By: Afshan Quela B. Liggayu and Alliah C.

Ordoñez
 It was the Spaniards who brought the first printing press in the
country and the religious orders (Dominicans, Franciscans and
Jesuits) printed prayer books and inexpensive prints of religious
images, usually the Virgin Mary, Jesus Christ, or the saints, known as
estampas or estampitas, used to propagate the Roman Catholic faith.
 In cartography, the 1734 map drawn by Fr. Pedro Murillo Velarde SJ
(1696-1753), A Hydrographical and Chorographical Chart of the
Philippine Islands is considered as the first and the most important
scientific map of the Philippines, engraved by Nicolas de la Cruz
Bagay (1701-1771). Popularly known as the "the mother of all maps,"
it was used by the Philippines to win an international ruling at the
Hague against China's territorial encroachments.
 was born in Cebu(1912)
 His father was an engraver and goldsmith for liturgical
vestments and church ornaments
 Rodriguez left Cebu in 1935 and moved to Manila to attend
the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts
 He was mentored by Philippine artists: Toribio Herrera,
Fernando and Pablo Amorsolo, Fabian de la Rosa, and
Ramon Peralta.
 Founder of “Interarts” multi-media foundation for the arts
 Founder of the Philippine Association of Printmakers
 1st Filipino artist and printmaker to represent the Philippines in International
biennial exhibitions.
 2007 - Presidential Merit Award, for his contribution to the visual arts
 1991 - University of the Philippines Alumni Association of New York Achievement
Award
 1988 - Bruna P. Seril Advancement of Philippine Cultural Award
 1979 - Patnubay ng Kalinangan Award
 1975 - Lingkod Bayan Award
 1967 - National Heritage Award, the Philippines
 1963 - Honorary Professorship, University of Florence, Italy
Rodriguez was first introduced to the art
of printmaking(1930’s)
 He spent a lot of his time reproducing his
paintings via screen printing
methods(1948)
Rodriguez began to really experiment
with printmaking, making greeting cards
of rural Philippine life(1950’s)
 Print making in the Philippines gained popularity
 Manuel Rodrigo Sr. and Rodolfo Paras-Perez were
responsible for the development of interest in
contemporary printmaking techniques.
 Rodriguez became known as the “Father of Print making”
 Print making was taught in schools and his workshops.
 Rodriguez taught at the Philippine Women’s
University(Unofficial center of Print making here in the
Philippines)
 He left for New York to pursue a Rockefeller
printmaking scholarship at the prestigious Pratt
Graphic Center.
 Rodriguez worked in the print department of the
Museum of Modern Art, after which he repeatedly
visited the famed Atelier 17 in Paris, run by British
artist and teacher Stanley William Hayter.