Vision Petron

A Magazine for the Youth on Philippine Art & Culture •
www.petron.com
2013
A
from the Editor’s desk
Another year has come and again, Another Vision Petron year has
passed. Another batch of young artists has been declared the best of the
best! To them, we dedicate this issue of FOLIO magazine, the country’s first
and only publication focused on Philippine culture and published specifically
for the youth.
Vision Petron 2013’s theme – A Journey of Triumphs and Milestones
– revolved around success and achievement. We feature here therefore an
eclectic array of articles that convey the theme in one way or another.
What is the Filipino’s concept of success? Well-known culture exponent
and award-winning writer Felice Sta. Maria expertly answers the beguiling
question. Her treatise is a colorful revelation of what the Pinoy sees success to be.
The much-loved and revered sculptor Guillermo Tolentino is given center
stage for those who admire the late master whose body of outstanding works
has brought him the much-deserved title of National Artist. National Museum
Director Jeremy Barns who recently mounted a permanent exhibit on this
much-loved artist sculptor, shares his respect and reverence for the sculptor
in this article.
Celebrations of success as seen in visual arts through the ages is an
interesting article by art critic Lisa Ito. Fiestas, family traditions and other
memorable events are captured by our painters and immortalized for
generations to enjoy.
Where are they now? We have complete information on the whereabout’s
of our previous Vision Petron winners. Have they moved on in their careers as
artists? Or have they shifted their interest? Read on.
Foremost film-maker and cinematographer Romy Vitug is our personality
of the year. His colorful life as one of the pioneers in this special art is a
wonderful tale of persistence and talent.
Petron’s 80 years of supplying thousands of Filipinos with fuel and
derivative products is in itself a story of success. From its beginnings as Esso
to PNOC to Petron Corporation, Petron’s journey is a most colorful read.
And of course, this magazine would not be complete without the winning
artworks and winning artists of Vision Petron 2013. The contest’s winners
in four categories – painting (oil and waterbased), photography, T-shirt art
design and the newly added, video-making – are prominently showcased in
the Winner’s Section of this magazine.
Thank you, our dear students, schools, teachers, national artist, friends
and art enthusiast, for your support and interest in Vision Petron. We shall be
here for as long as you need us. We look forward to partnering with you for
years and years to come as we bring you more and more Vision Petron and
FOLIOS!
– The Vision Petron Team
B
Published by
PETRON CORPORATION
In partnership with
Studio 5 Designs
Vision Petron FOLIO is an annual
publication of Petron Corporation on
Philippine culture published specifically for
the youth. Copyright© Petron Corporation.
All rights reserved. No part of this
publication may be reproduced in any
manner without the written permission of
the publisher. Opinions expressed in this
publication are the writers’ and are not
necessarily endorsed by the publisher.
Please send your comments or inquiries to
VisionPetron FOLIO, c/o Petron Marketing
Division, SMC-HOC 40, San Miguel
Avenue, Mandaluyong City or email us at
[email protected].
Do visit our website www.visionpetron.com
and like our Facebook page, Everyone’s
VisionPetron.
contents
Bulletin
Vision Petron is an exhibition and competition
for all young and budding artists.
We at Petron believe that free artistic
expression remains intrinsic to nationbuilding. We support the Filipino artist’s
unique vision and dynamic translations of
Philippine culture through various forms of
art that draw fellow Filipinos closer to their
heritage and ultimately, to everyone.
Petron believes that everyone has his/her
own unique perspective on things and
that this uniqueness can be expressed in
so many different ways. That is why we
created Vision Petron.
Vision Petron is a competition for
photographers, painters, and designers. It
is also a venue for filmmakers, musicians,
performance artists, art enthusiasts,
enabling all Filipinos to converge and be
one through their shared love for Philippine
art and culture.
02
04
06
When Winning Means Nurturing: The Vision Petron 2012 Awards Night
A Salute to Vision Petron
The Vision Petron 2013 Diary
Features
14
Eskultor ng Lahi:
The Guillermo Tolentino Permanent Exhibition at the National Museum
by Director Jeremy Barns
Going For Gold:
Winning the Games of Life
by Felice Prudence Sta. Maria
Lakbay Namin:
The Colorful Journey of Vision Petron Winners
by Jay Bautista
Of Festivity, Fervor and Freedom:
Images of Celebration and Triumph in Philippine Art
by Lisa Ito
16
20
24
28
Petron at 80
People
32Unedited, Uncensored:
An Interview with Romy Vitug
by Jay Bautista
Special Section
36
56
Vision Petron 2013 Winners
Vision Petron 2013 Board of Judges
04
14
25
on the cover
Noel M. Elicana
Perspective
Western Visayas College of Science and Technology
121.92 cm x 121.92 cm
32
57
1
Bulletin
When Winning
Means Nurturing
The Vision Petron 2012 Awards Night
2
The Vision Petron 2012
Awards Night was held
on August 31, 2012 at
the Diamond Hotel along
Roxas Blvd. No other
than award-winning
travel photographer
George Tapan was the
guest speaker. George
spoke of his struggle to
be an ace photographer,
and recounted his
humble beginnings.
T
Guest speaker George Tapan
he Vision Petron Awards Night
complete with a sumptuous sitdown dinner, an entertainment
program and the who’s who as guests,
was indeed the art event of the year.
Young winners went home with
specially-designed trophies by National
Artist Napoleon Abueva and an array
of gifts from Petron. Even schools of
winners were gifted with computers.
Winners’ families, Petron officers and
employees hobnobbed with national
artists, award winning painters, top
photographers and photojournalists,
award-winning
graphic
designers,
and printmakers.
More than the good food and warm
camaraderie, the winning entries
exhibited at the hotel foyer made the
event a night to remember!
2012
GRAND
PRIZE
winners
Grand prize winners in
Painting Category
PAINTING CATEGORY
A.Oil/Acrylic
LANCE KIRBY T. YANEZA
Kakambal Ko ang Kalikasan
FEATI University
SALVADOR M. BANARES, JR.
Hope
University of the East Caloocan
EMIL O. REAMBILLO
Unending Journey
University of Rizal System Morong
B. Waterbased/watercolor
DON BRYAN MICHAEL R. BUNAG
Magkaibang Magkaibigan
Bulacan State University
Grand prize winners in
Photography Category
JOHN MARK L. SAYCON
Salamin ng Buhay
PUP Sta. Mesa
ARMAN JAY S. ARAGO
Pagkamulat
University of Rizal System Morong
PHOTOGRAPHY CATEGORY
KYRKE STEPHEN B. JALECO
Volunteers
UP Baguio
Grandprize winners in
Printmaking Category
ALEXIS S. GAPAL
Nature’s Black Knights
UE Caloocan
MARC HENRICH W. GO
Life
UST Manila
OLIVER E. LAGDA
Barely Surviving
TUP Quezon City
SHIELA MAE B. DE VERA
Punla Para sa Bagong Bukas
UE Caloocan
GIB SAM G. SALAK
Explorers
Adventist University of the Philippines
Petron Vice Chairman Eric Recto with Vision Petron 2012 judges
PRINTMAKING CATEGORY
MITCHELL S. DOMINGO
Pawikan and Change
UE Caloocan
HYACINTH LYN M. LAOKE
Gandang Kalikasan Mukha ng Pilipinas
UP Diliman
JOHN JONAR V. GARCIA
Anihan
UE Caloocan
Together with Petron Vice Chairman Eric Recto
and AVP Mary Ann Neri, the Vision Petron exhibit
was opened by National Artist Benedicto Cabrera,
Raul Isidro and George Tapan
Chairman Wig Tysmans
signing an autograph for
photography winner Marc Go.
3
Bulletin
ANVIL 2013
HALL OF FAME
This year has been an eventful and truly historic year for Vision Petron. For one, Vision Petron
Collaterals, the array of beautiful marketing tools designed yearly to promote Vision Petron,
received the much-coveted Anvil Hall of Fame Award from the Public Relations Society of the
Philippines (PRSP) on March 9, 2013. The prestigious award is given to a communications tool
that has won more than five awards of excellence through the years.
Another important tool of Vision Petron, the culture magazine published solely for the Filipino
youth entitled VISION PETRON FOLIO, also received an Award of Excellence from the PRSP.
It is the 4th excellence award for the full-color glossy magazine.
The Philippine Quill Awards is the annual program sponsored by the International Association
of Business Communicators (IABC), which recognizes the effective use of the country’s leading
corporate programs, advocacy campaigns and public relation tools.
Last year’s awarding was held at Crowne Plaza in Ortigas, Pasig, Vision Petron 12 Collaterals
Nurturing Nature has was given an Award of Excellence for Communication SkillsPubications category. Petron Assistant Vice President Ana Neri and Brand officer Dianne Monsod
were on hand to receive the award. These collaterals reflected Petron’s love and commitment
to the preserving and conservation of environment.
4
Vision Petron bagged the Hall of Fame award,
the highest Anvil Award. Petron employees were
onstage to receive the trophy from the Public
Relations Society of the Philippines.
Petron marketing with creative
partner, Studio 5 Designs
Receiving the Philippine Quill Award of Excellence for
Vision Petron 12 collaterals are Petron Assistant
Vice President Ana Neri and Marketing Executive
Dianne Monsod
Petron AVP Ana Neri and Brand Marketing Head
Ramon Cruz receiving Vision Petron’s
8th Anvil Award of Excellence since 2001.
2013
Anvil Awards
HALL OF FAME
Citation:
“For being a shining example of consistent and faithful adherence to Creativity and Excellence,
the hallmarks of memorable visual communications, and for its vibrant celebration of the richness
of Filipino culture and heritage.
Given this 9th day of March 2013 at Rizal Ballroom, Makati Shangri-la Hotel
Ayala Center, Makati City.
5
The VisionPetron
2013 Diary
6
June to July
School visits
When Vision Petron
Came to Visit
(total 27
schools)
T
his year, the Vision Petron team lived up to its theme of
Lakbay. On the road for four days to visit five colleges in the
North was like attending a family reunion or a traditional event
one was not allowed to break.
Benguet State University
University of Northern Philippines
A visit to the University of Northern Philippines in Vigan was
a must because it has produced two young winners, Jareds
Yokte and Jeminic Real. After partaking of the popular Vigan
empanada and longganisa, we left this Unesco-world heritage
city and trek to another culture center – the Cordilleras.
From Vigan, it would take another four hours to reach Baguio,
our favorite mountain city. It is home to National Artist
Bencab, and is also home to loyal colleges and universities
who have never failed to send an entry to Vision Petron for the
last 13 years.
Our trip took us 50 kilometers down to Tarlac. Not only is this
province home to the best sapin-sapin in the country but Tarlac
State University has produced eight grand prize winners! One day
Vision Petron should install a marker as a reminder of this feat.
Our Southern sojourn was all of five straight days.
Vision Petron team taking a break at Jack’s Ridge, Davao
Tarlac State University
Cebu holds another marker in Vision Petron history. Four grand
prize winners in painting and another four grand prize winners in
photography have all come from this Queen City of the South.
In Cebu, we visited University of San Carlos campus in
Talamban which has the only Fine Arts program in the province.
Also upon their invitation, we also visited the University of San
Jose Recoletos in downtown Cebu City.
An early flight to Iloilo was our next stop where we were greeted
with the smell of La Paz batchoy and freshly baked biscocho
as we headed for Western Visayas College of Science and
Technology (WVCST). A standing-room-only crowd was waiting
for our arrival. Even the WVCST Officials were in full attendance
as we explained the new theme, Lakbay Tagumpay, which we
tried translating in the Ilonggo dialect.
