The gifted journey of the Philippines’ “Little Picasso”

Rappler.com

This is AI generated summarization, which may have errors. For context, always refer to the full article.

The gifted journey of the Philippines’ “Little Picasso”
Get to know more about Worth Lodriga, award-winning visual artist and the newest Promil FOUR kid

MANILA, Philippines – You’ve probably seen him and his masterpieces in a commercial. It’s reminiscent of those featuring gifted children Shaira Luna and CJ de Silva.

Like them, he’s showing talent that’s beyond his age.

He’s Worth Lodriga. The Philippines’ “Little Picasso” and the newest Promil Four Gifted Child.

As the 2018 Ani ng Dangal awardee for Visual Arts, winner of multiple international art contests, and the youngest member of the Philippine Pastel Association and Art Expands, it seems that Worth was also born with a gift.

But if not nurtured, a gift like Worth’s could become a wasted potential.

Spotting the gift

Worth’s mom, Wendy, noticed his interest in art when he was just two years old. As she was teaching him how to read by writing on a whiteboard, she noticed Worth use the marker to draw a human figure instead of a simple stick drawing.

It seemed that his interest in drawing was sparked by people around him – Wendy, an architect; his grandparents, a painter and an art teacher; and his aunts and uncles who all took up Fine Arts.

Wendy began to think it was more than a fleeting interest by the way he would sit for hours focused on his art. She knew it was something she should nurture.

Nurturing the gift

It wasn’t an easy journey. At four, Worth became the target of bullying at school. To help him recover, Wendy stopped working for a year to focus on Worth and even ran for batch PTA president so she could be near him.

Hoping to rebuild her son’s confidence, she encouraged him to join art competitions.

“Worth stopped believing in himself… it takes a lot of courage and strength and prayers for your kid to believe in themselves again. It took a lot of sweat and a lot of love,” said Wendy.

Worth joined and won a number of competitions here and abroad beginning when he was 6 years old. One of these was the Junior Picasso 2016 art competition where he got the moniker “Little Picasso of the Philippines” after winning the 7 Star Artist Award.

LITTLE PICASSO. Worth's love for the Philippines manifests in his art. Here, he holds up his favorite painting called '€La Familia'. 'It’s a Filipino family and it represents the Filipino as one,' he says.  Photo courtesy of Wendy Lodriga

That same year, Worth also joined Promil Four’s iShine, a competition which mentored and showcased young children gifted in music, dance, and the visual arts. Worth, representing visual arts, was one of the grand finalists.

“[I tell my boys that] every time you’re gonna join a competition, just laugh it off when you lose. [I ask them] ‘When you play a video game and you lose, what do you do?’ [They tell me] ‘Mom, I press the restart button.’ Competitions are like that as well. When you lose, join again,” she said.

She makes sure to nurture any other interest he has, including baseball and badminton. Wendy recognizes the importance of ensuring that her children’s growth and development are on track to help them reach their potential, especially when it comes to proper nutrition. Worth and her younger son, Wisdom, have always been Promil Four kids.

ALL-OUT SUPPORT. Wendy remains by Worth's side at every step of the way, from art competitions to baseball games and everything in between. Photo courtesy of Wendy Lodriga

“Proper nutrition is very important. For example, you’re very willing to be there for them but they cannot grasp what you’re saying because they’re unhealthy. For me, it’s very important that you choose what you give them,” she shared.

With Worth now joining the ranks of iconic Promil Four kids, Shaira Luna, Kiko Galura, and James Flores, Wendy is nervous yet excited to inspire other parents with their family’s story.

“I’m excited and I’m wanting, not just the Filipinos, but people around the world to know, especially the parents, that you [play] a big role in the life of your kid. Whatever you want to happen to your kid, you have a very big responsibility and you have to do it well.”Rappler.com

With the new PROMIL® FOUR and its Nutrissentials now fortified with Oligofructose and other essential and important nutrients, you can support your child’s proper growth and mental development to help #NurtureTheGift. These nutrients include DHA, Lutein, Choline, Iron, Iodine, Calcium, Zinc, Vitamin D, Vitamin B12, Vitamin K, Manganese, and more.

Give the NEW PROMIL® FOUR, a powdered milk drink for children over 3 years old, together with a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. Not suitable for use as a breastmilk substitute.

For more details about PROMIL® FOUR, you may visit www.promilnurturethegift.com.ph or contact PROMIL® FOUR’s Facebook Page.

Add a comment

Sort by

There are no comments yet. Add your comment to start the conversation.

Summarize this article with AI

How does this make you feel?

Loading
Download the Rappler App!