Yaya Dub finds forever in mural in Italy

THE ORATORIO San Rocco mural depicts the kalyeserye star as Mother Earth. ALBERT LOZADA/GREEN PEACE SOUTHEAST ASIA

Filipino artist AG Saño immortalized “Eat Bulaga” mainstay Yaya Dub, aka Maine Mendoza in real life, as Mother Earth in an environment-themed mural painted on the walls of Oratorio San Rocco in Galliate, Italy.

AG, brother of environmentalist Yeb Saño, is currently in Europe as part of the People’s Pilgrimage from Rome, Italy, to Paris, France, where the United Nations summit on climate change will be held from Nov. 30 to Dec. 11.

The artist told the Inquirer that he was inspired by Yaya Dub’s most recent success with screen partner Alden Richards and the rest of the “Eat Bulaga” team: the TV special called “Sa Tamang Panahon” held at the 55,000-strong Philippine Arena on Oct. 24.

AG was part of “Team Replay.”

On Oct. 27, he caught the show on YouTube, after having dinner in the home of Italy-based Filipino Analyn Jamilia and her 10-year-old son Marcus.

“There was a lot of buzz on the AlDub event among Filipinos in Italy, primarily because of the 41 million tweets it generated,” AG told the Inquirer in an interview via Facebook Messenger.

AG was impressed that the show was not just for entertainment, but also managed to raise, through ticket sales, P14 million for the construction of school libraries nationwide.

“Our group has been doing the same library project for the past few years,” he explained. “But what struck me was that the noontime show also paid tribute to the survivors of Supertyphoon ‘Lando.’”

Curbing the devastating effects of climate change, he said, was precisely the reason why he and the other pilgrims were “fighting the fight” and trekking across Europe.

ALDEN Richards and Maine Mendoza’s pairing creates a lot of buzz among Filipinos living in other countries. RICHARD A. REYES

“We were on our way to Parma, Italy, when Lando hit the Philippines last month,” he related. Waiting for news from back home was sheer torture for the pilgrims. His memories of being in Tacloban during Supertyphoon “Yolanda” came back to him.

“I would always feel scared for those who live in the typhoon’s path,” he owned up.

Since the pilgrims were scheduled to paint the streets of Italy, Switzerland and France throughout their journey, he decided to pay homage to “Eat Bulaga” by depicting Yaya Dub as Mother Earth.

AG insisted that making the Yaya Dub mural was not planned. “It was a spontaneous reaction to the hearty dinner prepared by Analyn, the infectious energy of Marcus and the good vibes from watching the AlDub special,” he recounted.

They spent three hours in freezing weather, creating the street mural at the Oratorio San Rocco, a Salesian facility where the local community gathers for different occasions.

“We used nontoxic paint left over from our first mural in Reggio Emilia,” AG said. The Yaya Dub/Mother Earth mural is the group’s second art work.

“We just want to thank AlDub and ‘Eat Bulaga’ for making Filipinos all over the world happy,” he said.

Sen. Tito Sotto, one of the hosts of “Eat Bulaga,” was ecstatic when he learned of the Italy mural, which came at the same time as an AlDub feature on the BBC web site. “Wow! We ourselves are amazed. We are humbled.”

Going places

Malou Choa-Fagar, senior vice president and chief operating officer of Tape Inc. (producer of “Eat Bulaga”), told the Inquirer: “The BBC feature, which we never thought would happen, confirmed that AlDub is a global phenomenon. Then came the climate change mural…Maine is really going places.”

“Yaya Dub has definitely leveled up with this meaningful mural,” said cohost Wally Bayola, who plays Lola Nidora in the kalyeserye. “It proves that AlDub promotes positivity.”

Alden is proud that AlDub power is being harnessed to popularize noteworthy endeavors—like the library project. “Just like the ‘Juan for All, All for One’ segment, we want everyone to get involved in special causes. Together, we can do more for our country.”

LUMAD women do the pabebe wave during the “Eat Bulaga” special at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan. Richard A. Reyes

Maine is touched by the mural. She expressed gratitude to “environmental activists Yeb and AG Saño for recognizing me and considering me to be an inspiration for this wonderful artwork. It is an honor and a privilege to represent Mother Earth in a mural on climate action.”

Maine “applauds” the pilgrims. “You are doing a great job promoting this advocacy. I am sending a million thanks and pabebe waves from the Philippines to Europe,” she told the Inquirer.

Can you blame AG and company who now call themselves “environMainetalists?”

They are keeping their fingers crossed that the Yaya Dub/Mother Earth street mural would last forever.

“We expect the mural to last a long time because it will be cared for by the community,” said AG.