MANILA, Philippines — Award-winning Filipino sculptor Glenn Cagandahan was given a chance to pay tribute to empowered women this month using his premier art.
The sculptor designed the trophy for the Gawad Madiskarte Awards, an awards ceremony Powered by PLDT Home Biz, to celebrate the successes of mompreneurs who have created and grown their online businesses amid an economically challenging pandemic — armed with their drive and "diskarte."
Last March 8, the awards event paid tribute to the Filipina entrepreneurial spirit via the Madiskarte Moms PH Facebook page and YouTube channel, as well as PLDT Home Biz Facebook page. Madiskarte Moms PH (MMPH) is a Facebook community for Filipino mompreneurs who want to start, grow, and expand their online side hustle and home business.
Launched in September 2020 by PLDT Home Biz, MMPH has become a safe space where moms can exchange advice and empower each other to pursue their passions and become financially independent. With more than 97,000 members from all over the Philippines, the community allows members to share valuable information, networking opportunities, and serve as a 24/7 forum for tips, tricks, and inspiration.
"I'm very honored to be chosen by PLDT Home Biz to design the trophy," Cagandahan shared in an exclusive interview with Philstar.com.
The artist revealed the inspiration behind his design. "The trophy represents the strong women of Madiskarte Moms PH. My inspiration was my mom. Namulat kasi ako na siya ang talaga ang nagtratrabaho at nag-aalaga sa aming magkakapatid. My mom is a fighter and she never gave up on us po."
"Filipinas are natural born fighters," he added.
Glenn found his love for sculpture as he watched his grandfather, Isaac Cagandahan, master sculptor in Paete, worked on his craft at his studio when he was a kid growing up.
"My lolo inspired me to become a sculptor at an early age. I used to stay for long hours at my lolo's studio just to watch him carve his masterpieces," Glenn said.
Cagandahan has been acclaimed for his fresh take on Philippine imagery – farmers, carabaos, and the Filipinos’ love for music – by combining traditional materials (wood, metal, and glass) with the modern (resin, fiberglass, and plastic) resulting in sculpture evoking both fantasy and nostalgia.
Glenn was a Sculpture student at the University of the Philippines College of Fine Arts and was involved in restoring sculptures across the UP Diliman campus. This experience led him to discover how to restore damaged wood sculptures by combining epoxy clay and sawdust – a technique he continued to use when he started his own art practice in 2003.
As a son of a pastor, many of his works were religious in nature and include sculptures of Christ painted in gold and silver. In 2004, his "Paul and Silas" masterpiece was awarded silver at the Art Association for the Philippines Art Competition. In 2005, he started creating figures of men, women, and children with elongated necks which he said meant to “symbolize the foundation of identity and the cornerstone of success” while the carabao was meant to symbolize Filipino’s strength and perseverance.
From 2004 to 2007, his sculptures "Pagdagit" (2004), "Gomburza" (2005) and "Poseidon" (2007) were cited honorable mention at the AAP Annual Art Competition. In 2013, he held his first solo show, "Pamilya," in Galleria Nicolas with sculptures showing how Filipinos work to provide for their families. In 2017, he returned to his religious roots by carving angels to symbolize man’s transport from death to life.
Gawad Madiskarte gave diverse awards to acknowledge the milestones of female entrepreneurs, such as the best social enterprise through its Diskarteng May Puso award, as well as the most green business through its Diskarteng Eco-Friendly award. Awards in the Start Up Division are: Diskarteng Solid (Strongest Start-Up Business Model) for those who have developed a business model that reflects their vision and gives exceptional customer value, Diskarteng Malikhain (Most Innovative Product) for those whose creative minds have brought forth fresh and unique products and services.
Mompreneurs who won in the inaugural Gawad Madiskarte Awards were given a special trophy created by Cagandahan, P100,000 cash prize, a one-year PLDT Home Biz Plan, and a laptop to help them go further in their businesses.
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