Angono Rizal: More than your Art Capital

By Ansherina Q. dela Cruz and Dolly Anne L. Idlisan

There is more to explore in Angono aside from the artists’ paintings and sculptures, kites, paper
maches, and higantes.

Located 30 kilometers east of Manila, the Angono Petroglyphs sits, believed to be the oldest
artwork in the Philippines and among the surviving examples of rock engravings in Asia.

The site was located over the mountainous and steep zigzag road, and you will have to pass
through a short tunnel to experience ancient art.

Angono Petroglyphs was discovered by National Artist Carlos “Botong” Francisco in March 1965
during the field trip with his campers. After that, he reported to the National Museum that
there is an existence of cave with drawings of a primitive quality.

In a personal interview of Roden Santiago, Curator and Officer-in–Charge of the Angono

Petroglyphs, the term Petroglyphs came from Greek words “Petro” meaning rocks and “Glyphs”
meaning encrypted.

He said that until now the 127 engraved figures have no exact date during Neolithic period and
still in the study. He also pointed out that Carbon Dating can only determine the age of rock,
and not the age of carving itself.

National Museum excavated some stone tools and hypothesized that it was made 3,000 B.C., a
neolitic or stone age. Santiago believed that the carved human stick figures depict rituals and
the lizard-like figures mean fertility of women.

Aside from that, Angono Rizal produced two national artists these are Carlos “Botong”
Francisco in visual arts and Lucio San Pedro for music.

Art Houses: The Family that Paints Together, and the EDSA Artist

Two of the best art galleries in Angono are the Blanco Family Museum, known as the Family of
painters; and the Nemiranda Art House, the forerunner of Imaginative Figurism and established
a museum and cafe in his home.

Blanco family museum started by Jose "Pitok" V. Blanco, the prodigy of National Artist Botong
Francicso with her wife, Loreto “Loring” Blanco and all his seven children namely Glen, Noel,
Michael, Joy, John, Kaye and Peter Paul, utilized their father's painting style.
Suddenly, Pitok Blanco died at the age of 76 due to heart attack. The country recognized him
for his greatness in art and showing love for our country and colorful traditions.

Nemesio Miranda, one of the leading artists in the art industry wherein he used imaginative
figurism as the foundation in his sketches, paintings and murals. Imaginative figurism is
producing a detailed rendition of the human body through paintings and sculptures by using
vivid visual recollections from the mind.

Miranda, like any other artist, valued his hometown and country. This was proved in his
paintings, of how he cherishes and preserves the beauty of Angono and when sketched the
interesting happenings of EDSA 1 Revolution. Soon the artist commissioned to create a relief
sculpture of EDSA Dos.

Miranda’s current project which is the home museum and café aims to showcase Angono artist
Where we can enjoy and have a good time talking about the artworks and learn their history.

Higantes and Arts Festival

Angono celebrates Higantes and Arts Festival every November.

The “Higantes” are colorful Paper Mache, measures four to five feet in diameter and ten to 12
feet in height. The giants were used before as a form of protest against Spanish oppressors.

The festival starts on the 22nd of November with the Bisperas Mayores, which is a parade of
the marching bands and drum and lyres sponsored by each barangay of Angono. It is done in
the morning and in the afternoon, and some of the giants and local officials join in the parade in
the afternoon.

This includes all of the papermache giants, the officials, and this includes paper‐mache carabaos
(that are beautified by extending eyelashes and putting on capes) and, just recently, paper‐
mache vegetables (these paper‐mache vegetables hold races on the streets).

Other festivities, such as the Angono Arts Festival aims to boost tourism in the field of arts and
crafts. It is annually celebrated during 5-25 of November.

Art as Tourist Destination

Department of Tourism (DOT) website admitted that Angono Rizal has a potential of becoming
the tourist destination particularly in the field of arts and crafts.
However, according to a study of International Labour Organization, despite art be the magnet
of tourism, the numerous public and private art galleries, studios, culture heritage sites,
festivals and traditions and local artist associations remained under marketed, thus not fulfilling
the potential of the town.

In order to use Angono’s home grown art talent as the base, the Angono local government
must promote and subsidize those public and private galleries, studios, culture heritage sites,
festivals and traditions and local artist associations.