Pablo Baen Santos “Malumbay Si Ina”

Name of the Artist: Pablo Baen Santos is a visual artist who represents the social realist movement in
the Philippines. He studied at the University of the Philippines, College of Fine Arts. Mr. Pablo Santos was
once a photographer and illustrator. He also worked with a local newspaper company named “Manila
Times.” His artworks give hints about his personal concerns about the negative drawn towards artists in
society. He is the one who founded “Kaisahan” which means “to be one” in the year 1976, which consists
of other artists with the goal of revolting for democratic freedom.

Year of the painting: 1983

Subject: History is the subject of painting since it is part of the History during the dictatorship of former
President Ferdinand Marcos. According to the artist, it shows the Philippines as a mother weeping or
shedding tears for her dead sons. It is also representational art because it happened during the Martial
Law, signed on September 21, 1972.

Factual Meaning: It shows that the woman above is crying for the people under her, which is the
situation of the people below who are having a difficult situation because of their different movements
where some of the bodies are stuck, and some are crying for help.

Conventional Meaning: The painting has two representations; the woman above is the Philippines, our
own country, while the people below are the ones who suffered during martial law. The people are
struggling in their own country, where the Philippines can only cry for us.

Subjective Meaning: Being a visual artist representing the Philippines' social realist movement. Pablo
Baen Santos used his talent to show the situation of the people who experienced martial law under the
term of former President Ferdinand Marcos. Martial law was declared because former President Marcos
believed it was the last defense. But it happened where there are about 70,000 people imprisoned and
34,000 tortured, according to Amnesty International. Human rights were abused at that time when many
Filipinos suffered. I believe that Pablo Baen Santos delivered a message through artwork that our
country should not cry for us because we are struggling in pain.

https://lakansining.wordpress.com/2017/03/18/commonwealth-avenue-quezon-city-erehwon-center-
for-the-arts-part-2-the-collections-tour/#:~:text=Another%20social%20realist%20painting%20in,weeping
%20for%20her%20dead%20sons.

https://arthives.org/pablo-baens-santos-and-kaisahan

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/declaration-of-martial-law/

https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/iq/146939-martial-law-explainer-victims-stories/