Western Visayas College of Science & Technology
7
Bulletin
June
19Adven
tist Universi
ty of Philipp
25 Asia Pa
ines
cific College
26 Techno
logical Univ
ersity of th
EARIST
e Philippines
Manila
28 UST Co
llege of Fine
Arts Far Eastern
University
FEATI Univer
sity
July
3 Univer
sity of Rizal
System Mor
4 Bulac
ong
an State Un
iversity Bul
acan
Polytechnic
University of
8 Unive
the Philippin
rsity of Nor
es Manila
thern Philipp
9 Univer
ines
sity of the Ph
ilippines Bag
Unive
uio
rsity of the
Coordillera
s
Benguet St
ate Universi
ty
10Tarlac
State Univer
sity
11 Techno
logical Inst
itute of the
UP Dili
Philippines
man
Quezon City
12 UST Co
llege of the
A
rc
hitecture
Unive
rsity of the
East Calooc
15Unive
an
rsity of San
Carlos
Unive
rity of San
Jose Recol
16 Weste
etos
rn Visayas
College of Sc
17Unive
ience and Te
rsity of Min
chnology
danao Matin
a
Ford Acade
my of the A
rts Davao
Philippine W
omen’s Colle
18UP Min
ge Davao
danao Davao
23 PWU M
anila
27 Miriam
College
For another five days and a thousand kilometers, Davao in the south
was the final stop. It was a most memorable trip because Mishael
Pueblas, one of our two winners from Davao was going home since
finding work as a producer for television in Manila. Unknown to his
family and to his alma mater, UP Mindanao, Pueblas was in between
shoots to join us.
Aside from UP Mindanao we were scheduled to visit Philippine
Womens College Davao, and two fine arts schools, the University of
Mindanao, and the oldest in the south, the Ford Academy of the Arts.
Ford Academy’s founder and literary icon, Aida Ford personally greeted
us at her school premises. In Davao we broke bread with deans and
students who filled us with crabs and durian. Our two days in Davao
made up the five days in Visayas and Mindanao.
Including our visits to Metro Manila schools, we spent 19 days on the
road or airborne. We thank our partners - the deans and previous
winners who joined us in our travels. Our visit was also our way of
honoring our winners and of reminding our young artists that if their
talented classmates made it, so can they!
Philippine Women’s College Davao
University of Mindanao
Ford Academy of the Arts
8
UP Mindanao Davao
Friday, August 16
Full House:
Last Day of Submission,
Project Secretariat
Last Day, No Extension
O
n August 16, a deluge of entries for Vision Petron arrived at the
Vision Petron Secretariat’s office. It was the last day of submission, and
like in the previous years, it was traditionally hectic.
Number of entries increased this year
Leading the herd was the perennial top grosser - the University of
Santo Tomas - where an entry to Vision Petron was considered a class
requirement or plate in the College of Fine Arts and Design. UST is
known also for their award-winning photographs and thought-provoking
paintings.
Far Eastern University, made its green and yellow gold presence felt on
the last day of submission. with a hefty amount of entries in the oil/acrylic
category from its Fine Arts majors.
Students show their entries in
the painting category
Technological Institute of the Philippines Quezon City dominated the
watercolor/water-based category with more than a hundred entries from
mostly architecture and engineering students.
Not even the heat of the sun or the sudden drizzle could douse the
enthusiasm of students from EARIST, Bulacan State University, and
Technological University of the Philippines Manila.
From the provinces, entries were mostly from Iloilo, Bacolod, Davao and
Baguio. As a way of showing Vision Petron’s gratitude, their entries may
be retrieved from the nearest bulk plant in their localities.
Project Secretariat at work
Newly-designed t-shirts
Proud student with his
submitted artwork
Photos by James Ona
9
Bulletin
Thursday, August 22
Choosing The Year’s Best
Judging T-shirt Art
Design Category,
Ynares Sports
Arena
I
n all competitions, be it art or otherwise, everything boils
down to the credibility of the jurors. One thing Vision Petron
has kept sacred is the impeccable credentials of its judges
in its 13 years of existence. That’s why we have judges that
we have been getting more than once. In fact National Artist
Napoleon Abueva has been a judge since the contest’s
inception. This is the same reason why students have loyally
joined us through the years. For them winning means getting
the masters’ nod.
Due to the large amount of entries, judging was held for the
first time at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig, the perfect
venue to hold more than 900 paintings, 600 photographs,
and more than 500 t-shirt entries.
Chairman for T-shirt Art Design Raul Isidro
The T-shirt art design judging chaired by known
abstractionist and printmaker Raul Isidro was held on the first
of the four days of judging. The return of T-shirt art design
proved to be a practical decision for Vision Petron. Other
judges were senior visual artist Justin Nuyda, Islands Group
head Jay Aldeguer, and BG Hernandez of Studio 5 Designs
and Ramon Cruz of Petron Corp.
Judges cast their final vote
Judges in a huddle
The three t-shirt art design grand prize winners
10
Tuesday, August 27
For the painting category, National Artist
Abdulmari Imao led an illustrious panel of judges
made up of National Artist Napoleon Abueva,
Danilo Dalena, Elmer Borlongan, Alfred
Esquillo Jr., Raul Isidro and Ana Neri.
Judging Painting
Category,
Ynares Sports
Arena
Chairman for painting category,
National Artist Abdulmari Imao
National Artist Billy Abueva
Danny Dalena writes his choices
Paintings literally fill up the Ynares Sports Arena
The grand prize painting winners with the Vision Petron team
11
Bulletin
Wednesday, August 28
Judging Photography
Category,
Ynares Sports
Arena
Chairman for photography Wig Tysmans
Judges double-checking their scores
In the photography category, as always the
deliberations were full of excitement and colorful
discussions. Judges were keen on discovering the
entries that were “purists”.
George Tapan discusses the details of a photograph
The grand prize winners in photography
12
Thursday, August 29
Judging Video-Making
Category,
1771 El Pueblo
Ortigas Center
Pasig City
The judging of the new video-making category was
extra special. Judges were led by cinematographer Romy
Vitug, whose members were the cream of the crop in this
medium: Directors Laurice Guillen and Raymond Red, Howie
Severino and Ana Neri.
A week before, they were given a complete set of 59 videos
for viewing. They then each chose their ten best. After much
in depth dissection from the compiled short-list, three videos
emerged as grand prize winners. These outstanding videos
will be shown during the awarding ceremonies slated at the
National Museum in October.
Judges discuss the merits of each short-listed video
All ready for judging
Actual tabulation of the scores
Judges’ briefing on the video-making rules
13
FEATURES
Eskultor ng Lahi
The Guillermo Tolentino permanent exhibition
T
Tolentino’s Bonifacio
penchant for realism was not
as the reality demands but
what his concept dictates.
His masterpiece, Bonifacio
Monument built in1930
bested a national design
competition honoring the
founder of the Katipunan.
14
he National Museum recently
inaugurated its newest permanent
exhibition at the National Art
Gallery, housed in the Old Legislative
Building in Rizal Park, devoted to the life
and work of the first National Artist for
sculpture. Entitled Escultor ng Lahing
Pilipino: Honoring the Life and Work
of National Artist Guillermo Tolentino,
this exhibition was formally opened
on July 24, 2013 on the occasion of
Tolentino’s 123rd birth anniversary.
An unprecedented array of sculptures
drawings, studies and memorabilia that
evoke Tolentino’s artistic genius and his
place in the nation’s history have been
brought together, drawing on important
private collections including the Tolentino
family itself. Guillermo Estrella Tolentino
(1890-1976) was in 1973 awarded
the distinction of National Artist of the
Philippines, in the field of sculpture.
He, along with fellow National Artist
and painter Fernando Amorsolo (18921972) dominated the Philippine art scene
from the 1930s to the 1950s, and has
remained popular to this day for depicting
in a classical fashion his subjects, tying
portrayals of figures with his concept of
the ideal human forms.
One of Tolentino’s more important
contributions to Philippine art is his
representation of canonical Filipino
figures in three-dimensional forms that
are initially based on plaster and then
cast in metals such as bronze. He also
subscribed to the then-new material,
concrete, and developed his idealized
figures within the limitations of that
medium. Besides creating the curriculum
for sculpture at the School of Fine Arts
of the University of the Philippines and
teaching, he also worked on commissions
for public sculptures and civic buildings.
In his spare time, Tolentino developed
his expertise in baybayin, the traditional
Filipino script, and translated Philippine
literature in Spanish into Tagalog and
afterwards into the pre-colonial syllabary.
The best known of his work was the
translation and transcription of Dr. José
Rizal’s Mi Ultimo Adios. Tolentino also
often signed and named his sculptures
using baybayin. Musically inclined too,
he played the guitar and piano with equal
mastery.
Tolentino first got his encouragement
to develop his artistic talent from his
fifth grade school teacher, Mrs. H. A.
Bordner, in Malolos, Bulacan. He began
Tolentino was versed with doing historical busts. It was also his specialty to do presidents
such as these three of Carlos Garcia, Ramon Magsaysay, and Ferdinand Marcos
Model for the Commonwealth Arch
Tolentino’s Bonifacio penchant for realism was not as the
reality demands but what his concept dictates. His Bonifacio
bust shows a manner befits a leader.
at the National Museum
By Jeremy Barns, National Museum Director
his apprenticeship at the University of
the Philippines School of Fine Arts after
he moved to Manila for his high school
studies. One of his first mentors was
Professor Vicente Rivera y Mir (18721954) who introduced him to GrecoRoman sculpture and the making of
plaster casts, and he also began working
with architect Juan Arellano on various
projects, including the relief figures for
the Casino Español on Taft Avenue.
He graduated from the School of Fine
Arts in 1915, with diplomas in both
painting and sculpture. Not one to be
constrained by the narrow occupations
available to Filipino sculptors at that time
– either a maker of funereal statuary or
in a workshop carving iconic images
of venerated saints, Tolentino travelled
to Washington, D.C. for further studies
in 1919 before moving to Europe, and
especially Rome. Returning to the
Philippines in 1922, he began teaching
at the School of Fine Arts two years
later. From 1953 to 1955, he served as
the school’s director, retiring in 1955 as
professor emeritus.
Tolentino firmly established himself
as a master in classical sculpture. He
secured his reputation when he received
national recognition for his work on the
Bonifacio Monument (more formally
known as the Monumento a los heroes del
1896), the design for which was chosen
in a competition organized by sculptor
Vicente Francisco, and architects Andres
Luna de San Pedro and Tomas Mapúa.
The call for designs for the monument
was made on 29 August 1930.
Tolentino›s winning design, which to this
day is a major landmark of the national
capital, features a tall pillar surmounted
by a winged victory holding aloft a torch.
Around the monument’s base stand
larger than life figures of Filipinos and
members of the Katipunan led by their
supremo, Andres Bonifacio.
Tolentino
also
sculpted
the
Oblation that serves as the iconic
symbol of the University of the
Philippines, and which depicts a
naked man facing upward with arms
outstretched, symbolizing the total and
selfless offering of oneself to his country.
The statue was commissioned in 1935
by University President Rafael Palma.
Originally located at the Manila campus
in Ermita, it was moved to the Diliman
campus in celebration of the University’s
40th anniversary in 1948.
Detail of the Commonwealth Triumphal Arch,
commemorating the inauguration of the Commonwealth
of the Philippines. It shows a young mother breast feeding
her baby from behind symbolizing future generations.
The title of the exhibition was
inspired by Filipino poet José Corazon de
Jesus whose 1930 poem “Ang Bantayog
ng Bayani” mentioned Tolentino twice
and referred to him as eskultor ng
bagong lahi, a “sculptor of the new spirit”
who possessed an artistically superior
soul. Now, looking back on Tolentino’s
prodigious output which never failed to
capture something distinctively Filipino
through his idealized, classical approach,
he can be truly regarded as eskultor ng
lahing Filipino, a sculptor of the Filipino
spirit - that was certainly once new, but
is now as timeless as it is a monumental
part of the nation’s artistic heritage.
The exhibition can be viewed at
Security Bank Hall (Gallery XII) of the
National Art Gallery.
15
FEATURES
Going
for Gold
Winning the Games of Life
By Felice Prudente Sta. Maria
Desire success. Prepare to win. And never
give up! Victory in school, career, personal
affairs, and society demands increasing one’s
capabilities continuously toward leading a life
well. Every phase offers lessons, risks, failures,
and opportunities. The champion has a keenly
developed awareness of what happened, is
happening, and - ahead of others – will likely
happen next.
