UP student’s ‘barong-barong’ project makes a statement in miniature

It stands eight inches high, but a miniature shanty has become a big deal on social media thanks to its intricacy and execution.

It took Lianne Tamares, a Fine Arts student at the University of the Philippines -Baguio, almost two weeks to create "Barong-barong," a two-storey structure that—just like the real thing—is made up of a patchwork of materials. 

The details are well-observed: a rusty corrugated "iron" roof tops the house, while signs promoting brands are placed in prominent areas, including as a shade for a sari-sari store on the ground floor. A towel and shirts on tiny hangers dry on a washing line on the second floor.

Tamares also took the opportunity for some pointed commentary, blazing the words "Hindi terorista!" on one wall and sticking a defaced "poster" of Senator Cynthia Villar on another, alongside ads for tubero and pest control.

A water drum and a tire on the sari-sari store's awning complete the look. 

Tamares said that the house is a plate (project) for her materials class. "My take on the common architectures found in the slums of Imperial Manila," she said in a post on social media. — with Peewee Bacuño/BM, GMA News