Provenance: Acquired directly from the artist by the present owner

ABOUT THE WORK

Carlos ‘Botong’ Francisco has been dubbed the ‘Poet of Angono”, but he was more properly, the artist who re-imagined an entire nation. For Botong, the Filipino was noble, heroic and larger than life — yet he adored also the “beauty of the microcosm”, the infinitesimal details of Philippine life that made it uniquely Filipino. He was named National Artist for the Visual Arts in 1973. Two things were well-known about Botong among Manila’s art cognoscenti : His friendship with Alejandro “Anding” Roces and that Botong would also design bas-reliefs. Botong’s wife came from the Laguna town of Paete — then as now, known for its wood-carving. Roces family lore has it that Botong himself would, if not actually wield the carver’s tools, would spend hours supervising the work closely. Anding Roces, after all, was one of Botong’s closest friends. Alejandro Roces was a well-known writer and playwright. His citation by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts (NCAA) states: “Ever the champion of Filipino cultures, Roces brought to public attention the aesthetics of the country’s fiestas. He was instrumental in popularizing several local fiestas, notably, Moriones and Ati-atihan. He personally led the campaign to change the country’s Independence Day from July 4 to June 12, and caused the change of language from English to Filipino in the country’s stamps, currency and passports, and recovered Jose Rizal’s manuscripts when they were stolen from the National Archives. The themes Botong selected reflect Roces’ own fascination with all things Philippine. Roces was named Secretary of Education from 1961 to 1969 and National Artist for Literature in 2003. The doors represent various aspects of Filipino cultures — its daytime rituals and fiestas as well as the creatures and inhabitants of the night. On the first door, are “Mano Po San Roque”, “Moro-moro” and “Sabungan”. “Mano po San Roque” features Saint Roch (San Roque), shown with his faithful dog and exposing his wound. San Roque is also known as the patron saint of the unmarried. Similar to the Obando rituals, part of the fiesta involves the town’s “romantic hopefuls” dancing as part of their pledge to find true love. The ‘Moro-moro’ (the battle between the Christians and the Moslems) and “Sabungan” or cockfights are better-known themes. The opposite door features the highlights of the ‘Fiesta of Angono’ from Botong’s hometown — the procession of patron saint San Clemente (a pope of Rome and patron saint of fishermen), the hot-air balloons and the ‘higantes’ (giants.) There is also the ‘Juego de Anillo’ (game of rings) which involves passing a pointed lance through a series of rings; and ‘Arnis'. On the reverse are the themes of mythical monsters, beginning with the “manananggal”, a flesh-eating creature whose body would separate in two; the “kapre”, and “mangkukulam” or voodoo-practicing witch doctor. The matching set features the “tikbalang” or demonic horse, the “aswang”, a shape-shifter who takes the form of a black dog and “nuno sa puns” which would haunt old trees. -Lisa Guerrero Nakpil