16
Duyan Ka Nang Magiting
by Honey Maglalang (AUP)
Competitive Advantages
“How to succeed” continues as one of
the most popular and enduring topics
debated on and written about. Although
victory finds its roots in overcoming an
enemy or rival in battle, today it also
means achieving mastery in any effort
against all odds.
Old proverbs from Pampanga and Ilocos
emphasize, “Victory is attained through
courage.” In northern Mindanao,
courage and bravery are traditionally
called the “shields of life.” A warning to
heed from northeastern Luzon notes,
“Use your courage well or it will cause
your downfall.” In Bicol there is a similar
caveat in support of self-discipline,
“Courage without discretion is useless.”
Everyday, the courage to do well and
be good is tested.
boys and girls so their hearing,
vision, smell, taste, and touch could
be used for making wise, common
sense judgments when observing,
understanding, and relating to the
surroundings, its geography, geology,
weather, plants, animals, people.
Warrior victors had keen senses.
They sensed foe approaching from
the sound of rustling tall grass or
the feel of vibrations on bare earth.
Today, formal schools offer additional
skills and knowledge to master the
contemporary world that is everyone’s
playing field. Exact, physical, natural,
social, and behavioral sciences, along
with their application to technology,
offer what common senses cannot
detect: the nano, the micro, the
macro. Learning continues after
graduation, so those who master
how to study well and sustain focus
the “whole distance” acquire a
valuable advantage.
First Kiss
by Nomer Kaiz Del Mundo (UST)
The American football quarterback
who became a congressman and was
defeated in his bid for vice president
of his nation, Jack Kemp, wisely said,
“There is a kind of victory in good
work, no matter how humble”. Great
achievements for the sake of self,
family, community, the underserved,
country, and planet require passionate
determination, what the poet Ralph
Waldo Emerson called the “victory of
a flaming heart”.
The desire for success creates a point
of view and a way of living rooted in
goals, determination, and hard work.
Today, even being happy is classified
as a victory.
Starting Young
Kaisa Ligaya Payapa “KALIPAY”
by Coleen G. Regis (PWC Davao)
Humankind has been marking life’s
stages as birth, puberty (when
the body is first able to procreate,
usually in tween or early teen years),
marriage, and death. Elders trained
Gains begin with getting passing
grades, and preferably better. But
there are other competitions for
teens. Winning a seat in the student
council. Garnering a medal in a varsity
game. Meriting and maintaining a
scholarship. Securing on-the-job
training or internship at a top-tier
venue. Winning a national competition
in arts or sciences. Completing a
technical or vocational program or a
university degree course. Graduating
with honors. Membership in an honors
society. All are preparation for adult
life that is laden with responsibilities
and obligations to counterbalance
human rights.
Outside of school there are other
opportunities for teen victory. Election
to an SK Council. Being selected as
a kuya or ate for youth participants
in an NGO, People’s Organization,
or religious activity. Winning a major
media sponsored competition.
Bagging a slot in any skills, leadership,
or personality enhancement program,
especially if it has limited attendance.
From childhood to teens, there are
chances to start the life of an achiever.
17
Luck Is Not Enough
The adolescent must morph into an
adult. Late-bloomers can too.
A sport offers valuable lessons for the
workplace. Coaches train professional
competitors to replay wins and losses
in their mind to spot how to do better
and beat best records, their own and
those of rivals. They also recommend
dissecting how the greats play in order
to copy them. That means acquiring the
discipline to practice winning moves till
they become second nature. The champ
also masters fair play and magnanimity,
what an old Filipino proverb preaches:
He is twice a victor who knows how
to be humble in a moment of victory.
Dedication to doing exceptionally well
in an art – playing a musical instrument,
acting, dancing, painting, singing – also
benefits from analyzing and emulating
the best examples. Being an achiever
can become habit.
raging hormones. If allowed to run
wild, romance and strong emotions
can complicate plans, forcing single
parenthood or early marriage on the
unprepared. Will power to overcome
unwise desire is the partner of great
talent and dreams of success.
When family life works out, one
garners multiple victories. From birth,
a child’s chances in life increase when
brought up in a nutritionally, mentally,
and emotionally secure, stable, and
stimulating environment. Infants and
nursery age children lacking enough
A new graduate should spot a model
in the workplace to emulate. How
does that outstanding person – that
leader – think, analyze a challenge,
speak, dress, deal with people, behave
at a meeting and at a meal, care for
office and public property? The young
person starting a career has to practice
acting and thinking to fit the position
aimed for. Emulating a leader helps
one become a leader.
Many companies offer training
programs and corporate social
responsibility projects to develop the
full person: as worker and as human
being. Dependability is one way to
get noticed. Receiving “more work”
can be a reward. A trusted, new
employee might be given “harder”
assignments so bosses can size up
the staffer’s potential for learning new
and resulting promotions. Business
icons have identified the ability to spot
and manage change as fundamental to
career and entrepreneurial victory.
Ready for Love
18
Many of life’s challenges occur
outside work. A major victory for
teens and young adults is to conquer
physical and chemical changes like
an even keel, to remain well balanced
throughout adversities big and small.
Fear of failure should never outweigh
the desire to win.
The Good Life
Everyone seeks a decent life and
profits from an honest living. There are
things to buy, foods to savor, places
to explore, experiences to try. But the
victory in middle adulthood, according
to developmental psychologists, is
feeling that one is contributing to the
world by what one is doing for home
and country.
Tulong-tulong Sa Pag-ahon
by Hanna Nicole Manalo (UST)
love and care are likely to mistrust
people and lack self control; as adults
they will often harbor negative attitudes
and self-doubt coupled with lack of
initiative. Spoiled children often do not
have generosity of spirit and team skills.
Parents who encourage children to be
helpful, disciplined, honest, responsible,
imaginative, and able to use mind and
body creatively generally turn out welladjusted adults who can succeed.
Self-management of the rebellious,
moody teen years, with its insecurity,
confusion, and threat of a weak sense
of self worth is truly a personal victory
on the road to adulthood. Armed with
self-confidence, a young adult is ready
to take on the future. Throughout life,
each person is challenged to keep on
Writer Horace Mann announces,
“Be ashamed to die unless you have
won some victory for humanity.” In
1990, there were 60 million Filipinos
when the country joined the United
Nations effort to halve extreme poverty
in its midst by 2015. Today there
are 105 million Filipinos with around
28 percent below the poverty line,
meaning individual earnings of less than
P 16,841.00 a year. Those contributing
income tax to underwrite social
services, especially for the unfortunate,
are in the minority.
It takes great courage to become
part of the solution and refrain from
increasing the socio-economic
problem. Every person is challenged
to be steadfastly law abiding, healthy
Best Buds
by Krista Mari Albano (FEU)
(physically, mentally, emotionally,
spiritually), eco-friendly, respectful
of people and place. Victors have
self-initiative, determination, frugality,
and an updated commitment to the
common good.
“One may know how to gain a victory,
and not know how to use it,” warned
author Pedro Calderon de la Barca.
“What good is courage, if you don’t
use it for good?” says a Tagalog
proverb. Whether through public
office, civic clubs, community projects,
art for all efforts, health outreaches,
and other programs, an individual can
share. Use good for good. As late
President Corazon Aquino said,
“I would rather die a meaningful
death than to live a meaningless life.”
A Day to be Remembered
by Krista Mari Albano (FEU)
The Spirit of Victory
Ancient Greeks honored Nike,
the Goddess of Victory; Romans
renamed her Victoria. In myth she
was daughter to a Titan, and lived
on Mount Olympus with her sisters
Kratos (strength), Bia (force), and
Zellus (zeal). Nike inspired triumph
in athletic games, victory in war,
and life over defeat.
The Philippines celebrates a history
of victory. Individual, institutional,
and political courage to carry the
torch has helped see the nation
through political darkness, natural
calamities, social trauma, economic
downturns. The spirit of victory is
in everyone; when enflamed it is
Hope in Action.
About the Writer:
Felice Sta. Maria is an award-winning
writer of Philippine history and culture.
She currently serves as trustee of the
Philippine National Museum and is
Adviser to Ayala Museum and Ginhawa
Institute of Indigenous Art. (She has
been our judge in the painting category
since Vision Petron’s inception.)
19
FEATURES
LAKBAY
NAMIN
The Vision and Inspiration
by Balaram Das Ochangco (UST)
The Colorful Journey of
Vision Petron Winners
I
By Jay Bautista
20
t was in last year’s Vision Petron that National
Artist Benedicto Cabrera, chairman of the board
of judges, who commented that Vision Petron
is now entering its fourth “cycle of its significant
existence.” A “cycle” means that those who joined
Vision Petron as freshmen have already graduated
from college and have moved on. As Vision Petron
is most endeared among students and has become
a fixture in their active college life, this year it is ripe
to look back and aptly reflect to what has former
Petron president Khalid Al-Faddagh commented
“to what was originally been a venue for a wall
calendar has created a life of its own.” Vision
Petron has now become an exciting rite of passage
to some of our country’s outstanding visual artists
and art-related practitioners.
At the onset, we have committed
to keep in touch with our winners.
Through the years, we watched over
them as they moved forward to win
bigger recognition and chart their own
respective artistic journeys.
Be Full time,
Have More Awards
If we are to be measured by our first
grand prize winners, then we are on a
promising direction.
Robert Besana of Vision Petron 1
(2001)is now on his 5th year as Director
of the School of Multi-media arts.
Having won both a grand prize and a
runner up in both categories of painting
then, we know him well to be always
experimenting and not limiting his
perspective to flatness of his brushes.
In fact for his recent solo exhibition last
October 2012 at the blanc compound
entitled Mysteria Lucis, he used ballpoint
pens on plywood.
“I still practice art but am more focused
on educating young artists. As an artist
I gained a lot of confidence and I used
that to pursue art. Art competition, as big
as Vision Petron will always be relevant,
it encourages young artists to strive for
excellence. Like when athletes compete,
they would do unimaginable amount of
practice, they would put their hearts to it.
And they make sure that they’re in their
best shape before they compete. If you
follow this kind of discipline as an artist,
you don’t need to worry about losing, win
or lose you will become a better artist.
Being in your best shape, condition, and
being at your best artistic potential is
already a victory which we all should strive
for in the first place. Winning the actual
competition is actually the consolation.
In art, I teach what I practice, and
I practice what I teach. It’s all interconnected. The students learn from me
and at the same time I learn from them.
These are all part of this whole process of
art-making aside from other things, if we’re
to define art as a process or activity.
Another Vision Petron 1 winner is Ricky
Ambagan who is a full time painter.
He stresses: “Hindi ako huminto sa pag
pinta. Proud kami yung unang batch na
nanalo. Kumbaga wala pang blue print na
pagbabatayan. Malaking bagay dahil noong
panahon na yon naging proud ang UP
College of Fine Arts sa akin. May respeto
agad na nilagay kasunod ng pangalan ko.
Bukod sa prestigious siya sa mga studyante,
Vision Petron mismo ang pumupunta sa
mga school para mag-promote.”
Hall of famer Ronald Jeresano, who
recently had a solo exhibition last July
entitled “For the Love of” at the Jade Art
Gallery in Singapore, owes it to Vision
Petron for boosting his confidence and
to be worthy of his stature now.
He adds: “Winning in Vision Petron
proved to myself that I am for real and
I must not take it for granted. Winning
as a student is very hard and very,
very tough. You have to constantly
challenge yourself.”
Other notable Vision Petron winners who
have made names for themselves are
Orley Ypon, Mark Andy Garcia, Jaime
Gubaton, Arturo Sanchez Jr. and Raffy
Napay who together with another winner
Charles Buenconsejo were the two of the
three winners who won in the this year’s
Ateneo Art Awards, besting ten other
finalists for having the best shows during
the preceding year.
Pag sinabing “ArtPetron,” expressed
another hall of famer, Jeffrey Salon,
“karamihan diyan nagsimula yung mga
magagaling na young artists at nakikilala
na ngayon sa larangan ng sining sa
bagong henerasyon.”
