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15th century BULUL with a pamahan (ceremonial bowl) in the Louvre Museum (Sculpture).

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The Ifugao people of northern Luzon utilize a carved wooden figure called Bulul, often spelled Bul-ul or Tinagtaggu, to protect their rice harvest. The sculptures are visually stunning depictions of ancestors, and it is believed that the ancestral spirit inhabits them, giving them strength and fortune. The Ifugao are renowned for their proficiency at carving bululs. Bululs are employed in rituals connected to the cultivation of rice and to healing. A priest performs an alwen bulol ceremony when creating a bulul to guarantee that perhaps the statue obtains power. In order to reduce the possibility that the spirits of something like the ancestors could bring illness, the bulul is handled carefully and respectfully.

According to the ifugao's viewpoint, a large granary might require two bululs, and a wealthy lord might also have one or more bululs in his home With sex-related symbols like the mortar for the female and pestle for the male, male and female Bulul statues are frequently discovered together. A g-string may occasionally be worn by a man bulul, and a waistcloth, earrings, and anklets may be worn by a female bulul. Despite the fact that the form might vary, the bulul is frequently shown sitting on the ground with his arms folded over his raised knees. The bulul has a square shape and is typically handcrafted from narra or ipil wood, occasionally from stone. During the rice planting season, a rite called tunod involves touching the bulul with hands that have been dipped in chicken or pig blood. Over time, the blood gives the figurines a black hue that is layered with a greasy patina from food offerings. Bululs are passed down to a family's firstborn. Usually, the oldest statues have insect-created beetle holes inside the granary.

References:

Bulul. (2022). In Wikipedia for Bulul Sculpture.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bulul

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A KULINTANG ensemble of the Maranao people with elaborate okir carvings in the Museum of the Filipino People (Music).

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The "KULINTANG" and the "kutiyapi," two instruments played by Filipinos, were among the earliest to be recorded (kudiyapi). The Eastern Malay Archipelago, Eastern Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines have all seen the use of the kulintang instrument. It is categorized as a stringed instrument since it has a single row of horizontal gongs, each with a different size and sound. The size of the gongs often starts off modest and increases as you approach the end of the row. According to them, typically, each one weighs between two and three pounds. Some have a diameter of 6 to 10 inches and a height of 3 to 5 inches. The kulintang is now fashioned of brass instead of its traditional material of bronze. With just a simple strike on the "bosses of the gongs," performed with two wooden beaters, the kulintang player can produce either a high or low-pitched sound, depending on where the gong is struck and also what size it is.

Every day, the people of the Philippines enjoy music. Filipinos are into music in many forms, from choral singing to playing an instrument. Filipinos have a propensity to be drawn to the music scene, regardless of the genre or historical era. The people of the Philippines have done their utmost to pass down music to their ancestors from pre-colonial times to the present. For instance, it is evident that the Filipino people have long valued the art of making sounds through their use of pre-colonial instruments like the "kulintang" and the "kudyapi". In light of this, it is simple to comprehend why Filipinos today still like creating music. I believe it has always been a part of our society.

References:

Kulintang. (2009). Pre-Colonial Instruments: Kulintang & Kutiyapi.
https://makinig.wordpress.com/2009/11/11/pre-colonial-instruments-kulintang-kutiyapi/

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SPOLIARIUM 1884 by Juan Luna where located in National Museum of Fine Arts, Manila (Painting)

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Juan Luna, a Filipino painter, created The SPOLIARIUM which is frequently written incorrectly as Spolarium. The painting of the dying gladiators took Luna eight months to complete on canvas. Luna entered the painting in the 1884 Exposición Nacional de Bellas Artes in Madrid, where it won the first gold prize (out of three). The image depicts the desecration of a Roman circus where dead gladiators are stripped of their armor and weapons. The Spoliarium, together with other pieces from the Spanish Academy, was on display in Rome in April 1884. According to the Manila Museum, for 20,000 pesetas, the painting was sold to the Barcelona provincial government in 1886. It is the first piece of art that meets tourists as they enter the National Museum of Fine Arts in Manila, where it is currently shown in the main gallery on the ground level. At 4.22 meters by 7.675 meters, the National Museum considers it to be the biggest painting in the Philippines. Began during the Spanish colonization of the Philippines. They introduced formal artwork such as paintings, sculptures, and buildings with Byzantine, Gothic, Baroque, and Rococo influences. Most works of art are religious (catholic based). The ancient furniture and carving designs of the Filipinos are remnants of Spanish colonialism.

