Lego – It’s More Fun in the Philippines exhibit at SM North

The Block , SM North EDSA, Quezon City

I was on my way to SM North EDSA , Quezon City when i saw a poster of an ongoing LEGO exhibit . The exhibit was intended for the 114th anniversary of Philippine Independence showcasing some of the major tourist destinations of the country.

SM North EDSA with the Sky garden and Sky dome made from lego bricks

What makes this exhibit different from last year was the inclusion of SM North EDSA logo,  The Block logo , SM North EDSA building facade instead of SM Mall of Asia building  in the Philippine exhibit  last year .

SM The Block logo made from dozens of Lego brick

Last year’s event was more publicized due to the cooperation of various NGO groups , Department of Tourism and blogging community .

According to the event organizers, they wanted to bring this exhibit to the people living  in the northern part of Metro Manila and surrounding areas. Since there was a public clamor to bring it back   for this year .

Lego exhibit view from the second floor of SM North Edsa, The main exhibit is  32ft. x 20 ft. Philippine map built with LEGO bricks!

Ifugao headdress made from lego mosaic

LEGO will be featuring once again their Philippine map with famous regional landmarks such as Luneta, Fort Santiago, El Nido Resorts, Crocodile Farm,  Vigan, Batanes Lighthouse, Pearl Farm Beach, Siargao island, Bohol ‘s chocolate hills , stilts houses in Sitangkai – Tawi-Tawi province  and other interesting Filipino sites and local culture  in a huge exhibit.

Moriones Festival from Marinduque province

Masskara Festival from Bacolod

Paoay Church and Bangui Wind Mills of Ilocos Norte

T- Boli weave pattern assembled  from Lego bricks

Logo of The Block using Lego bricks

 tourist destinations in the Visayan regions

lego replica of San Juanico bridge which connects Leyte and Samar

surfing in Siargao , Surigao del Norte province

replica of  Pearl Farm resort houses in Samal , Davao

colorful vintas represented the southern parts of the archipelago

children assemble lego parts

The exhibit will run until June 16, 2012

Source:

Website: http://www.sm-northedsa.com/events/lego-it%E2%80%99s-more-fun-philipines-exhibit#

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Lego Around The World Christmas Exhibit at SM North EDSA

SM North EDSA, Quezon City

Lego Christmas advertisement 

tarpaulin poster of the event

   The author went to  the exhibit  last November 12, 2011 , Unfortunately  that day  I  was not able to bring my everyday companion which is a digital camera (my primary reason in going to the mall  is  Christmas shopping  )  without thinking of an exhibit being held at the place.

Petronas Twin Tower  of Malaysia

I had to come a week later , in order to take pictures of the wonderful exhibit. With many curious on-lookers and two nosy security guards watching carefully on  every moves of every individual taking pictures and passers-by.

Merlion  of Singapore along side with Bank of Asia building of Thailand and Petronas Twin Tower of Malaysia

They would constantly be reminding everyone not to take pictures inside the plastic covered  exhibit . Baka masira ang exhibit ” The exhibit might get ruin.

Saint James Church , Kadayawan Festival of Davao and Nativity Scene 

Some passers-by would make a snide  comment ” Ang sungit naman ng mga guards na iyan, akalain naman nila sisirain ang mga exhibit na iyan” .   The guards are  sulky  , They thought that we will destroy the exhibit.

Philippine jeepney, Statute of Rizal and Saint James Church 

I politely told them that the lego bricks on display are just temporarily fixed they might get topped by just a mere blow of the wind ” .

 Great Wall of China , Forbidden Palace Gate, Tiananmen Square and Dragon Dance 

  I saw a lot of children and children at heart viewing the lego exhibit.  Someone from the organizers told me that there are a lot of lego collectors around the world and even in the Philippines.

Snowman

 LEGO Group  a privately held company based in Billund , Denmark . In 1934, his company came to be called “LEGO”, from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means “play-well”. By 1947 the company began its expansion by making plastic toys. Two years later in 1949 , Lego began producing the now famous interlocking bricks, calling them “Automatic Binding Bricks”. These bricks were based largely on the patent of Kiddicraft Self-Locking Bricks, which were released in the United Kingdom in 1947.

Farm lands complete with planted vegetables,  tractors, livestock and farm houses

The company’s flagship product, Lego, consists of colorful interlocking plastic bricks and an accompanying array of gears, mini figurines  and various other parts. Lego bricks can be assembled and connected in many ways, to construct such objects as vehicles, buildings, and even working robots. Anything constructed can then be taken apart again, and the pieces used to make other objects.

 capitol building of Camarines Norte

The toys were originally designed in the 1940’s in Denmark and have achieved an international appeal, with an extensive subculture that supports Lego movies, games, video games, competitions, and  at least about half a dozen  Lego theme amusement parks .

Grand Carousel 

A big portion of  the exhibit was executed by a Filipino lego collector  named Mr. Jigs  Manaloto . He started to collects the building blocks since he was 6 years-old! Together with four other enthusiasts they are responsible for building this project in the Philippines.

Star wars in battle  

Lego exhibits are on the tour in several Asian countries  like Indonesia in 2009, 2010 in Malaysia, 2011 in the Philippines and next year in Thailand (2012 ).

Poster of the event held at SM Mall Of Asia – Main Atrium

 I was able to catch their public exhibition last August 12 to 27, 2011 at the SM Mall of Asia  with the theme ” Lego Pilipinas Tara Na at SM Mall of Asia ! ” featuring various Philippine tourist spots  and  last September in Greenbelt-5   Makati  which is very successful.