Salon also emphasizes: “Isa pa sa
pinaka-gusto ko at kung bakit kakaiba
siya ay dahil hindi nawawala ang
kulturang pananaw, sa pamamagitan
ng mga tema. Kumbaga sa
makabagong panahon ngayon lalo na
sa mga kabataan, napipilitan silang
alamin at subukan gawin ulit para
malaman ang kahalagahan nito sa
buhay ng mga Filipino.”
For 2007 winner Julmard Vicente who is
only the second student to win both grand
prize (in oil/acrylic) and a runner up (in
watercolor/waterbased), Vision Petron
was his first and most meaningful prize:
Nakakatulong (yung Vision Petron) dahil
every time na may nagtatanong sakin kung
may napanalunan ako ang lagi kung unang
sinasabi ang Artpetron. Makikita mo
palang sa mukha ng mga client/collectors/
gallery na nakasama ka sa winners ay
matamis na ngiti at tuwa.
For Vicente, “ArtPetron ay may puso.
Hinde lang sa competition makakatulong
din sa pamamagitan ng promotion,
na makilala uli ma-rediscover uli ang
maganda at ibang nakalimutang kultura
ng mga Pilipino.”
Previous winners went on to win bigger
art awards. Chrisanto Aquino is still a
student of Tarlac State University but
his unique visual style has won for him
the second place in Tanaw, the 2nd
BSP Painting Competition last May.
Only previous winners of Philippine
art competitions could participate and
Vision Petron was one of the contests
that have been recognized in the
Philippine art scene.
The latest Cultural Center of the
Philippines 13 Artists Awardees last
February included Mark Salvatus and
Joey Cobcobo, both won back in 2002.
Conceptualized by the late Roberto
Chabet, as critical connection to the
Thirteen Moderns and Victorio Edades,
the CCP 13 Artists Awards is held once
in three years and is one of the most
prestigious Philippine contemporary art
accolade because it is given by artists
themselves. Its roster of winners is a
veritable who’s who list in the Philippine
art scene today. National Artist BenCab
was among its first awardees in 1970.
This year’s Vision judges Danny Dalena,
Justin Nuyda, Elmer Borlongan, and Alfred
Esquillo Jr. were also previously bestowed
the honor at the onset of their careers.
Cobcobo mentions: “Vision Petron way
back in 2002 was my first major Grand
prize award.“Pinabilis nito ang pagsikat
ng isang tao” Pinadami nito ang aking
mga kaibigan at kakilala sa art community,
schools and universities.
In my first solo exhibit, entitled Black
Saturday they sponsored the catalogs
printing, freebies and a lot of moral support.
Importante din yung pagtanaw kung saan
ka nagsimula at pagpapasalamat sa kanila
na tumulong, kung pano ka hinubog at
inukit upang maging pulido at importanteng
tao sa larangan ng sining. Nagpapasalamat
po at saludo po ako sa inyong adhikain
makatulong at magpalawak sa kaalamang
sining, kultura at pagkilala kung sino at
saan kami nagmula na naging palaisipan sa
amin at mga istudyante.”
“Joining Vision Petron was more of a
competition of your limits as student. It’s
more of a survey of other artists’ works
from different schools. More importantly
this is where you meet other artists
as peers whom you interacted and
collaborated with as you went on with
your art practice.” relates Mark Salvatus.
In fact it was during the awards night
that Salvatus got the best advice of his
life through judge Freddie Aquilizan when
he said “don’t stick to painting.”
21
Salvatus founded 98B, an alternative
and creative venue for artists, writers,
photographers and cultural workers.
Based in Escolta they hold artist
talks, bazaars every two weeks called
X Future Markets, and publish
art-related materials.
When Art is Work and the
Client is not a Collector
For others in the roster, winning in Vision
Petron meant an open door to the
corporate world. Photography winner
Mishael Pueblas now works in production
outfit doing TV commercials.
“Vision Petron is unique because it gives
winners the feeling of no one is better than
the other. Unlike any other competitions
when you have to daydream of being on
top of everybody. Unique because once you
win, you’ve got to be adopted like an orphan
-- update you of how you’ve been doing in
your field, and even visit where you came
from and started,” Pueblas reminisces.
“My first cash reward in the competition
helped me to purchase my first Digital SLR
Camera (Canon EOS 350D),” relates hall of
famer James Ona, one of our back-to-back
winners in Photography (2007 and 2008).
“As an ArtPetron winner, I was accepted in
one of the best wedding photography studio
companies where I had more opportunities
to learn more about the technical side
of photography.”
“Vision Petron transformed me into a
professional photographer. In PUP Manila,
I got the chance to work as the university
photographer for five years. Now, there are
more responsibilities and expectations from
my new clients. From covering weddings and
birthday events – to documenting corporate
events and shooting portraits of some of the
biggest names and members of the board
of directors of leading companies for annual
reports and coffee table books,” Ona proudly
compliments in an email to us.
22
Another hall of famer, Paul Quiambao of
UST built on his popularity on campus
and founded Fotomasino, the biggest
university-based photography club
boasting 500 members. He was also
chosen to be the quadricentennial
photographer of his alma mater to
document significant activities related to
the celebration both here and abroad.
Charles Buenconsejo, our first back-toback winner in photography in 2004-2005:
“ArtPetron has become a stepping stone
for my career in photography. In a way,
yes, because art competitions are good
training ground for one’s career. However,
you should not stop pursuing what you
love to do even if you lose in a competition
because this loss will still allow you to grow
and gain experience.”
talent, and provided me to be equal among
other schooled painters. It was the push I
needed in my career. After winning, I knew
I had to constantly be at par and be on my
toes for each painting that I come up with.”
Cebuanos have a special place in Vision
Petron having had 6 winners in the painting
competition. Other notable artists from Cebu
are Orly Ypon (two time winner), Jose Pempe
Ibanez, Darby Alcoseba and Clint Normandia.
With photography always taking a back seat
to painting, Buenconsejo strives to raise
the bar for his medium. He is one of the
few contemporary artists who exhibits in art
spaces using photos as his take off point in
his artworks.
Considered one of Cebu’s finest
watercolorist, Normandia reminisces:
“Vision Petron has helped me a lot in
the early stage of my career as an artist.
It was where I started to have a name,
many galleries and clients have noticed
me and commissioned me.”
My Canvas, My Photo,
My Hometown
Across the Miles,
Philippines on their Minds
Ilonggo winners Arel Zambarrano and Alex
Ordoyo continue to practice their art while
actively teaching young students to hone
their craft and make an artistic difference in
their localities.
One of our first winners Yveese Belen is now
a British Citizen. She fondly recalls: “Yung
nerbiyos ko nung nanalo ako sa Vision
Petron first time. Sa laki nung competition,
biruin mo nanalo ako? Naaalala ko din ung
mga mukha nung mga tao na happy while
checking all the works that made through.
Vision Petron made me who I am today.”
Not all winners succumbed to the call of the
city. Some chose to stay in their respective
hometowns. From there, they created
communities and helped made a difference
in how art is perceived by their kababayan.
“Dito ang gyera namin. Dito kami nakilala
at dito naming gustong manatili,” says
Zambarrano who last month curated a
group show of Ilonngo artists at the
Museo ng Iloilo.
Cebu-based Florentino Impas is known for
genre paintings and is a much-sought-after
portraitist of the religious. From cardinals,
bishops and church patrons, Impas is a
dedicated realist on canvas. He recently
did a profile of our newly canonized Filipino
saint, Pedro Calungsod for a new cathedral
in Cebu City.
A self-taught painter, Impas did not let
poverty dampen his spirits. Impas is
grateful that the Petron art competition has
welcomed students enrolled in workshop
or museum- based painting students for
that year. Homegrown artists like him get to
compete with other painters on a common
theme: “ArtPetron allowed me to show my
Some of Vision Petron’s offsprings left the
nest farther than they should have. They
are now based abroad but they are still
as passionate as the day they got their
Abueva trophies.
Photography winner Pacifico Jose Jr.
works as a Sanitary Engineer in Singapore
but still photographs in his spare time:
“During my time in 2004 & 2005, I think
Vision Petron was very unique on the
theme for each year’s competition in such
a way that they want to compare the old
and the new in our culture and traditions.
To show and preserve our culture in
different media (film, canvas and paper)
through the young generations minds and
creativity. Vision Petron has given young
bloods to showcase their talent with their
masterpieces in a big platform.”
Other worlds like academic
and virtual
Meanwhile some of our winners have trekked
in other creative worlds such as the academe
or in advertising agencies.
CCP 13Artists Awards
Ateneo Art Awards 2013
Our Vision Petron
journey continues,
the road is still long,
but the young artists
we meet along the
way make our trip
fun and worthwhile.
Impas
Sanchez
Ypon
Cobcobo
Jose
Aquino
Belen
Garcia
Salvatus
Hall of famer Judeo Herrera who together
with another winner Mark Miclat teaches
art education and fine arts at their alma
mater, Tarlac State University. “Malaki ang
pagkakaiba ng pagtuturo at pagpipinta pero
marami rin silang pagkakatulad. They are
similar in the sense that we educate people
through art and also through teaching. We
also have our social responsibility which is
practiced in both fields. They both improve
the way we live and how they develop us
as a human person. In teaching our return
of investment are our students and how
they achieve in life, in art we become mirrors
of the society, somehow our opinions are
heard and our perceptions are understood
by the viewing public.” says Mark.
Herrera
Vision Petron 5 winner CJ de Silva-Ong is
now an art director: “Joining Vision Petron
had been a constant challenge for me. For
five consecutive years, I kept joining but I
never won until the 5th time. Through Vision
Petron, I was able to push myself and my
craft further. I explored my identity as an
artist and as an idea person. Also, Vision
Petron became an opportunity for me to
meet the masters I always looked up to,
like BenCab, as well as interact with my
contemporaries. In a way, I had a deeper
exposure to the Filipino art community.
Undeniably, Filipinos in general see art as
a luxury, something they really don’t give
importance too. Oo nga naman di ba, paano
Besana
ka mag-a-art kung gutom ka at walang
matitirahan. Through art competitions (which
technically inspires creation), Filipinos are
exposed and encouraged to pursue art.”
Her advise to students: “Creation will always
be the answer (to any problem, I think).
Continue to create beauty that inspires.”
Lakbay Namin Credits
Black and white portraits by Wig Tysmans
(taken from Brushstrokes From the Heart:
First Five Years of ArtPetron by Dr. Alice
Guillermo), Colored photos courtesy of
the artists CCP 13 Artists Awards c/o Francisco
Cabuena, Mark Salvatus portrait by Marc Go
Jay Bautista is a Project Officer of Studio 5
Designs which serves as the Vision Petron
Secretariat
23
FEATURES
Of Festivity, Fervor
and Freedom
Images of Celebration and
Triumph in Philippine Art
By Lisa Ito
On the night of June 25, 1884, a group of around 60 Filipinos gathered
at a dinner banquet at the Restaurante Inglés in Madrid, Spain. They
were celebrating a small but significant victory: two young painters from
Manila recently won gold and silver medals in the prestigious Madrid
Exposition. The first person to give the two artists a toast was a young
doctor. At a time when Filipinos were seen and treated as inferior
subjects of the Spanish empire, he gave an eloquent speech on how
their victories have “wreathed their country in rays of glory” and affirmed
how genius, “like light and air” transcends nation or race.
M
24
ore than a hundred and twenty
years have passed since that
night. Today, we still remember
these two artists, Juan Luna and Félix
Resurrección Higaldo, and the young
doctor, José Rizal.
Luna and Hidalgo’s achievements
heralded the triumphs, both local and
global, of succeeding generations of
Filipino artists. Considered as important
developments in Philippine art history,
their prize-winning works were history
paintings: fictional scenes from Classical
narratives that could also be interpreted
as allegories of critique against the
spoils and excesses of colonial rule.
On the other hand, many other
Philippine artists of the 20th century
have literally portrayed the related
themes of celebration through festivity
and victory over adversity in their own
works. During the period of Spanish
colonial rule, Western painting traditions
were introduced and was generally
commissioned for religious and
church use or for secular private
consumption: first, to help the
colonizers propagate the Catholic faith
and, later on, to mark the rise of a
newly-emerging native elite.
