CITY OF SAN FERNANDO—Los Angeles-based visual artist Rafael Maniago strode out of the Pampanga Capitol on Tuesday with a “very proud” soul, feeling so light and extremely happy.
He should rightly be. Maniago, 65, has finally completed the portraits of the 25 governors of his beloved province where his ancestor, Francisco of Mexico town, initiated the revolt that inspired those in Pangasinan and Ilocos to also take up arms against Spain’s forced labor policy in the 1600s.
Francisco’s noble defiance must have been the fire-in-the-belly that drove Maniago to leave his busy studio in California, come home back and forth despite his age to see the project through in a year’s time.
It is also like coming full circle for him.
Maniago was the same artist who made the portraits of 21 governors in 1977. Until he did so, the leaders who steered Pampanga during the tumultuous and peaceful decades were known only by their names.
For the 2008 undertaking, he restored 15 portraits and made 10 new ones—all on oil on canvas and faithful to their facial features. Everything of these just costs P820,000.
The current gallery carries a complete collection, ending the just-names-no-faces eras. Several of them, forgotten in fact, were finally included through careful research.
The photograph of Gov. Olimpio Guanzon, for instance, was found only last May.
“Some of the photographs were found in libraries in Metro Manila or through the descendants who were traced for this project,” said provincial administrator Vivian Dabu who supervised the undertaking.
The gallery, actually the walls on the lobby of the Capitol’s second floor, presents the leaders in a chronological timeline from 1896 to the present.
They are Tiburcio Hilario (1896-1898), Tomas Mascardo (1899), Jose Alejandrino (1900-1901), Ceferino Joven (1902-1903), Macario Arnedo (1904-1912), Francisco Liongson (1912-1916), Honorio Ventura (1916-1922), Olimpio Guanzon (1922-1925), Sotero Baluyut (1925-1931, 1938-1941), Eligio Lagman (June-October 1931, 1942-1944) Pablo Angeles David (1931-1937, 1945-1947), Lazaro Yambao (1942), Urbano Dizon (1944), Jose Gutierrez David (1944), Gerardo Limlingan (1945), Jose B. Lingad (1948-1951), Rafael Lazatin (1952-1959), Francisco Nepomuceno (1960-1971), Brigido Valencia (1972-March 1976), Juanita Nepomuceno (1976-1980), Estelito Mendoza (1980-1986), Bren Guiao (1986-1995), Manuel Lapid (1995-2004), Mark Lapid (2005-2007) and Fr. Eddie Panlilio (2007-2010).
Of the past governors, only Mendoza and the Lapids are alive.
The governors’ kin unveiled the portraits as board members took turns reading the biographies of the leaders. The Lapids, so far the only governors sued for plunder, did not attend the event.
Maniago’s prodigy and the importance given to the governors accorded them respect, said Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao, son of the late Bren Guiao.
“This is a noble project of Among Ed (Governor Panlilio). It’s a way of honoring Kapampangan who sacrificed to be in the forefront of local government,” the vice governor said.
One of the Hilario’s heirs, Ariel, said: “We feel distinguished because the honor we have is something we did not buy.”
For Mendoza—justice minister, solicitor general, assemblyman and governor during the Marcos years—the gallery gives a glimpse of the past, hoping also that “leaders see the past and the lessons as their guides in governance.”
For whatever sentiments and emotions that the event stirred, Maniago said: “I am very proud. There are so many good artists but I had the chance to do the portraits.”
He should rightly be. Maniago, 65, has finally completed the portraits of the 25 governors of his beloved province where his ancestor, Francisco of Mexico town, initiated the revolt that inspired those in Pangasinan and Ilocos to also take up arms against Spain’s forced labor policy in the 1600s.
Francisco’s noble defiance must have been the fire-in-the-belly that drove Maniago to leave his busy studio in California, come home back and forth despite his age to see the project through in a year’s time.
It is also like coming full circle for him.
Maniago was the same artist who made the portraits of 21 governors in 1977. Until he did so, the leaders who steered Pampanga during the tumultuous and peaceful decades were known only by their names.
For the 2008 undertaking, he restored 15 portraits and made 10 new ones—all on oil on canvas and faithful to their facial features. Everything of these just costs P820,000.
The current gallery carries a complete collection, ending the just-names-no-faces eras. Several of them, forgotten in fact, were finally included through careful research.
The photograph of Gov. Olimpio Guanzon, for instance, was found only last May.
“Some of the photographs were found in libraries in Metro Manila or through the descendants who were traced for this project,” said provincial administrator Vivian Dabu who supervised the undertaking.
The gallery, actually the walls on the lobby of the Capitol’s second floor, presents the leaders in a chronological timeline from 1896 to the present.
They are Tiburcio Hilario (1896-1898), Tomas Mascardo (1899), Jose Alejandrino (1900-1901), Ceferino Joven (1902-1903), Macario Arnedo (1904-1912), Francisco Liongson (1912-1916), Honorio Ventura (1916-1922), Olimpio Guanzon (1922-1925), Sotero Baluyut (1925-1931, 1938-1941), Eligio Lagman (June-October 1931, 1942-1944) Pablo Angeles David (1931-1937, 1945-1947), Lazaro Yambao (1942), Urbano Dizon (1944), Jose Gutierrez David (1944), Gerardo Limlingan (1945), Jose B. Lingad (1948-1951), Rafael Lazatin (1952-1959), Francisco Nepomuceno (1960-1971), Brigido Valencia (1972-March 1976), Juanita Nepomuceno (1976-1980), Estelito Mendoza (1980-1986), Bren Guiao (1986-1995), Manuel Lapid (1995-2004), Mark Lapid (2005-2007) and Fr. Eddie Panlilio (2007-2010).
Of the past governors, only Mendoza and the Lapids are alive.
The governors’ kin unveiled the portraits as board members took turns reading the biographies of the leaders. The Lapids, so far the only governors sued for plunder, did not attend the event.
Maniago’s prodigy and the importance given to the governors accorded them respect, said Vice Gov. Joseller Guiao, son of the late Bren Guiao.
“This is a noble project of Among Ed (Governor Panlilio). It’s a way of honoring Kapampangan who sacrificed to be in the forefront of local government,” the vice governor said.
One of the Hilario’s heirs, Ariel, said: “We feel distinguished because the honor we have is something we did not buy.”
For Mendoza—justice minister, solicitor general, assemblyman and governor during the Marcos years—the gallery gives a glimpse of the past, hoping also that “leaders see the past and the lessons as their guides in governance.”
For whatever sentiments and emotions that the event stirred, Maniago said: “I am very proud. There are so many good artists but I had the chance to do the portraits.”
