Reviewer in RPH
Works of Juan Luna and Fernando Amorsolo
Juan Luna (Juan Luna de San Pedro y Novicio
Ancheta) – a Filipino painter, sculpture and a political
activist of the Philippine Revolution during the late 19th
century.
Birth: October 23, 1857
Birth Place: Badoc, Ilocos Norte
Parents: Joaquin Luna de San Pedro y Posado
Laurena Novicio y Ancheta
Siblings:
Manuel (musician)
Jose (physician)
Antonio (General of Philippine Revolution)
Joaquin (took a political path)
Remedios
Numeriana
FAMILY
Wife: Maria de la Paz Pardo de Tavero y Gorricho
- Grew up in Paris, from a well—off family
Children:
Andres Luna San Predro
Maria de la Paz (she died early)
EDUCATION:
High School: Ateneo de Manila
1869:
- Escuela Nautica de Manila
- Academia de Dibuyo y Pintura
- His first art instructor was Don Lorenzo
Guerrero
1877: Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando,
Madrid
- While in school, Luna took private lesson
under Alejo Vera, a famous contemporary
painter in Spain.
FAMOUS ARTWOK OF JUAN LUNA
• La Muerte de Cleopatra (the death of Cleopatra)
THE DARK LIFE OF JUAN LUNA
– won the second-class medal at Madrid
Exposition General de Bellas Artes, 1881
• Spanish Girl
• Street Flower Vendor
• La Mestiza
• A portrait of Governor General Ramon Blanco
• Espana guinado a las Islas Filipinas por el
camino del progreso (Spain leading the
Philippines on the road to progress)
• La Batalla de Lapanto (The Battle of Lapanto)
• SPOLIARIUM (major artwork)
- It was made in the year 1884
- 4.22 meters x 7.675 meters, largest Painting
in the Philippines
- Latin word for the basement of the Roman
Colosseum where the corpses of the fallen
gladiators were dragged down after their fight
in the arena and stripped of their armor and
weapons.
- Gold medal awardee in the prestigious
Exposition de Bellas Artes in Spain
- Content and Subject of Art
Trivia: Juan Luna used up to over 100 sketches before
he paints the whole canvas.
- “The Philippines is more than a veritable
Spoliarium with all its horrors! There it lies in
mangled fragments, humanity massacred,
the rights of man perverted! There is no
semblances of justice for the common man
and liberty is cinders, ashes and dust!”
(Lopez-Jaena)
- “Genius has no country; genius burst forth
everywhere; like light and air, the patrimony
of all.” (Jose Rizal)
• The Parisian Life, 1892
- Other titles:
Inferior d’Un Café
The Maid
Un Coquette (a female that is a
lower that a prostitute or the
prostitute)
- This painting acquired by the Government
Service Insurance System (GSIS) at an
auction in Hong Kong for P46 M.
About the Painting:
▪ The men at the left:
➢ Jose Rizal
➢ Juan Luna
➢ Ariston Bautista Lin
- The woman – believed to be a prostitute
Interpretation:
- Social norms – status of women
- Gender politics
- National Allegory (the painting is all about our
country map)
- All of our attention is drawn to the woman in
the picture by Juan Luna. Why? Because he
resembles a mirrored version of the
Philippine map. He wants to underline that
woman are all Filipinos who are progressively
being strangled by conquerors who want to
fulfill their desires. And he wants all
spectators to know that he desires a
revolution during the Spanish era.
- 1884 – Spolarium award
- 1886 – Juan married Paz
- 1887 – Birth of their first child, Andress
(Luling)
▪ Paz suffering miscarriage
- Juan Luna moved to another address with
Paz’s mother
- 1892 – Luna and Paz’s marriage was already
in rocks
▪ Death of second child – Bibi
▪ Paz advised to take a vacation in
Mont Dore
- September 4, 1892, Dussaq called on the
Luna residence looking for Pardo de Tavera.
▪ Luna threatened Paz that he would
harm her if she continued to speak to
other men, especially Dussaq.
- September 22, 1892 – Luna killed his wife
and her mother, wounding her brothers
Trinidad and Felix
- Five months later, Luna was acquitted by the
court.
LIFE OF FERNANDO AMORSOLO FERDINAND MARCOS

- First National Artist Awardee “Great Old Man - The 10th president of the Republic of the
of the Philippine Art” Philippines.