Colonial tradition
and the fiesta
As painting began to take on a
more secular character in the 19th
century, artists began to explore and
use a wider range of subject matter and
styles. The tipos del pais watercolor
paintings, for instance, would show
the different Philippine inhabitants
in their native wear. Later on, genre
paintings depicting the daily life of the
common folk at work and play in their
communities began to be produced.
Visual representations of both tagumpay
(triumph) and pagdiriwang (celebration)
Spolarium by Juan Luna.
Oil on Canvas, 1884
(Philippine National Museum Collection)
Las Virgenes Cristianas Expuestas
al Populacho by Felix Resurreccion
Hidalgo. Oil on Canvas, 1884
(Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas
Collection) (Note that this is a
smaller version of the one that won
silver in the 1884 Madrid Exposition
and was destroyed during the war)
quickly became part of this colorful and
diverse repertoire.
Philippine art abundantly features
many representations of the fiesta or
pista, with its religious processions,
pageantry, and social rituals. Many
Filipino painters have captured the
local color and merry-making that the
country’s hundreds of rural fiestas
are famed for. The subject itself
was intriguing yet common enough
to appeal to both conservative or
academic schools and the emerging
and modernist painters of the American
colonial and Post-World War II era.
Manila-based National Artist
Fernando C. Amorsolo, for instance,
has also painted such scenes. An oil
on canvas work entitled Antipolo Fiesta
(1947) depicts the festivities in the rural
town of Antipolo, centered on a couple
dancing, surrounded by townsfolk
and visitors all watching intently. The
scene emphasizes the simple, natural
abundance of the locality. Framing
the small, circular gathering in the
foreground are baskets of fruits, the
traditional roasted pig or lechon, and
the lush vegetation of the hilly, forested
place. A parol lantern hangs from a
nearby house while the facade of the
town church symbolically hovers in
the background. This is antedated by
another work of Amorsolo, entitled Moro
Celebration, in 1929, which shows a
similar dancing scene overlooking a
wide, blue bay.
On the other hand, Angonobased National Artist Carlos “Botong”
Francisco would be known not only
for his revival of mural paintings of
important Philippine historical events
but also his vivid representations
of fiestas and the bayanihan spirit.
Francisco’s fluid, linear style, vivid
25
Maytime in Antipolo by Fernando Amorsolo. Oil on
Canvas, 1943
(Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Collection)
Fiesta by Carlos V. Francisco. Oil on Canvas, Undated
(Private Collection)
colors, and penchant of filling up of
the entire pictorial space produced
many of the most iconic images of the
Philippine fiesta.
Painting and fluvial
festivities
A country crisscrossed by rivers
and surrounded by rich seas, the
Philippine’s many fluvial festivals and
riverine pageantry have been also
captured through painting. There are
indeed many river festivals held across
the country, from the Bocaue River
festival in Bulacan to the Penafrancia
festival in Naga and the Sharif
Kabungsuan festival in Cotabato City.
That fluvial celebrations have
appealed to generations of painters,
patrons and the public alike is not
surprising. The symbolism of water
itself is one that can possibly unite a
diverse number of communities from
Luzon to Mindanao, as well as differing
Angono Fishermen
Festival by Jose V. Blanco.
Oil on Canvas, 1984
(Blanco Family Museum
Collection))
26
religions. The vitality and purity denoted
by water is associated with the divine
by both Muslims and Christians, seen
in the ritual ablutions, aspersions, and
washings practiced by believers from
both faiths.
Another contemporary of
Amorsolo, painter and writer Dominador
Castaneda, created the work entitled
Fluvial Procession (1956, oil on canvas)
which is documented in both the
Cultural Center of the Philippines’
Encyclopedia of Philippine Art and A
Portfolio of 60 Philippine Masterpieces
(1986). The painting depicts a boat filled
to the brim with revelers, crossing a river
flanked by banderitas and bamboo;
houses and a church facade lie on the
other side of the river.
The regional and folk realism of
Francisco and successive generations
of artists based in the lakeshore town of
Angono, Rizal would also be conveyed
in their representations of fluvial festivals.
Jose V. Blanco, for instance, would
for decades capture the town’s yearly
festivals and the San Clemente Parish
Church in works such as the Fluvial
Procession of Angono (1984, oil on
canvas).
Perhaps most memorable of
these is Blanco’s massive painting of
the town fiesta, on display at the family
museum. The painting shows fluvial
rafts move through an entire sea of
locals, numbering almost a hundred.
The emphasis here is not on the patron
saint nor in the rural landscape, but
on the entire congregation of people
themselves. Detailed portrayals of
Blanco’s town mates show how
individuals all comprise a family and
community when positioned all together;
the mass of portraits continues to
astound in their loving, familiar realism.
It is the sense of communal connection
that also draws one towards such
rituals.
From social festivity to
personal and political
milestones
The representation of celebrations
and their associated places, objects and
values continues to be a popular subject
in Philippine art. Manuel Baldemor’s
representation of the scenic festivities
in the Laguna woodcarving town of
Paete won the Grand Prize in the 1973
Art Association of the Philippines’
competition for the Painting category.
Baldemor would also produce a work
featuring the San Isidro Labrador fiesta
in the nearby province of Quezon.
Other artists such as Tam Austria and
Nemiranda would also represent the
fiesta celebration and the bayanihan
in their colorful works, further making
this subject matter a more familiar and
popular one to the public.
Particular objects most often
associated with the celebratory fiesta
would still focus on the religious roots
of this public ritual. One of Fernando
Zobel’s earlier works, Carroza (1953,
polymer on wood) is a luminous
representation of the festival carriage
or float, where the icon is adorned with
votive lights. National Artist Hernando
Ocampo, on the other hand, represents
the fiesta through a stylized composition
featuring the parol lantern in a 1957 work.
Yet the portrayal of celebrations
can also range from the social to the
solitary, from the level of the community
to the personal, from the imitative to the
ironic. Sculptor Julie Lluch’s terracotta
portrait, entitled Birthday Psalm (1997),
for instance, captures the solitary,
domestic festivity of one’s natal day by
including two symbols: an apron and a
cake, quietly and somberly marking a
milestone in the subject’s life.
Similarly, an undated oil on
masonite work by Juan Arellano, entitled
Fiesta, depicts the celebrations from
another angle, where the light-filled,
gaily scene of celebration is juxtaposed
against a dim, bleak foreground. In
the darkness, two children turn their
backs to the whole scene, seemingly
isolated and detached from the scene
of the merry-making. One can feel a
sense of apprehension and anxiety in
this contrast of opposites: fear at what
lies ahead for the vulnerable and the
Salubong by Sanggawa. Oil on Canvas, 1994
(Image courtesy of Elmer Borlongan)
dispossessed who have been left out of
the celebration and the spotlight.
This unsettling scene in Arellano’s
work is a reminder of the persisting
realities of withdrawal, hypocrisy and
inequity that persist up to the present
day—issues and concerns that artists
such as the Social Realists of the
1970s and 1980s have portrayed
through their works. Here, the fiesta
and its celebration is rarely portrayed
as a happy encounter, but is also
represented as a constructed spectacle.
This is seen in the work Salubong
(1994, oil on canvas) by the Sanggawa
muralists collective: a parody of
pageantry ensues as the religious icon
of the Virgin Mary is devoutly paraded
in front of the swimsuit-clad beauty
pageant winner. Both are Madonnas
enthroned, elevated and worshipped,
pointing to the contradiction and irony
between the religious and secular
spheres of life. These also reflect critical
analysis of the fiesta pageantry as a
tool for capturing the hearts and minds
of the populace, whether in colonial or
post-colonial eras.
The history of the Philippines in the
past century is an interesting history of
change, dissent and celebration. The
festivity and memorialization that follows
every successful revolt or historic event
is also immortalized in photographs,
public monumental sculptures, murals,
stamp series and other forms of art.
The challenge is to know where
to head to after the gaiety has died
down. The public’s experience with
the EDSA I and II, for instance, point
out to the need to go beyond festivity
after these transient moments of
triumph. This is reflected in Pablo
Baens Santos’ post-EDSA I painting
entitled ‘Congratulations to the Liberal
Democrats’ (1986), which portrays the
usual trappings of nation—the flag, the
hand sign, and the cheering mob—yet
also implies an ironic emptiness behind
the words ‘panalo tayo’. Looking back
at the work in 2013, it seems that this
vision of victory is not yet complete,
that there is a need to continue with the
unfolding fight for freedom and social
justice that began with the nascent
stirrings of the century past.
Lisa Ito teaches art history and theory at
the University of the Philippines College
of Fine Arts (UP CFA). She co-authored
Without Walls: A Tour of Philippine
Paintings at the Turn of the Millennium
(2010). She holds a degree in Fine Arts
(Art History) from the UP CFA and is taking
up her master’s degree in art studies.
27
FEATURES
of Fueling Journeys
Petron Corporation celebrates eight decades
of fueling millions of lives.
28
“Put a tiger in your tank!”
You might recognize this slogan if
you were a motorist in the ‘60s. Back
then, Petron went by the name of Esso
Philippines and Esso Extra was one of
our known gasoline products.
Decades before putting “a tiger in
your tank,” we have long fueled your
journeys on the road. It all started on
September 7, 1933 when American oil
firms Socony Vacuum Oil Company
and Standard Oil Company merged to
form Standard Vacuum Oil Company
or Stanvac. Offering kerosene
(Petroleo Marca Gallo or Cock
Kerosene), lubricants (Gargoyle Oil),
and automotive fuels, Stanvac vowed
to develop the local petroleum industry
and make the customer the center
of its operations. It leveraged on its
predecessors’ combined assets (retail
and distribution networks), as well as
technical and marketing experiences.
Fuel has been our trade since day
one. With the consumers’ changing
demands, we knew that a refinery
would make us flexible and put our
company at the forefront of fuels
technology. We began construction
of what would later be known as the
Petron Bataan Refinery (PBR) at the
dawn of the ‘60s.
From being a multinational, we
became a government-controlled
company in 1973, a partner of
Saudi Aramco during the onset of
deregulation in 1994, and now a
fully-privatized, Filipino owned and
operated company under the aegis of
San Miguel Corporation, one of the
region’s largest and most diversified
conglomerates.
Throughout these decades of
significant socio-economic changes
in Philippine history, Petron has
dutifully ensured a reliable supply of
petroleum products for the country’s
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lives of Filipino’s everywhere.
Evolving for the Filipino
Petron today is the country’s largest oil
refining and marketing company—an
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crude oil refinery and petrochemicals
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Our locally-made products are
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Petron takes pride in being a
pioneer in the local oil industry. In
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with only 0.5% to 0.7% sulfur
content, lower than the government
standard of 1%. We launched the
country’s first-ever low-lead and
unleaded gasoline in 1994, a year
after signing the Health Air Pact
with the government. We then
introduced two of our most beloved
fuels today: Petron XCS Gasoline,
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reduced smoke emissions in 1998.
Even before the Clean Air Act
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Tested and trusted, our branded
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They have become household names
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Keeping the needs of our customers
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In 2010, we introduced Petron
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unleashed Petron Blaze 100, a first-ofits-kind premium gasoline with a 100
octane number to ensure unparalleled
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This year, we rolled out Petron
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away and prevents harmful engine
deposits. A few months later, we made
a new industry milestone by evolving
Petron Blaze 100 into Petron Blaze
100 Euro 4, the first premium plus
gasoline in the country that meets
more stringent fuel specifications set
by the European Union.
Petron Blaze 100 Euro 4,
released two-and-a-half years
ahead of government mandate, has
29
Lakbay Alalay 2013
significantly low amounts of sulfur
(0.005% or 50 parts per million) and
benzene (maximum of 1% by volume).
Currently, the Philippine standard
for automotive gasoline allows up to
0.05% sulfur or 500 parts per million
and up to 2% benzene. Petron Blaze
100 Euro 4 is notably environmentfriendlier and cleaner than any
gasoline in the market today.
30
Companion on the Road
We envision every Petron service
station as a motorist’s nirvana. We
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Our quality services complement
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Never one to shy away from
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customer satisfaction in every swipe.
