MANILA, Philippines - When the 45th annual meeting of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) Board of Governors convenes at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on May 2, some 4,000 delegates from ADB’s 67 member countries will have a glimpse of its host country’s undeniable talent and diverse culture in 180 paintings and sculptures on exhibit at the halls of the PICC. Spanning centuries, mediums, and subject matter, the artworks are part of the 1,300-piece collection of the Bangko Sentral Ng Pilipinas (BSP), said to be the biggest and most comprehensive collection next to those of other renowned institutions.
“We cover about 200-300 years of art in our collection,” says BSP curator and art historian Regina Cruz. “While the Cultural Center of the Philippines’ collection ranges from the 1960s to the 1980s, and the Intramuros Administration focuses on19th-century pieces, the BSP’s collection features a lot of 19th-century works as well as pieces from recent years.”
Besides some rare religious-themed paintings from the 19th century, the select pieces include the usual suspects of an exhibit of this scale and importance. There are Fernando Amorsolo’s “Maytime in Antipolo (1943),” Ang Kiukok’s “Lunar Landscape (1967),” Cesar Legaspi’s “Combacherros (1954),” and a 1976 mural by Joya. Among the newer names who have made the cut are multi-awarded abstractionist Max Balatbat, and Geraldine Javier, whose haunting, large-scale paintings have consistently fetched millions at auction houses Sotheby’s Singapore and Christie’s Hong Kong.
And then there are the works that simply provide a clear vision of what the Philippines is all about. Juan Senson’s “Visita Parcial Pueblo de Angono Y Laguna de Bay (circa 1850s)” offers a highly-detailed look into life from days gone by, while Paz Paterno’s “Bogedones Still Life with Atis, Macopa (1884)” showcases her skill for realism in fruits that apparently existed during her time.
Borrowed from various BSP offices across the country for this ADB exhibit, the pieces are visually striking on their own. Gathered together and displayed according to such categories as “Manila,” “The Filipino,” “Pastoral Scenes,” and “Abstract Works,” they are an impressive lot, a revelation not just of the richness of Philippine art, but of its history, as well. Years under Spanish rule, for instance, has made us “very Western in our techniques,” says Cruz. “Compared to other Asian countries who use brushwork on paper or silk, our approach is mostly oil on canvass or panels.”
As for our chosen themes, Cruz chalks that up to the signs of the times. Religious images were all the range in the 1800s until King Carlos decreed that all subject matter suddenly became fair game — a decision that spurred ilustrado clans to have their portraits painted. Social realism mirrored the period of unrest and change in the country during the ‘70s and ‘80s, and in the new millennium, artists are turning inward, creating conceptual images based on their childhood and other personal experiences. “But whether it’s personal, political, or purely for entertainment, the artist always makes a statement with his art,” concludes Cruz.
And because art, as Cruz firmly believes, “is meant to be seen and shared,” the conclusion of the ABD meeting on May 5 does not mean the end of the BSP exhibit. The artworks will be on display at the PICC for a month, giving Filipinos a chance to appreciate some of the most remarkable visual treasures ever known.
While old Central Bank of the Philippines governor Gregorio Licaros first initiated the collection paintings, antiques, and cultural properties, it was Dr. Jaime Laya, a veritable patron of the arts and BSP governor from 1981 to 1984, who is credited for bringing in the bulk of the collection’s pieces. Acquiring more artworks took a backseat after Dr. Laya’s term, but a monetary board resolution in 2009 gave BSP officers the go-signal to update the collection with contemporary paintings, sculptures, and mixed media.
Guided by a so-called “road map” that determines which artist or art piece should help make the collection complete, the BSP also relies on the decision of the Cultural Properties Acquisition Advisory Committee (CPACC), composed of Dr. Laya, Corazon S. Alvina, Lor Calma, Alice G. Guillermo, Arturo Luz, Deanna Ongpin Recto, and Cid Reyes.
Purchased through private collectors, gallery owners, or the artists themselves, the BSP’s most recent acquisitions include BenCab’s painting of “Philippine Revolutionary Heroes,” National Artist Arturo Luz’s painting “Cyclists/Jugglers,” Luz’s “Imaginary Landscape,” National Artist J. Elizalde Navarro’s “Montalvo-Herevieu’s Paradis,” Duddley Diaz’s sculpture “Pinoy Creed,” Charlie Co’s painting of “St. Michael Duels the Devil,” Geraldine Javier’s painting of “The Weepers,” Yasmin Sison’s “A Fistful of Impermanence,” Maximino Balatbat’s “Avenida Karnabal,” Nunelucio Alvarado’s “Carinderia,” Lee Aguinaldo’s “Explosion,” and Dexter Sy’s “Oro, Plata, Mata.”