Relief  Map of the Philippines depicting various tourist spots  photo taken last August, 2011

According to one of the staff  ” the reception of the public is very warm , from young children who barely can speak , teenagers  and even senior citizens “. We are planning to have several more public events next year in the country.

                                                                    

Eiffel Tower of  Paris, France with a curious passers-by

This is not just ordinary tour,  ( you learn geography , famous landmarks, architecture , culture )   People who buys lego sets can also extend a helping hands to the children across the region.

poster 

In partnership with World Vision -Philippines , an  international advocacy organization ( with local chapter) which focused on and assisting the needs, rights and responsibilities of children through sustainable development and education.

 There are 2 ways to help the cause, One is the  Php 100 pesos and Php 200 pesos donation by making a Lego Santa and a Lego Christmas Tree .  Another highlight  during the opening of the event was the lightning of the Christmas Tree by World Vision ambassador Mr. Sam Concepcion . 

winter village accompanied by santa clause 

The exhibit is divided into 4 categories

 Lego Lego Asiafamous Asian landmarks including the Philippines are featured.

Lego Europe– famous landmarks of Europe are featured.

Lego North Pole –  white Christmas and snow theme park are featured .

Lego -Universe –futuristic , science fiction movie characters  are featured.

Taipei 101 Building and Tokyo Tower standing side by side – two of Asia’s most important landmarks

 Snow man and a snow resort

Warriors in a fight scene

Clone Turbo Tank

Lord Garmadon

At the center of the exhibit rise a Christmas Tree Lego bricks made from over 750,000 pieces ! with a Length of 5 meters, Wight  of 5 meters and a Height of 7 meters or almost 21 feet  ! This is a landmark on its own.

Christmas Tree made from Lego bricks at night time 

Lego Christmas tree taken on a different angle during late afternoon

Aside from the exhibit, there is also a contest where kids from 4 years old to 14 years old are invited to join  the lego making contest.

Children busy making their own lego set

Participants will have the chance to win LEGO products worth 5,000 pesos  . Age categories are 4-6 yrs. old, 7-10 yrs. old and 11-14 yrs. old.

Letting your kids play bricks is also a way of interaction with other kids, it improves hand-and-eye coordination and  challenges their imagination to build structures they want as it boosts their self-esteem.

The children are encourage to built their own lego set using their creativity and imagination, there is no right or wrong .

pictures of different kids  with their lego toy creation posted in a wall 

Then their works are taken pictures and are posted on the Lego Picture wall or their facebook account were everyone can view what these children had created.

LEGO AROUND THE WORLD EXHIBIT

SM City North EDSA The Block

2nd Floor, The Block Bldg. North Ave. cor. EDSA, Quezon City

Telephone # 929.6686

Exhibit runs from November 12, 2011 to January 12, 2012

References:

Clague, Kevin, Miguel Agullo, and Lars C. Hassing. LEGO Software Power Tools, With LDraw, MLCad, and LPub. 2003. ISBN 1-931836-76-0

Willicense, Fransisco. “The LEGO Incorporation: How LEGO Started” ISBN 0-18361-46372

 WWW.Lego.com : http://www.lego.com/en-us/Default.aspx

LEGO PILIPINAS, TARA NA ! exhibit

Atrium -SM Mall of Asia, Pasay City

Lego Philippines in cooperation with SM Mall of Asia , Department of Tourism staged the first ever Philippine map complete with scenic spots  fully made by Lego.

18 Feet X 30 Feet Relief Map of the Philippines

The event is well-received by the crowd and even legion of foreigners were amazed on the exhibit.  One of the foreigner said that the exhibit is very colorful.

Lighthouse in Basco, Batanes

Paoay Church , Bangui Wind Mills in Ilocos Norte

colonial houses in Vigan , Ilocos Sur complete with horse drawn carriages 

World Famous- Banaue Rice Terraces

SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City

Mayon volcano and Butanding (whale shark )

Another eye catching exhibit was the attraction from  Bicol region , the region  is world re-known for their Mount Mayon and Cagsawa Church ruins,  also on display is the Pating – Bulik  popularly called Butanding  on display . Whale watching had become a favorite tourist attraction in the towns  of Pilar, Donsol in Sorsogon province.

crocodile farm in Palawan

Social Responsibility

  Aside from creating awareness about the beautiful tourist spots in our the country , The exhibit also allowed  visitors to make a concrete contribution to our country through the SM Foundation. In the “Brick House for Children” corner, guests are asked to donate P1,000 and in the donor’s name, a Lego house is displayed to symbolize the donation. The SM Foundation will be the lead agency to identify Department of Social Welfare and Development or DSWD’s centers for children who will benefit from this project. According from a reliable source,  the event had already collected more than one hundred thousand pesos !

Bohol chocolate hills and tarsier

Museo Iloilo

Davao Pearl Farm , bust of  Davao Eagle  , Samal houses and Bukidnon provincial capitol

close-up view of vinta from Zamboanga

stilt houses of Sitangkai , Tawi-tawi province

The colorful lego exhibit is until August 27, 2011 and everyone is invited to come and see the many tourism spots , festivals , natural  ,  architectural and man made  wonders of our country. A friend who collects a lot of lego toys  invited the author to come to the opening of the event last August 12, 2011 but the author manage to went to the  venue   a few days later.

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