GSIS also bought 2 more paintings in HK

The Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) appeared to have gone on a buying spree in last Sunday’s auction of Southeast Asian works of art in Hong Kong.

Customs inspectors discovered that the agency bought not only one, but three paintings of Filipino artists during the auction held by the world-famous Christie’s.

The state-run pension fund came under fire for splurging P46 million on a century-old painting entitled "Parisian Life" by Juan Luna.

It turned out that the GSIS also bought two other paintings by the late Fernando Amorsolo, one entitled "Under the Mango Tree" for P4.5 million and the other entitled "Rice Field" for P1.5 million.

The three paintings, which all measured 44 inches by 30 inches, arrived in Manila yesterday from Hong Kong.

The purchase of the Amorsolo paintings was discovered when Customs inspectors led by District Collector Adelina Molina and Col. Esmeralda Saplala, chief of the Customs police at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport, opened the package to verify its contents.

After clearing the shipment, it was turned over to GSIS representatives led by museum director Eric Zerrudo who loaded it into an armored van to be transported to the GSIS museum.

Zerrudo said the three paintings would be put up for public viewing at the GSIS museum at the reclamation area along Roxas Boulevard.

"We have received a lot of reservations from high schools and universities for their students to view the masterpieces of known Filipino artists," Zerrudo said.