In celebration of National Tourism Month, the private operator of LRT-1 Light Rail Manila Corporation (LRMC), is teaming up with two organizations: Urban Sketchers Quezon City (USK QC) and Fujifilm X-A3 Community Philippines to help more Filipinos in rediscovering the beautiful and historic places in Manila that are easily accessible by taking the LRT-1.

To kick-off the month-long celebration, artist members and other participants will get to draw and sketch on location the excellent hubs for Philippine culture and history in Manila through the activity “LRT-1 ikotMNL Sketch Walk: Urban Sketchers QC goes to Manila”.

Happening on 10 September 2022, LRMC will get artists together to visit public parks and open spaces near LRT-1 stations, and to capture the essence of a place or tell a story through sketching. The event is open to all sketchers of all artistic levels – no drawing experience necessary. It will be an opportunity to learn more about urban sketching techniques through a talk to be given by representatives of USK QC. Interested individuals for the sketch walk should pre-register online by visiting bit.ly/lrt1ikotmnlsketchwalk2022.

A week after the sketch walk, LRMC will showcase a plethora of colonial architecture, historical open spaces, and other Instagram-worthy tourist destinations in Manila by engaging photographers through “LRT-1 ikotMNL Photo Walk with Fujifilm X-A3 Community Philippines” to capitalize on a traveler’s desire to capture a unique perspective of Manila through photography.

Happening on 17 September 2022, participants in the photo walk will get the chance to join different photographers in exploring the best of Manila and inspire people to communicate hope through photos that feature ecological, cultural, and historical tourism. This event is open to all aspiring and professional photographers, whether Fujifilm XA-3 user or not, seeking to stimulate their imagination while letting their feet and creativity roam free. Interested individuals for the photo walk should pre-register online by visiting bit.ly/lrt1ikotmnlphotowalk2022.

Recognizing that tourism is inevitably linked to transport, participants of the sketch walk and the photo walk will visit three LRT-1 stations, namely United Nations, Central Terminal, and Carriedo, which are known for many nearby interesting tourist sites.

The LRT-1 ikotMNL Tourism Month celebration will culminate with a pop-up exhibit that will bring together the stories, sketches, and photographs from the sketch walk and photo walk activities. The exhibit will be located at LRT-1 Doroteo Jose Station, and will open on World Tourism Day on September 27, 2022 until October 31, 2022.

ikotMNL was launched in 2018 as a tourism campaign, in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) and local tour operators to promote rediscovery of Metro Manila’s historical spots and landmarks that are accessible by riding the LRT-1. Through LRT-1’s ikotMNL, local and foreign tourists can rediscover more Metro Manila since they can take the train and have more time to explore for food, shopping, museums, and parks.

USK QC is part of a global network that likes documenting everyday experiences and showing the world, the country, and the city through on-location drawings and sketches with members coming from diverse backgrounds and possess different artistic skill levels.

Fujifilm X-A3 Community Philippines is a group of photographers using Fujifilm X-A3 with goals of helping and guiding fellow users to maximize their cameras and share their experiences in photography. The group organizes various events like photo walks in the metro to tell stories and inspire people.

For more updates and info on the LRT-1, follow LRMC on Facebook at facebook.com/officialLRT1, Twitter at @officialLRT1, or download the ikotMNL mobile app for free on Google Play and App Store.