In 2004, we introduced the
Petron Fleet Card, the first microchipbased fleet card in the country. The
Petron Fleet Card enables our fleet
customers to better manage their
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transactions anytime, anywhere. Four
years later, we introduced another
innovation in card technology—the
Petron e-Fuel Card, a prepaid card
that can be used to purchase Petron
fuel products, services, and other
merchandise.
Last year, we launched the
Petron Value Card (PVC), which
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of Petron products. These points
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Petron fuels. In addition to motoring
incentives such as free towing and
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partner merchants.
Tree planting at the Bataan Refinery
Geared for the Future
Over the years, our commitment to
care for the environment has grown,
bolstered by our belief that it is
essential in our business’ long-term
sustainability, and especially our
children’s future. Our commitment to
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We embarked on our massive
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pioneered the micro-filling or bulilit
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products and services closer, our
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doors for more enterprising Filipinos
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and economic activities in their
respective areas.
Our $2-billion Refinery Expansion
Program (RMP-2) will be completed in
the first half of 2014. This significant
project will increase our production of
valuable products such as gasoline,
diesel, and petrochemicals, helping
ensure the long-term supply security
of the country. More importantly, RMP-
2 will enable Petron to locally-produce
more technologically-advanced fuels
that meet with Euro 4 fuel standard.
As we celebrate our 80th
anniversary, we mark the first year
since we established Petron Malaysia,
our first international foray. Petron
Malaysia was founded in 2012 after
we successfully acquired three Exxon
Mobil downstream companies—
another first for our company.
Petron’s triumphs these past
eight decades have shaped Petron
into what it is today, the number
one oil and marketing company in
the Philippines. From our humble
beginnings as Stanvac to where we
are now, we have made Petron a
company that is built to last.
We will sustain our success by
staying dedicated and passionate
about our vision to be the leading
provider of total customer solutions
in the energy sector and its derivative
businesses. Our consumers can
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reach to them and evolving our
products and services for their
enjoyment. Our commitment to nationbuilding, particularly to the Filipino, will
never falter.
Hereon, looking forward to the
decades ahead, we are excited to
fuel your lives as you have fueled our
journey.
31
People
Unedited, Uncensored
An Interview with Romy Vitug
Interview by Jay Bautista
S
tarting out as a photographer for The
Manila Chronicle in the late 50s, Romy
Vitug would eventually venture into
film upon much prodding from his artist and
photographer friends. With more than 50
feature films to his credit, he is arguably one
of the country’s foremost cinematographers.
He has won every major award in his field
including the first FAMAS Hall of Fame and
the Parangal Patnubay sa Kalinangan for
Cinematography by the City of Manila.
Not only does Vitug belong to a different
period, he is of a different time. However at
76, his memory is as sharp as ever. His father
Honesto Vitug wanted him to be a lawyer and
work in the Foreign Service. But the focus of
his lens and clicks on the camera were too
unbearable to ignore to the curious Vitug.
Always smiling and approachable, like an
unedited reel, he was unstoppable in sharing
his memories during the interview: how he
passed up Himala, how indie movies can be
our last best hope for a flagging film industry.
Ever optimistic and light-spirited, he would
chuckle at his every comment.
Similar to his low-key, dramatic lighting
style that he was known for, Vitug confesses
that he is not comfortable with being in the
spotlight as much as he enjoys behind-thescenes.
Having been a judge in our photography
category since its inception nine years ago in
2004, it was Vitug’s dream for Vision Petron
to have a video-making category. Informed of
this, Petron didn’t waste time in adding the
new video-making category which he chairs.
He shares you his thoughts.
Q
: Can you tell us briefly
about your family?
Portrait by Wig Tysmans
32
A: My late father is Honesto Vitug (19081993) who was considered the Father of
Philippine Photojournalism He photographed
14 presidents starting with General Aguinaldo
to late President Corazon Aquino. He was
short-listed for the National Artist Award
last time. But sad to say, maybe for lack
of budget, painters were always preferred.
Walang laban ang photography. Bakit ganun?
We were five children and I was the
fourth. We are from Lubao, Pampanga.
My father was the classmate of Diosdado
Macapagal. Kababata pa niya.
Poster from video48.blogspot.com
At the start, my father did not want me
to be a photographer. Nag-drop out na ko
sa pre-law in MLQU. He was even insistent
to say “ituloy mo na pag-aaral mo.” Pero
nagustuhan ko na photography. As the son
of the chief photographer of The Chronicle
of the Lopez family, I was accepted as a
stringer. But my father wanted me to take up
law, eventually be in foreign service.
Q
: When did you want to be a
photographer?
A: Masyadong mababa ang tingin sa
photography noon. Gusto ko iangat,
however for three years I was not even an
apprentice in the Chronicle. I would cry to
senior photographer Rosendo Cruz about
this. Was it lack of talent or was it delicadeza
since my father was the chief photographer?
Cruz advised me, “the Chronicle will get you
because of you, not because of your father.”
Looking back now, I guess my father
wanted me to be independent from him. He
did not want to influence anyone just to get
me in. He even said, “iinumin mo muna ang
Ilog Pasig bago ko raw siya maabot.” As a
photographer, natuto ako hindi umasa sa
tatay ko.
Since I know the laboratory guy of the
Chronicle, he would give me extra rolls of film.
Using my old Nikon rangefinder, I would go to
Intramuros and shoot, to practice exposure.
Madilim, maliwanag. My father advised me
not to use light meter. “Use your eyes!” he
said. Pag-uwi ko pa sa bahay, dala exposure
meter, kukunan ko pa ang pamangkin katabi
ang kandila para mag-practice ng exposure.
Tinatandaan ko lahat.
Madalas ako maglakad sa reclaimed
area where the Cultural Center of the
Philippines is now. Kinukunan ko yung pagreclaim -- yung pagsipsip ng lupa. Minsan
may nalunod na bata. Takbo ako dun. Di
makita ng scuba diver yung bata. Tapos
nung nakita, pag angat, parang eksena na
pieta. Against the 3 o’clock sun, nakunan
ko ng sillouette. Click, click, click. I took
series of shots hanggang sa inakyat sa
breakwater. Dinala sa Philippine Navy para
ma-resuscitate. Pero wala na. Then may pari
dumating, binendisyunan.
Yung police detective, dala-dala yung
tsinelas at damit, pupuntahan yung magulang
para ipaalam na namatay. Sumama ako.
Gusto ko makita yung reaksyon ng nanay.
Nasa likod ako ng detective. Kumatok.
Ipinaalam na “nalunod po yung anak nyo.”
Pagkakuha ko nang reaksyon ng nanay.
Umalis na ko. Dinevelop ko sa Chronicle
then na-feature the next day entitled Sea
Tragedy front page yung parang Pieta na
photo. That’s the time the Chairman of the
Lopez group, Oscar Lopez asked me, “would
you want to join The Chronicle?” Napatalon
ako! Kasi noong araw ginagalang ang mga
photojournalist. Nagtagal rin ako mga five
years. Then sa Manila Times 2 years.
Q
: What were the highlights of
your being a photographer?
A: Actually hindi pa ko photographer for
Chronicle when Magsaysay died in 1957.
My father took closed up shots of the
gripping hands of his family. During the
funeral, he advised me to focus on the
crowds. Thus when I arrived at the Chronicle
and there was still no front page, they asked
for my photos. They ended up in the front
page the next day. So I felt proud because
father and son were front pagers.
There’s also a classic photo of Marcos
when he ran for president in 1965. It was
in Carcar, Cebu when I took his photo with
a victory sign on stage with the crowd
as his background. The photo eventually
became a main image of his campaign
poster. He credits that photo to be his good
luck charm. I shot him again in ’69 when
he ran against Eugenio Lopez. This time it
was in Dinalupihan, Bataan. Marcos won
again. Since then President Marcos will call
me just to photograph him and his family.
In fact during the EDSA Revolution, I was
in Malacanang and took final photos of
the Marcoses in the Philippines which was
featured in the Philippine Daily Inquirer.
Another milestone is courtesy of
National Artist BenCab. I was the first Filipino
photographer to formally exhibit in an art
gallery in the Philippines. That was in his
Indigo Gallery in 1976. I showed about 3040 photos mostly landscape on the Manila
Bay’s ongoing reclamation near CCP. In fact
BenCab was with me when I took most of the
shots. Alfredo Roces who had a column then
even reviewed the exhibition.
My artistic inclination was further honed
when I befriended artists like Mauro Malang
Santos, Vicente Manansala and the rest
of the Saturday Group. I would take their
portraits while they were painting or having a
discussion at their favorite restaurant in front
of the US Embassy.
Q
: What made you shift from
photography to film?
A: My concern was, yes I’m a photographer
but what if there is no news? Kung walang
bakbakan, barilan, patayan, what will I do?
The thought made me shift from film to
cinema.
In 1974, a UP professor named Virgie
Moreno was part-owner of a bar named
Los Indios Bravos in Remedios, Mabini.
A frequent hang-out of artists and writers
including Nick Joaquin, she commented
“Romy, you move to movies na, hindi na
journalism yan. Pag di mo na gusto aayusin
mo. Inaayos mo na. That’s editing.” The truth
is, I really love moving pictures.
Then I applied in Channel 5, owned by the
Roceses, they said I still have to train in handling
yun nga lang the video camera is 16 mm, I
would start from the bottom rank. I didn’t mind.
“In Alamat ni Julian
Makabayan, there was
a scene where the rice
fields were burning and
Julian was on a horse and
was being chased by the
constabulary. As the smoke
from the flames was eating
up the flames, the farmers
who by this time WERE
surrounding Julian were
like floating on clouds.
It was nearing dusk, the
shadows were prefect. It
was like in a dream.
Romy Vitug on his most
memorable scene.
Photo with Director Celso Ad Castillo
(courtesy of Prof. Ernesto Enrique)
33
Vitug’s early photographs
For Channel 5, my first assignment
was to shoot an apartment na nasusunog sa
may Buendia avenue. Isang bumbero lang
sinundan ko. Yung eksena, involves mga
manok natataranta, then pan ako sa may
matanda sa bubong, babalik na naman ako
sa bumbero. Hanggang sa namatay yung
bumbero. Hanggang sa dumating pamilya
niya. Nung pinanood sa Channel 5 pati may
ari commented masterpiece daw. Regular
na ko the next day. However after one year
umalis na ko. Biruin mo nag-aral ka na ng
camera may sweldo ka pa?
I met Lino sa mga stage plays of PETA.
I was publicity photographer on the side and
he got me to do stills for Tinimbang Ka Ngunit
Kulang in 1974.
Kasabay ng Tinimbang Ka Ngunit
Kulang yung Pinakamagandang Hayop sa
Balat ng Lupa ni Celso Ad Castillo. Sabi ni
Direk Lino “Panoorin mo yan, may mata yan.”
Pinanood ko, na-impress ako. Then Lino
Brocka gave me my biggest break with the
movies Tatlo, Dalawa, Isa and Lunes, Martes,
Myerkules, Huwebes, Byernes, Sabado,
Linggo.
Lunes Martes was shot in a bar in
Olongapo. The shooting had to wait because
it took me forever to study the lighting
inside the night club scene. I even kept the
Americans as extras waiting, even Director
Lino was waiting. Lino even remarked to our
publicist Bibsy Carballo: “Romy is obsessed!”
Q
: What’s the difference
between photography
and film?
34
A: Wala naman yan pagkakaiba, exposure
lang. Alam mo nung nasa movies na ko, hindi ko
makuha yung gusto kong lighting sa stage. Iniisip
ko lagi may kulang pa ako. Yung parang available
lights. Sa stage kasi may available lights.
What I like is parang you did not light
the place. May ilaw pero hindi halatang
may ilaw. Parang natural light. That’s the
best. Mahirap kasi yun. Kailangan control
mo. Napakahalaga ng lighting. Kung
cinematographer ka, alam na alam mo dapat
yun. Halimbawa, 7 o’clock sun. Pag sinabi ng
director “I want a 7 o’clock sun.” Madaming
sources of light nun para 7 o’clock sun. Or
what fiesta lighting is (masayang maliwanag)
. Or low key, may ilaw pero madilim. Not
well-lit. Portion lang. Pag naglalakad madilim,
maliwanag sa pupuntahan, pero hindi
malakas yung ilaw..
