Artful Angono

(Part of Mural by Mr. Nemesio Miranda, Jr. at his Art Gallery)

Coming to the town of Angono in the Province of Rizal, you'll know that the metropolitan feel of Manila and its environs are slowly being shed in favor of the more rustic and provincial climate of the countryside. Bordered by the towns of Taytay, Binangonan, Teresa and the Laguna de Bai, Angono is close enough geographically to the Metropolitan Manila area to share the latter's buzz of urban life, yet far enough to maintain the town's rural charm. And for the weekend tripper, it's a welcome and refreshing sensation.

Angono enjoys the reputation among pundits as the art capital of the Philippines for many reasons. It is the birthplace of National Artists Carlos "Botong" V. Francisco (for visual arts [http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca/org-awards/viual-arts/botong_francisco.php]) and Lucio San Pedro (for music [http://www.ncca.gov.ph/about-ncca/org-awards/music/lucio_sanpedro.php]), and other notable artists.

Angono prides itself as the home of many prominent artists, and artists' groups, galleries, museums and events. Notable galleries include the Blanco Family Museum, which as its name implies is the gallery of the works of visual artist Jose "Pitok" V. Blanco and his family, and, the Nemiranda Art Gallery and Cafe owned by National Center for Culture and the Arts stalwart, Nemesio Miranda, Jr.

Here, you can also find the remarkable Angono Petroglyphs, which is maintained by the National Museum and declared by it as a National Cultural Treasure. The Petroglyphs are ancient carvings on a rock wall/shelter, probably made by ancient residents, depicting human, animal and other figures. They were discovered in 1965 by National Artist Carlos V. Francisco, during a field trip together with several boy scouts.

The Higantes Festival held every 22nd and 23rd of the month of November likewise showcases Angono's visual artistry in its culture. The yearly parade of Giants were said to be originally meant to mock of unsavory heritage of hacienderos and Spanish rule, but now is but a colorful celebration of local culture.






Note: The author takes no credit for the beautiful artworks depicted in the photos included in this article. They are the artists' own, (referring to Mr. Nemesio V. Miranda, Jr., the Atelier Artists, and the ancient Angonoans), and are displayed here with reverence only for information and journalistic purposes.

You can find more of AttyMaj's photography at https://www.flickr.com/photos/attymaj 
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