Daybreak at Santa Ana showcases Romulo Galicano at
the prime of his artistic prowess. Depicting the façade
and bell tower of the Santa Ana Church, the work
was painted on the spot in the vicinity of the structure
along New Panaderos Street in Santa Ana, Manila.
It was 7 a.m., and only a few vehicles were passing
by in front of the historic church. Thus, Galicano had
the opportunity to produce an arresting piece in a
swift stroke of his brush, displaying the grandeur of
a structure that has endured the vicissitudes of our
tumultuous history.
The Santa Ana Church was designated by the
National Historical Commission of the Philippines
(then the Philippine Historical Research and Markers
Committee as a Historic Building in 1936. The church
was given a historical marker for being the site of the
first established Franciscan mission outside Hispanic
Manila. The church's location is significant in Philippine
history since the pre-colonial Kingdom of Namayan,
one of the principal polities along the Pasig River,
grew around its locality.