Ganyan din ako nung nag-start
sa photojournalism. Hindi na muna ako
nagbasa ng mga photography magazine or
how-to-manuals kasi hindi ko maintindihan.
Halimbawa depth. Later on nung alam ko na
gamitin yung camera dun na ko nagkaroon ng
problem, gusto ko sharp lahat e. Nagpunta
na ko sa library. Nauuna lagi yung paggamit
ng cameras, imbes na magbasa. Saka ako
nagkainteres on what is depth.
Q
: Can you tell us the difference
between film and digital?
A: Yung konting kislap sa digital masakit
sa mata, sa film gustong-gusto yun. Yung
mga spark, yung makintab. Comparing to
analogue, ang digital kaya na rin pang quality.
Pero darating ang araw lalampas na rin sa
film. Para sa akin pare-pareho na rin yan.
Q
: What makes a good
cinematographer?
A: Ilaw, framing, composition. Ang
cinematographer kahit gaano kagaling,
kung mahina ang visual range ng director,
tagilid yung cinematographer. Masarap
yung magkakasundo kayo. That’s why I love
working with Celso. Paglipad niya, lumilipad
ako. On the average magkasama kayo ng
three months sa shooting. Kapag six months,
magandang-maganda na yan.
Q
: What do you remember
of directors you have
worked with?
A: Naalala ko kay Lino Brocka mabait siya
at magaling siyang umalalay sa baguhan.
Pwedeng mag-teacher. Nung first day ko
sa kanya, nagulat ako pinababa nya yung
maraming mga ilaw. Sanay kasi ako bilang
photographer isang ilaw lang. Tumakbo ako
sa kanya, “direk bakit ang daming ilaw?” He
said “dyan kita kailangan, lahat ng dadaanang
eksena ng artista, iilawan mo.”
Then I met Celso Ad Castillo when he
was doing Burlesk Queen and I was filming
Mga Bilanggong Birhen. Ako nanalo for
photography, he won for Best Picture. Celso
promised me Pagputi nang Uwak, Pag-itim
ng Tagak (which was sidelined) when he will
resume shooting. Pagputi ng Uwak, Pag-itim
ng Tagak starred Vilma Santos, Bembol Roco
(his second film after Maynila sa Kuko ng
Liwanag) and Christopher de Leon (first time
actor winning Best Actor). It also won for me
my first Famas trophy for photography.
Celso naman napakataas nang visual
range niya. Nagsusulat rin kasi siya. Celso
and I also did Isla and Paradise Inn.
Himala was also offered to me. With
all due respect to Ishmael Bernal, I already
accepted to shoot Haplos for Butch Perez
when they sent me the script for Himala.
Si Director Eddie Garcia naman
nakasama ko sa P.S. I Love You, first movie
ng Viva Films. May mataas na visual range rin
si Direk Eddie. Pati sa kanya nanalo ako for
Saan Nagtatago ang Pag ibig? Iba siya pag
artista, iba siya pag director. Pag take na wala
nang kibuan. Ibang tao na.
Q
: How about Director
Laurice Guillen?
A: Would you believe I met Direk Laurice in
Butuan? Out on an assignment, I scouted
the area for some models and found her.
I featured her and Susan Calo (Medina) in
the Chronicle magazine. She started out
as an actress. Lino got her as one the bar
girls in Lunes, Martes together with June
Keithley and Maya Valdez. A protégé of Lino
Brocka, she would eventually get me for Init
sa Magdamag, Kasal, Kung Mahawi Man
ang Ulap and Salome in 1984 which was
an adopted version of Akiro Kurosawa’s
Rashomon. Written by Ricky Lee, Salome
was so acclaimed it was even shown at the
Toronto Film Festival.
One of the few directors I really respect.
May mata rin on the craft and mataas ang
visual range. Kalmado lang sa set yan. Gusto
nyan pag natataranta o nagmamadali ako
kasi ibig sabihin may magandang eksena
akong naiisip. Sasabihin pa nyan, “Romy,
nandyan na naman tyanak mo.”
Q
: As a cinematographer,
what do you think are your
most important films? Your
artistic contribution to the
industry?
A: First, I am always proud of Alamat ni
Julian Makabayan (directed by Celso Ad
Castillo). Ginagawa pa lang namin, we were
already criticized. Nung matapos we were
criticized again. Martial Law kasi. Kinopya
daw namin from a foreign movie. Kahit
hindi nanalo ng awards, happy ako dun.
Nanghihinayang ako bakit hindi nanalo pero di
ko makakalimutan.
Another is Pagputi nang Uwak, Pag-itim
ng Tagak (directed again by Celso Ad Castillo)
then Haplos (directed by Butch Perez). Proud
din ako sa Atsay. Naalala ko ni-request ako ni
Eddie Garcia as cinematographer.
Q
: What would you still want
in the future?
A: Gusto ko gumawa ng period film, parang
Lincoln. May nagawa ako nung baguhan
pa ako nung 70s, tele-movie kay Armida
Siguion-Reyna, Dong-aw sa mga Ilocano nun
panahon ni Diego at Gabriela Silang. We shot
in Paoay it in 16mm.
Gusto ko rin gumawa ng Rizal or
Aguinaldo. Something I could leave behind as
a legacy. Nung araw dream ko to go abroad.
Pinadala ako ng United States Information
Sevice to observe cinematography
abroad pero wala akong nakasalimuha na
cinematographers. Later nag-decide ako.
Dito na lang ako, a big fish in a small lake
than a small fish in a big lake abroad.
Gusto kong gawin yung halong aksyon
at drama. Dito pag action puro action. Pag
drama puro drama. Walang halo. Dito yung
konsepto mo ng action yung tumatakbo
ang mga bida habang may sumasabog sa
likuran nila. Ang layo na natin sa China, yung
Crouching Tiger was excellent. Kailangan
baguhin at iangat na natin ang pananaw ng
mga manonood.
Q
: How is the current state
of Philippine cinema?
A: Ang maganda sa indies yung nanalo tayo
sa mga festivals abroad. Pero ang question
ko bakit ayaw tanggapin sa mainstream?
Nanalo tayo sa Europe kung saan-saan,
pero sa sinehan bakit hindi tinatangkilik?
Tinatanggap yan sa festivals like Cinemalaya
pero sa mainstream hindi. Parang sa
tingin ba nang tao hindi siya film kaya di
sinusoportahan kasi video ginamit? Mahal
kasi kung i-transfer sa film. Bihira lang yung
nalilipat sa film, an example is yung Ang
Pagdadalaga ni Maximo Oliveros (directed by
Aureus Solito). Kumita yun kaya na-transfer
sa film. Pilipinong-Pilipino yung kwento.
Bakit hindi natin kayang gumawa ng tulad
ng Slumdog Millionaire e yung location nung
opening scene parehas na parehas sa mga
squatter sa mga syudad natin?
Kaya natin. Dito nag aral yung producer
ni Bruce Lee. Dito nag-umpisa bago nagproduce sila. Bakit sila naka-produce ng
Bruce Lee, pati Jackie Chan, international?
Magandang tanong bakit walang mag-gamble?
Q
: What’s your take on
independent films?
A: May matutunan ka rin. The fastest movie
I once did was one month but ideally three
months or matagal six months. Sa indie, you
have to do everything in three days or so.
Q
: In the current crop of
directors, do you see a
young fresh talent?
A: Nung una niyang pelikula pa lang Bayani,
si Raymond Red. Sinabi ko pati sa isang
interview, Raymond Red is the future of
Philippine cinema. Artist and painter din kasi
siya. If one needs to have the artistic skills
to produce a decent movie what more a
great film. I have to thank and appreciate
Virgie Moreno because marami siyang
pinadala abroad to train including Raymond.
His latest, Kamera Obscura is awesome,
parang European. Actually dapat proud tayo
na may Pilipinong kayang ganyan. Silent
film yun and it is his tribute to our cinema
heritage. Marunong lumingon sa nakalipas si
Raymond, kaya alam niya pupuntahan niya.
Q
: It has been nine years
since you have been judge
in Vision Petron. Your dream to
have a video-making category
has become a reality. What do
you expect from the students?
Or what would you want to see?
A: Ganoon na ba katagal? It was a very
historical period because nagsalubong
yung film and digital. Parang dumami ang
mga photographers ngayon. Ang daming
magagaling! Pero baka tawagin nila akong
makaluma pero sana dumaan muna sila sa
film. Kasi hindi nila na-experience yung hirap
e. Kaya kokonti yung photographer noon
before digital, kasi mahirap yung exposure,
under exposed or over exposed ka. With
digital, bahala ka na point and shoot. Pag
nalagay sa auto, ok na. Pag sira, erase. Pag
film yan kakalat yan.
Natupad din. Meron palang company like
Petron Corporation that is willing to sponsor
and spend time on this. Lalo na bagsak
ang movie industry ngayon. Noong araw
250-500 films a year. Now, sad to say, kapag
film festival lang nabubuhay ang industrya.
Imagine as a cinematographer, mabubuhay
ko ba ang pamilya ko with that? Kung
marami tayong na-discover sa photography
sana maka-discover ng batang magaling sa
bagong video-making category natin.
Vitug with fellow judges in 2012 photography judging.