References:

Spoliarium. (2022). In Wikipedia Spoliarium by Juan Luna.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spoliarium

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MIAGO CHURCH: The Baroque Fortress Church of Ilolo in 1786 (Baroque).

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The Sto. Miagao Church was constructed in 1786. In Miagao Iloilo, one of the most popular tourist destinations is the Tomas de Villanueva Parish Church. It was not only a house of worship but also a stronghold. Its nickname is the Baroque fortress church as a result.

It was created as a one-of-a-kind church with baroque elements and traces of Chinese and Filipino styles imposing decorations, embellishments, and motifs. The Miagao Church is one of the Philippines' most exquisite architectural treasures because of this. It is a treasure for Iloilo and the Philippines as a whole because of its historical significance, age, and UNESCO World Heritage designation.

There were two churches built in the town before Miagao Church, but Muslim pirates and robbers destroyed both of them. The actual facts of history are that the building of Miagao Church in Iloilo began only in 1786 and was finished in 1797. Since then, it has acted as a place of prayer as well as a defense against Muslim raids.

Since 1797, Miagao Church has served as both a stronghold for the Christian faith and a tenacious haven for locals fleeing the Spanish-Moro hostilities. Its fortifications endured fight after the battle while bearing the weight of a centuries-long conflict like San Cristobal. The church was damaged during the 1898 revolution and restored the following year. The church suffered fire damage in 1910.

A 1948 earthquake caused damage, and repair work was finished in 1962. Miagao Church has undergone restoration work on numerous occasions as a result of the catastrophes and calamities it experienced. The Miagao Church in Iloilo was designated a National Landmark in 1974. And in 1993, UNESCO added it to its list of World Heritage Sites.

References:

Fernando, C. (2020).  Miagao Church: The Baroque Fortress Church of Iloilo.
https://www.zenrooms.com/blog/miagao-church/

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ART DECO IN THE PHILIPPINES ARCHITECTURE METROPOLITAN THEATER (Architecture).

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The architect from the Philippines, Juan Arellano, said he drafted the blueprints for the Manila Metropolitan Theater building with the motto "On Wings of Song" in mind when he created it. The theater opened on December 10, 1931, and could accommodate 1670 people (846 orchestras, 116 in loge, and 708 in balcony). A member of the Philippine legislature at the time made the suggestion in 1924, during the American colonial era, that a theater is built close to the Mehan Garden, previously the Jardin Botanico de Manila founded in 1858. Finally, a site was chosen in 1931 on a lovely position among the trees at one end of the Mehan Gardens, immediately across the large plaza from the stunning new Post Office Building, and close to the approach to the Santa Cruz Bridge.

References:

Pal, L. (2012). The Metropolitan Theater – Art Deco Style.
http://www.lougopal.com/manila/?p=355

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Mariano UY CHACO Building, Art Noveau in Manila

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Located in Binondo's Plaza Cervantes, it was designed by Samuel Rowell in 1914. Because it was constructed in the Art Nouveau style rather than the typical Neoclassical Style, which was so popular in those days and throughout America, the building was considered so hipster during its heyday. It was acquired by the Philtrust Bank after the war.

The artwork actually deceives you; despite being 98 years old, the building is actually in disrepair. Currently, just the ground floor is used. Engineering interventions, such as those used in the Luneta Hotel, could be made to strengthen the building's structure, but the cost would be exorbitant.

References:

Joaquin, N. (2012). Mariano Uy Chaco Building, Art Noveau in Manila.
https://theurbanhistorian.tumblr.com/post/24608398600/mariano-uy-chaco-building-art-noveau-in-manila

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WAR RUINS "Ruins of the Manila Cathedral," 1945 (Painting).