Birthday: September 11, 1971
Birth: May 30, 1882 Died: September 28, 1989
Birthplace: Paco, Manila Birthplace: Sarrat, Ilocos Norte
Childhood: Daet, Camarines Norte Parents:
Parents: Mariano Marcos
Pedro Amorsolo Josefa Quetulio Edralin
Bonifacia Cueto Spouse: Imelda Trinidad Romualdez
Siblings: 5 Children:
FAMILY Maria Imelda Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Wife: Irene Marcos-Araneta
First Wife: Salud Jorge Aimee Marcos
Second Wife: Maria del Carmen Zaragoza
Children:
6 with Salud and 8 with Maria EDUCATION
Total of 14 children - Primary and Secondary Education: Manila,
PH
EDUCATION: - 1939 – Ferdinand graduated from the
- Amorsolo’s formative years were spent in University of the Philippines with Batchelor of
Daet, Camarines Norte Laws, Cum Laude
- Fernando showed early signs of his artistic ▪ Ferdinand topped the 1939 bar exa
talent, and her mother would send his - September 20, 1935 – Julio Nalundasan who
drawings to her cousin, Fabian dela Rosa, a defeated Mariano Marcos (Ferdinand’s
prominent painter in Manila. Father) was shot dead.
- After the death of their father, Bonifacia ▪ Ferdinand, the 18 years old, was
gathered her family and returned in Manila. found guilty of murder.
- Fernando helped in their family needs by ▪ Ferdinand appealed the verdict and
assisting Don Fabian and also selling his represented himself to the supreme
sketches for 15 centavos court and won acquittal in 1940.
- 1914 – Fernando earned his degree with
honors from the University of the Philippines POLITICAL CAREER
School of Fine Arts
- 1949-1959 – elected twice as district
Genre Art – pictorial representation of scenes of representative.
everyday life. - 1959-1965 – elected as senator (topnotcher)
- 1965 – elected as the 10th president of the
MOST FAMOUS PAINTING OF AMORSOLO Republic of the Philippines.
• Under the Mango Tree, 1941 - 1969 – second term as President
• Afternoon Meal of the Rice Workers, 1939 - 1972 – declared Martial Law in the
• Antipolo Fiesta, 1947 Philippines
• Sabong, 1940
CORAZON AQUINO (Maria Corazon Cojuangco
• Bombing of the Intendencia, 1942 (the war years)
Aquino)
• Defense of a Filipina Woman’s Honor - The 11th President and 1st Female President
of the Republic of the Philippines
Note: Most of all paintings of Amorsolo is all about
Born: January 25, 1933
traditions of Filipinos or all about Filipinos.
Died: August 1, 2009
Parents:
Jose Cojuangco
Demetria Sumulong
BEYOND THE POLITICAL DICHOTOMY: REVISITING
Spouse: Benigno S. Aquino Jr.
THE MARCOS REGIME AND EDSA REVOLUTION
Children:
Maria Elena Aquino Cruz
Dichotomy – a division into two especially mutually
Aurora Corazon Aquino Abellada
exclusive or contradictory group or entities. (Merriam-
Benigno S. Aquino III
Webster)
Victoria Elisa Aquino Dee
False Dichotomy – also known as false dilemma, all-or- Kristina Bernadette Aquino
nothing fallacy and either-or fallacy.
- A logically where only two choices are EDUCATION:
presented when more existed, as mutually Elementary: Private schools in the PH
exclusive, jointly exhaustive alternatives. High School: Ravenhill Academy, Philadelphia Notre
Dame Convent School, NYC
False Dichotomy in Philippine Politics – a clash College: College of Mount St. Vincent, NYC
between Marcos and Aquino. LLB: Far Eastern University (Undergrad)
NINOY AQUINO then was another car that came beside the
Born: November 27, 1932 car and started riddling it with bullets to make
Died: August 21, 1983 it look like it was ambushed.
Birthplace: Tarlac Province • Some says especially professional historian says
Parents: that Marcos declared Martial Law to extend his
Benigno Aquino Sr. term.
Aurora Lampa Aquino
- Born in prominent land-owning family with a SOME PROJECTS AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS OF
rich political history. MARCOS
- 1954 – married Corazon Cojuangco, • Magat Dam (This was inaugurated or signed on
daughter of another land-owning family from May 7, 1975 by the late President Marcos with
Tarlac and childhood acquaintance of Ninoy. P.D., 693)
• San Juanico Bridge (longest bridge in the
EDUCATION country which connects the Samar and Leyte and
Elementary: St. Joseph’s College it says that this bridge was gift of the president to
High School: San Beda College first lady Imelda who is native of Leyte)
College: Ateneo de Manila • Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (it was supposed
Bachelors of Law: University of the Philippines to be Marcos’ solution to oil crisis in 1973 and to
(Undergrad) address the power shortage in the country)
- Began his career as a journalist • Cultural Center of the Philippines (it consists of
different buildings and they were re built in order
LIFE: to host the different states sponsored cultural
1950 – Ninoy served as the youngest war correspondent activities in the country)
in the Korean War for the Manila Times. • Manila Film Center
1954 – appointed as personal emissary to Huk leader Luis
Taruc by President Ramon Magsaysay. Note: The Marcos Regime is known for his infrastructure
1955 – elected mayor of Conception, Tarlac projects.
