would serve as a reminder that “behind every statistic of young wives and mothers, lies a child whose future and body deserve to be protected.”
Ms. Espino’s winning piece entitled “La Niña” portrays the loss of childhood, innocence, dreams, and opportunities of girls forced to become wives and mothers at an early age.
Ms. Espino was joined at the awards ceremony by her art teacher from PHSA, Mr. Marc Vincent P. Cosico. The PHSA representatives conveyed their gratitude to the Philippine Embassy in Japan, led by Ambassador Mylene J. Garcia-Albano, for the support extended for their participation in the arts festival.
Third Secretary and Vice Consul Ihna Santos reads the contents and awards the Certificate of Merit to Ms. Gabrielle Therese R. Espino.
For this year’s competition, a total of 11,009 artworks were received from participating high school students around the world. Ms. Espino’s work, along with the works by fellow PHSA students Isabella R. Pili, Nayeli Angela B. Lontok, and Padme Loran Dueñas Santiago, is featured in the free public exhibition at The National Arts Center, Tokyo from 5 to 16 August 2026.