35
VISION PETRON WINNERS
Grand Prize Winners
Painting- Oil/Acrylic
Noel M. Elicana
Perspective
Western Visayas College of Science and Technology
121.92 cm x 121.92 cm
36
Edu P. Perreras
Success Comes From In a CAN not a Can’t
Museo ng Angeles
121.92 cm x 91.44 cm
c
o
n
g
r
Bernardo S. Cabugnason
Pasalamat
Tarlac State University
91.44 cm x 121.92 cm
a
t
s
37
Grand Prize Winners
Painting- water-based media
Arnold D. Lalongisip
Susi ng Tagumpay
PUP Lakandayang Cultural Association
50.8 cm x 76.2 cm
38
Don Bryan Michael R. Bunag
Walang Hanggang Karangalan
Bulacan State University
76.2 cm x 101.6 cm
Chrisanto N. Aquino
Sa Pagdating ng Isang Anghel
Tarlac State University
111.76 cm x 99.06 cm
39
Grand Prize Winners
Photography
Janica A. Arceta
Kalayaan
Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute
of Science and Technology
Reu Dawner A. Flores
Journey to Love and Happiness
Adventist University of the Philippines
40
Ezra L. Acayan
Gawgaw
Far Eastern University - Manila
Bryan R. Morit
Big Joy of A Little Boy
John B. Lacson Foundation Maritime University-Arevalo
Ma. Yohana R. Frias
Lakbay Kaalaman at Karangalan
University of the Philippines - Manila
Sheila Mae B. De Vera
For the Win
Polythechnic University of the Philippines - Sta. Mesa
41
Grand Prize Winners
T-SHIRT ART DESIGN
Mardale C. Chu
Juan’s Ride to Ambition
University of Santo Tomas
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Deo Carlos D. Amarante
Katas ng Tagumpay
Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of
Science and Technology
Jirah B. Pastrana
Lakbay Tungo sa Tagumpay
Bulacan State University
43
Grand Prize Winners
video-making
Efigenio Christopher D. Toledo IV and
Balaram Das D. Ochangco
Pitik Mulat Sa Maynila
University of Santo Tomas
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Julius Mikko D. Bayani, Mark Jay D. Felipe and Jerome S. Martinez
Lakbay Tagumpay
St. Louis University Baguio
Roman Marcus M. Abad
Diwang
Meridian International College
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Runners-Up
Painting- Oil/Acrylic
Dave B. Cruz
May Mataas na Pangarap
Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology - Manila
121.92 cm x 91.44 cm
Marvin E. Quizon
Ngayong Araw Ikaw ay Dumating
Bulacan State University - Malolos
91.44 cm x 121.92 cm
Weriel B. Mallari
Una’t Huling Pag-ibig
Tarlac State University
91.44 cm x 121.92 cm
46
Arman Jay S. Arago
Tagumpay na Pagsilang
University of Rizal System, Morong Rizal
91.44 cm x 121.92 cm
Runners-Up
Painting- water-based media
Gieward J. Hulagno
Hanggang Papaghiwalayin Tayo ng Kamatayan
Western Mindanao State University
57 cm x 76 cm
Mark Lester E. Espina
Inspirasyon sa Tagumpay
Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology
91.44 cm x 121.29 cm
Mark Kelvin M. Benitez
A Carabao’s Bacon
Polytechnic University of the Philippines - Manila
76.2 cm x 101.6 cm
47
Jophel B. Ybiosa
Ang Inspirasyon
Federation of Philippine Photographers Foundation
Runners-Up
photography
48
Ezra L. Acayan
Basaan
Far Eastern University - Manila
Melcharo J. Tumbiga
Champion Ako
Ramon Magsaysay Evening Vocational School
Anthony Francis A. Villalon
Kuntentong Biyaya
Asian College
Reu Dawner A. Flores
Hakbang
Adventist University of the Philippines
Gilbert John Gomez
A Step To Success
Bulacan State University
49
Semi-Finalists
Painting- Oil/Acrylic
Garryln Eve G. Caragdag
Kadang-Kadang
Techological University of the Philippines - Manila
76.2 cm x 76.2 cm
50
Crisanto G. Sator
Connection
Tarlac State University
91.44 cm x 121.92 cm
Michael B. Pamonag
Lakbay Ng Buhay Tungo Sa Tagumpay
Western Visayas College of Science and Technology
99 cm x 99 cm
Roland F. Llanera
Light Of Peace
Western Visayas College of Science and Technology
121.92 cm x 121.92 cm
Arnold D. Lalongisip
Ani Ng Lahi
PUP - Lakandayang Cultural Association
91.44 cm x 121.92 cm
Fernando E. Antimano
The Fruit Of Sacrifice
University of the East - Caloocan
121.92 cm x 91.44 cm
Ciron Dane L. Señeres
Tuloy-Tuloy Na Paglalakbay,Sa Pagkamit Ng Tagumpay
Techmological University of the Philippines - Manila
91.44 cm x 121.92 cm
Alvin D. Florentino
Abot Kamay
Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of Science and Technology
91.44 cm x 121.92 cm
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Semi-Finalists
Necel Pineda
Obra Ni Idol
Tarlac State University
91.44 cm x 60.96 cm
water-based Media
Benito D. Bartolome
Joyride
University of Saint Louis
50.8 cm x 76.2 cm
Edward Paul M. Aquino
The Long Wait
University of Rizal System - Morong
73.66 cm x 45.72 cm
Arman Jay S. Arago
Ulan Sa Aking Tagumpay
University of Rizal System - Morong
55.88 cm x 73.66 cm
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John Mark. L. Saycon
The Game of Success
PUP Lakandayang Cultural Association
76.2 cm x 101.6 cm
Noel M. Elicana
The Finish Line
Western Visayas College of Science and Technology
76.2 cm x 101.6 cm
Crisanto G. Sator
Halfway To Success
Tarlac State University
88.9 cm x 111.76 cm
Marco Roldhan M. Bañares
Blessing
Pintura Art Workshop
121.92 cm x 91.44 cm
Alfredo G. Baluyot
Pag-Asa Ng Bayan
Tarlac State University
109.22 cm x 78.74 cm
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Arvil Joshua Z. Camacho
Ang Pagpapagaspas: Pagkilala ng mundo
sa lahi ng Kampeon
Saint Louis University
Semi-Finalists
T-Shirt Art design
Ralph Christopher G. Gutierrez
Pagsisikap
Asian College - Quezon City
Arian B. Abolucion
Saludo Ako sa Manggagawang Pinoy
Western Visayas College of Science and Technology
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54
John Verlyn C. Santos
Tagumpay Ko, Tagumpay Mo, Tagumpay Nating Lahat
Bulacan State University
Raymark O. Jinon
Dakila
Western Visayas College of Science and Technology
Joshua T. Ternora
Level Completed
University of Northern Philippines
Christian Billy E. Bagtas
Bayan Ko
Eulogio “Amang” Rodriguez Institute of
Science and Technology
Sharmaine C. Polinio
The Game of Success
Technological Institute of the Philippines
Don Bryan Michael R. Bunag
Voyage of Dreams
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Bulacan State University
Vision Petron Board of Judges
Seated: National Artist Napoleon Abueva, Mary Ann Neri, National Artist Abdulmari Imao (Chairman)
Standing: Elmer Borlongan, Danilo Dalena, Raul Isidro, Alfred Esquillo Jr.
Painting Judges
Photography Judges
NAPOLEON ABUEVA
Considered the “Father of Modern Sculpture,” Mang Billy continues
to be active as a proponent and advocate of Filipino Art. Considered
the “Father of Modern Sculpture,” he was conferred National Artist for
Visual Arts in 1976 at the age of 46, the youngest to be accorded the
title. Mang Billy has been with us since our inception and chaired this
category in the initial decade.
GEORGE TAPAN
George is one of the country’s top travel photographers. Last year he
came out with the coffeetable book Palawan Islands. He won the in
the Places category of the National Geographic 2012 Photo Contest
and the PATA Gold Award for Best Travel Photo.
ABDULMARI ASIA IMAO
Imao is a native of Sulu, is a sculptor, painter, photographer, ceramist,
documentary film maker, cultural researcher, writer, and articulator of
Philippine Muslim art and culture. He was conferred National Artist
for Visual Arts in 2006. This is his third year as judge and first time as
chairman.
DANILO DALENA
Born in Pakil, Laguna Danny started out as an illustrator for the Free
Press and Asia Philippines. A fine arts graduate of UST, he was part
of the first CCP 13 Artist Awards in 1972 and won the first Mobil Art
Awards. This is his third straight year as judge.
ELMER BORLONGAN
A fine arts graduate of the University of Philippines, Elmer was a
member of the progressive art groups Saling Pusa and Sanggawa. A
recipient of the prestigious CCP 13 Artists Award in 1994, He had a
two-man exhibition in Tokyo with his wife which opened last week.
ALFRED ESQUILLO JR.
A fine arts graduate of UST, Alfred won almost all major local art
contests including the grandprize in the Philip Morris Asean Art
Awards. A recipient of the CCP 13 Artists Award in 2000, he was
chosen to be part of an exhibition of Southeast Asian artists in Turin,
Italy this November.
RAUL ISIDRO
He has been our judge in the Painting category since 2005 and
chair of this year’s T-shirt design category and chaired last year’s
Printmaking category.
56
Top: Edwin Tuyay, Ernesto Enrique, Wig Tysmans (Chairman), George Tapan
Lower: Denise Weldon, Mary Ann Neri, Sonny Yabao
WIG TYSMANS
Wig is one of the country’s top portraitists and commercial
photographers whose career spans to more than 40 years. An
architecture graduate of St. Louis University, among his recent
coffeetable books are The Future Begins Here: The DLSU Centennial
Book and Malacañang: The Official Illustrated History (Aquino
Edition). He has been our chairman since the photography category’s
inception in 2004.
EDWIN TUYAY
Edwin’s photojournalism career began with the Manila Chronicle
which permitted him to cover Office of the President, Defense, and
Senate beats. Today, Edwin travels all over Asia to shoot presidents,
prime ministers, celebrities and taipans. He shoots for Bloomberg
and is an advocate of street photography.
SONNY YABAO
Sonny is a photojournalist whose first images of Asia appeared in
Orientations magazine and the broadsheet The Asian (Hong Kong).
In 1985 he was named Photojournalist of the Year by the Press
Photographers of the Philippines and National Press Club. Among his
book projects are The Philippines A Manifold Land, Spirit of the Place,
and Memory of Dances. A retrospective of his work is being prepared
this year.
ERNESTO ENRIQUE
He started his professional career in photography as a ‘stringer’
for the Philippine News Agency in the 70s. Currently, he is a senior
lecturer at the College of Fine Arts in UP, where he also studied
architecture. He also conducts photography workshops for the
college as well as for private and government agencies.
DENISE WELDON
Denise Weldon graduated from the Wheaton College in Boston
where she is the first recipient of the Miriam F. Carpenter Prize in
photography to be honored for two conservative years. She is a
much sought after portraitist.
From Left to Right: Justin Nuyda, BG Hernandez, Raul Isidro (Chairman),
Ramon Cruz, Jay Aldeguer
Standing: Howie Severino, Romy Vitug (Chairman), Raymond Red
Seated: Laurice Guillen and Mary Ann Neri
T-shirt art Judges
VIDEO-mAKING Judges
BG HERNANDEZ
He is the Creative Director and Vice-President of Studio 5 Designs,
Inc., a pioneering graphic design company specializing in corporate
communications. He is also a multi-awarded book designer with 30
titles to his name, he designed the new Philippine bank notes for the
Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas, and he is currently a brand consultant
for a city.
LAURICE GUILLEN
A protégé of Lino Brocka, Laurice began her first major work as a
director with Init sa Magdamag. Her other films include Salome,
Ipagpatawad Mo and Dahil Mahal Kita: The Dolzura Cortez Story.
In 2006 she was awarded the Gawad Tanglaw ng Lahi by Ateneo
de Manila University for services to the Arts. Director Guillen headed
the organizing committee in the past three Cinemalaya Philippine
Independent Film Festival. Director Guillen in currently doing a drama
series for a major television network.
RAUL ISIDRO
Raul is a well-respected abstract painter specializing in lithography
and printmaking. He has held important positions such as
president of the Printmakers Association of the Philippines (PAP),
Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) and as dean of Philippine
Women’s University College of Fine Arts. He will have a show at the
Ayala Museum this December. This is his second year to chair the
T-shirt Art Design Category.
JAY ALDEGUER
He is the President and CEO of the Islands Group based in Cebu.
At 27 he youngest to be awarded the Ten Outstanding Young Men
(TOYM), Islands Souvenirs has brought him to the Retailer of the Year
Hall of Fame. He just launched the Islands Stay Hotels this year.
JUSTIN NUYDA
Born in Albay, he graduated with a BFA from the University of Santo
Tomas, Manila in 1966. He has staged several solo exhibits and
participated in numerous group shows in a career that has spanned
more than four decades. A Cultural Center of the Philippines Thirteen
Artists Awardee in 1972, Tiny just had a solo exhibition last August at
the Galerie Joaquin.
RAMON M. CRUZ
Monching is the Head for the Brand Marketing Group of Petron. He
has 25 years of marketing experience, 17 years of which is with San
Miguel Corporation. He is one of the prime movers of Vision Petron
for more than three years now and hands on with the execution of
Petron’s brand image in its corporate collaterals.
ROMY VITUG
Romy started as a photographer for The Chronicle. As one of the
country’s foremost cinematographers with more than 50 feature films
to his credit, he has won every major award in his field including the
first FAMAS Hall of Fame and the Parangal Patnubay sa Kalinangan
for Cinematography. He chairs our first video-making category.
RAYMOND RED
Raymond is one of the pioneers of modern Filipino independent
and alternative cinema. Having a background in Fine Arts and
photography, Red immediately gained recognition by winning awards
and citations, both locally and at the international film festivals scene,
including the prestigious Palme d’Or award at the 2000 Cannes
Film Festival for his short film Anino. A retrospective of his films were
recently shown at the Guam International Film Festival.
HORACIO SEVERINO
Since 1988 Howie has been a full-time journalist and leading
documentary filmmaker. He is one of our country’s most awarded
member of media. In 2009 with his appointment as GMA Network’s
Vice President for Multimedia Journalism and his subsequent
assignment as Editor-in Chief of GMA News Online.
MARY ANN M. NERI
Ana is the Assistant Vice President for Marketing of Petron
Corporation. Under her guidance Petron’s youth program for arts and
culture has progressed to Vision Petron. Ana brings with her more
than 20 years of experience in advertising and brand management
in J. Walter Thompson and has spent six years in San Miguel
performing various Marketing roles. Again, she served as judge in
three categories this year.
57