The Philippines Today, Yesterday, and Tomorrow
Sarimanok ng Lahi by Bernardo A. Maac When you cram everything today because you don’t know when it’s going to rain again… Photo: “Sarimanok ng Lahi” (2020) by Bernardo A. Maac. On display at the Old Senate Hall, NMFA. Collection of the NaManuktional Historical Commission of the Philippines. Quincentennial Art CompetitionMinor Prize Winner in the … Read more
Kalabaw by Vicente Manansala Did you know the carabao symbolizes diligence and determination? Keep it up! We’re almost there. Photo: “Kalabaw” (1965) by Vicente S. Manansala. On loan from the collection of the Philippine Center New York. You may want to read: Breeds of Carabao in the Philippines The Essence of Goodwill
Today (September 13, 2022) is the 119th birth anniversary of Amado V. Hernandez, National Artist for Literature. Amado V. Hernandez, poet, playwright, and novelist, is among the Filipino writers who practiced “committed art.” In his view, the function of the writer is to act as the conscience of society and to affirm the greatness of … Read more
Bugasong LIGO NA! It’s Friday! So, get up, and let’s honor our ancestors by taking a good bath. Did you know that bathing was a favorite activity of our grannies? In his photobook Recuerdos de Filipinas, Felíx Laureano observed how people, regardless of age, bathe in the morning, at noontime, after a day’s work in … Read more
A Diver’s Tale As factures of memories, motives, and intents, contemporary artist Mike Garcia’s pieces for A Diver’s Tale at the NCCA Gallery in September 2022 are synaptic relays of sums and parts. Mike introduces us to his version of El Nido, Palawan — the place still a common synecdoche of our nation-state for tropical … Read more