Unicef auctions off Manny Baldemor paintings

MANILA, Philippines - UNICEF Philippines and eBay Philippines launch their second online fundraising campaign through UNICEF Auction for Action: The Manny Baldemor Sabrosa Series until Dec. 11 at www.ebay.ph/unicef.

As one of the featured artists in the first UNICEF Auction for Action last May, UNICEF visual artist Manny Baldemor once again shares his generous talent for the benefit of UNICEF programs for children in the Philippines and worldwide.

“I have received so many blessings that it’s only right to share and give back. Children’s welfare has always been close to my heart and that’s why I work with UNICEF Philippines because they help children in the poorest and most disadvantaged areas,” shares Baldemor. 

The Sabrosa series was conceived during Baldemor’s art residency in Sabrosa, Portugal earlier this year. Located in the northern part of Portugal, the municipality of Sabrosa is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is also the birthplace of Ferdinand Magellan, the first European navigator who reached Philippine shores in 1521.

The series of landscapes was inspired when Baldemor took a boat ride down the great river Duoro, “I took a glance upwards as we passed a steep incline and saw vineyards of different levels that would make our own famous Rice Terraces look like anthills.  It was awesome.  I’ve never seen layers and layers of vines in a gigantic mountain that almost touches the sky… I wondered if the vineyards were already there 500 years ago when Ferdinand Magellan trekked from this mountain of vines, down to the River Duoro to the Atlantic and finally to the Pacific Ocean,” he says.

UNICEF Country Representative Vanessa Tobin shares, “UNICEF thanks Manny Baldemor for being a  staunch supporter having lent his iconic designs to UNICEF cards and products and holding exhibitions of paintings for the benefit of our programs for children. Proceeds from the online auction of the Sabrosa series will go towards our work for street children programs.”

Auction for Action: The Manny Baldemor Sabrosa Series on www.ebay.ph/unicef is live and will run for seven days until Dec. 11 at 8 p.m. Watch out for this exclusive auction and help make a difference for children.    

UNICEF is on the ground in over 190 countries and territories to help children survive and thrive from early childhood through adolescence. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, good water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and AIDS. 

In the Philippines for over 60 years, UNICEF works through partners to reach disadvantaged children and communities to ensure children are healthy, educated and protected from harm. UNICEF is quick to respond in emergencies to ensure affected communities are reached and provided with services from local governments and other service providers.