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Filipinos were denied their right to free speech and expression because the Japanese halted publishing.
Some artists continued to express themselves despite their hardships. similar to Ferdinand Amorsolo's 1945 artwork Manila War Ruins, which is shown below. While Amorsolo's "Golden Period" is frequently associated with sunny pastoral paintings of the Philippine countryside, the artist also painstakingly captured the harsh reality of the horrors of war that he saw and experienced in a number of works. A bombed-out government structure in this painting' possibly the Philippine Legislature, stands in stark contrast to the serene beauty of the sky, serving as a somber, moving monument to human stupidity and the fleeting nature of reality. Accompanied by an authenticated certificate from Sylvia Amorsolo-Lazo. The Filipinos experienced dread, pain, and misery as a result of the Japanese invasion. Because of the conflict, artistic growth ceased.

References:

Auctions, S. (2014). Important Philippine Art: The Evening Sale.
https://salcedoauctions.com/item/2204

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HARVESTING RICE by Ferdinand Amorsolo's in 1955 (Painting).

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Fernando Amorsolo was regarded as the maestro of Philippine landscapes and is one of the most important artists in the history of South East Asian art.
Harvesting Rice demonstrates Amorsolo's renowned proficiency with light. Amorsolo, who received a classical education, is thought to have contributed most to the advancement of Philippine painting through the use of chiaroscuro. Amorsolo frequently depicted the sunlight in his native Philippines; he is thought to have painted just one scene in which it rained during his career. A man is kneeling in a paddy field, temporarily shielded from the heat by a happy woman who has the sun of the Philippines shining on her back. Oxen happily graze in the distance, as white clouds float overhead.

References:

So, D. (2020). 20th Century & Contemporary Art & Design Day Sale in Association.
https://www.phillips.com/detail/fernando-amorsolo/HK010420/224

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INTERACTION by Victorio Edades (Painting).

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Victorio Edades is referred regarded in history as "the father" of Philippine modern art. After receiving his education in the US, he brought a completely different perspective on art to the world. He maintained that art may represent truth, but it could also represent reality as viewed through the eyes and feelings of the creator.

References:

Stancheva, Y. (2017). Five Classics of Modern Philippine Art.
https://www.artdependence.com/articles/five-classics-of-modern-philippine-art/

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LAS DAMAS ROMANAS by Juan Luna (Painting).

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Juan Luna, one of the most well-known Filipino painters of the Spanish era in the Philippines, created Las Damas Romanas (roughly, "The Roman Dames"), also referred to as The Roman Maidens, The Roman Women, or The Roman Ladies, in oil on canvas. In 1877, while still a student at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando (Royal Academy of Fine Arts of San Fernando) in Madrid, Spain, Luna created this picture. In 1882, Luna produced Las Damas Romanas while working as an apprentice under Spanish painter Alejo Valera in Rome basically during Contemporary or Modern Period.

He was the first Filipino painter to receive acclaim on a worldwide scale in Europe and the US due to his proficiency in the Academy's style.
From 1878 until 1884, Luna was in Rome for six years.

The ancient Roman past served as the inspiration for Luna's 100 cm by 170 cm painting. Two women were shown reclining on the steps of a house in an ancient Roman domestic scene. Two pet dogs or hunting dogs had the reins held in one woman's hand to keep them from scaring away some doves. Doves served as a sign of deity. The painting's background featured a shelf of antiques. A shrine with a triangle-shaped pediment was located to the left of the shelf. A burner with incense smoke was located in front of the pediment.

One of Luna's early paintings, Las Damas Romanas, which was thought to have been destroyed or lost for more than 25 years, has recently come to light. It had only been mentioned as a title and a listed work of Luna in Silva's 1957 biography of Luna before its debut in Paris several years before 2008. A black-and-white photo from the records of historian and pre-war art dealer Alfonso T. Ongpin also served as documentation for the painting.

References:

Las Damas Romanas. (2022). In Wikipedia Damas Romanas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Las_Damas_Romanas