Angono as art capital of the Philippines

MANILA, Philippines - A stroll through the town of Angono reveals numerous museums, galleries, art houses and street art that showcase works of renowned maestros, acclaimed local talents, and budding artists. It is a testament to the town’s strong sense of identity – an affirmation that it is, truly, “The Art Capital of the Philippines.”

This first-class urban municipality in the province of Rizal is the hometown of two national artists: composer and musician Lucio San Pedro, and muralist Carlos “Botong” Francisco. It is also home to numerous other artists who have contributed and continue to enrich a culture teeming with creativity and imagination. 

It is of little wonder, therefore, that art and culture are practically everywhere in Angono. This is the message sent out to the world by a group of young people via their online video “Doon Po Sa Amin, Saan Mang Sulok ay may Sining” (In Angono, everywhere you look, there is art).

The group’s online video won the grand prize in the open division at the 7th Doon Po Sa Amin (DPSA). DPSA is part of the corporate social responsibility projects of Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart), which aims to call on Pinoys to become local ambassadors and share their hometown stories to the rest of the world. This year, Smart added the open category that allows virtually any Filipino to join the competition.

“With DPSA, we want to be able to further boost Pinoy pride through Internet and mobile technologies,” said Smart public affairs group head Ramon Isberto.

With their online video, the group, who calls themselves “Team Tropang Higantes,” wishes to further deepen the appreciation among the locals of the town’s artistry, and at the same time make others aware that when it comes to art nothing quite compares to Angono.

“I was born in Angono and I have always been aware that it is the art capital of the country. We wanted to show others that art really exists in Angono,” says Celine Reyes, a member of Team Tropang Higantes, who is a self-proclaimed local tourism advocate. “We are proud that our work can be seen not only by Filipinos but also by foreigners. Our objective is awareness and hopefully to convert that awareness to an actual visit.”

The documentary presents the artistic wealth of Angono as seen through the eyes of the present generation as they take viewers on a virtual tour of some of the town’s must-see art attractions. 

It starts at the Nemiranda Arthouse and Gallery owned by artist Nemesio R. Miranda Jr. The gallery houses Nemiranda’s masterful paintings and sculptures. The fact that it doubles as a restaurant where visitors can enjoy traditional Filipino cuisine while feasting their eyes on the aesthetic displays makes the place even more interesting.  Having your portrait done by the maestro himself would be a priceless finale to a visit here.

Next stop: Yab Design, a manufacturer of handcrafted (polyester) resin and fiberglass items and statues, usually life-size figures mainly used for decorative and advertising purposes. The video shows just how strong the culture of art is in Angono that it has been transformed into an entire industry.  

The group then goes out to the streets for more art finds, one of which is the Barangay Poblacion Itaas marker featuring the mythological character Angnuno, depicted as an old man with a long gray beard and small in stature. Also shown was a wall art featuring a relief of maestro Lucio San Pedro’s Sa Ugoy ng Duyan. Relief is a sculptural technique that involves chiselling away of the background so that the sculpted material appears to have been raised above the background.

The itinerary also includes the Tiamson Art Gallery where artworks of painter, musician and trans-media artist Orville Tiamson are on exhibit. A dialogue with the gallery owner provided an artist’s perspective on Angono. “Yes, art is everywhere in Angono. The culture, the community, the artists all get together and are more involved in the tradition and culture of the town,” says Tiamson, who further encouraged the group to awaken the hearts and minds of Filipinos to artists in the Philippines.

According to teammate Patrick Loyola, Filipinos don’t realize that works of artists in the Philippines can rival art pieces done by international artists. “We want them to explore real art, to go see works of Filipino artists and we have a lot of that in Angono.” 

“It is commendable that Smart is involving social media people in contributing online content. Social media is an effective medium because everyone uses the Internet. It has a worldwide reach,” says Reyes.

The team also values the experience they’ve gained from working on their DPSA entry.  

“I feel proud and blessed that we were able to showcase the talents God has given Angono and have the opportunity to increase awareness about it. It is also heartwarming that the artists expressed their appreciation for what we’re doing,” says Jesa Mañego. 

The group shared that the artists were pleased that young people have taken an interest in their cause. Winning DPSA and getting the nod of the artists serve as a validation and incentive for the group to carry on what they’ve started.

“Aside from the promotion of Angono, I would like our video to influence more Angonon artists to come out and show their works to the world. I would very much like to do another documentary,” says Loyola.

Launched in 2008, DPSA is the biggest and longest-running online local content activity in the country generating more than 1,500 crowd-sourced local stories covering the history, traditions, festivals, destinations, notable people, unique plants and animals, special delicacies, and local products of different places in the Philippines.

DPSA is aligned with Smart’s Internet for All advocacy that aims to include more Pinoys in the digital conversation by making information available and accessible through web and mobile technologies. 

To view all the DPSA entries, visit www.doonposaamin.ph. You may also follow DPSA on Facebook at www.facebook.com/DoonPoSaAmin, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/doonposaaminph, or subscribe to its Youtube channel at www.youtube.com/DoonPoSaAminPH for more Pinoy local stories.