1959 – elected vice governor of Tarlac
1961 – assumed previous governor’s position (youngest MARTIAL LAW
gov. at the age of 29) • Proclamation 1081 (it was signed on September
1967 – elected senator (youngest senator in their batch at 21, 1972)
the age of 35) - He also pends several letters of
instructions in order to set the rules and
Note: Ninoy Aquino was known as a critique, the regulation in the implementation of
opposition leader to the president during the time who is Martial Law.
Ferdinand Marcos) 1. Letter of Instruction No. 1 (Media
Takeover)
MARCOS REGIME AND MARTIAL LAW ➢ Marcos instructed for the
• November 9, 1965 – Marcos was elected as takeover and control or
President of the Republic of the Philippines cause the taking over
• November 11, 1969 – Marcos was reelected as and control of all such as
President newspapers, radio,
- Ninoy Aquino was the leader of the magazines, and
opposition television facilities and
• September 23, 1972 – Marcos declared Martial all other media
Law communications
- However the proclamation was dated wherever they are, for
September 21, 1972. the duration of the
• September 24, 1972 – Ninoy and other members present national
of opposition were arrested and detained emergency or until
• January 17, 1981 – Marcos formally ended otherwise ordered by the
Martial Law through Proclamation No. 2045 president or the
• August 21, 1983 – Ninoy was assassinated government.
• February 22-25, 1986 – People Power Revolution ➢ It was signed on
September 22, 1972.
Reason of Declaring Martial Law: ➢ The state controlled the
• The growing of surgency of the Filipino people media and through this
against the government, particularly NPA. the state also controlled
• Because of alleged ambush of Sec. Juan Ponce the information that
Enrile neared Wack Wack at 8:00 pm. people need to know.
- But according to Oscar Lopez, who lived 2. General Order 1 (Marcos to
along Notre Dame Street, Wack Wack govern the nation and direct the
Village, stated that he heard a lot of shooting operation of the entire
and that when he went out to see what was government)
happening, he saw an empty car riddled with ➢ It was also signed on
bullets. September 22, 1972
- According to Lopez driver that there’s a car ➢ He establishes a kind of
that came and stopped beside a Meralco dictatorship government
post. Some people got out of the car, and where he assumed all
 powers in all the
agencies of the republic.
He divides it in 3
government the
legislative, judiciary and
executive.
3. General Order No. 2-A (Arrest of
certain criminals)
➢ He considered criminals
all people who is criticize
the government.
4. General Order 3 (Observance
and enforcement of curfews
hours)
5. General Order 4 (Ban on group
assemblies, including strikes and
picketing, in vital industries)
6. General Order 5 (Ban on
firearms)
MARTIAL LAW AN EDSA REVOLUTION
1. Claim: Martial Law Regime was the Golden
Era of the Philippines. (False statement)
2. Claim: Filipinos had the best life during the
Martial Law (False statement)
- Maraming naghirap dahil tumaas and
inflation rate and nagmahalan ang bilihin.
The prices of goods tripled.
3. Claim: Peso-USD Exchange was at 1 PhP = 1
USD (False statement)
4. Claim: Marcos built many infrastructures and
projects during his regime (true statement)
5. Claim: Martial Law Ear was peaceful and
bloodless (false statement)
- Because according to Amnesty
International data, from 1971-1981,
70,000 people were imprisoned, 34,000
were tortured and at least 3,240 were
victims of extrajudicial killings under
Martial Law.
6. Claim: Aquino Regime was peaceful and
bloodless (false statement)
- because during her presidency many
Filipinos are arrested and killed
especially the farmers.
- The Mendiola Massacre happened
during her presidency on January 22,
1987 were 10,000-15,000 farmers and
peasants gathered for protest-rally. And
13 farmers were killed, 39 wounded, and
20 suffered minor injuries.
- During the Hacienda Luisita Strike 14
were died, 133 were arrested, hundreds
missing in the violent dispersal.
Note: In the 1970s Marcos took out huge amounts of
foreign currency loans that by the 1980s his regime
could not repay. He tried to hide the dire financial
situation by overstating the figures for foreign reserves.
By then the economy was in a free fall: GDP growth
dropped 5.3 percent, prices of primary export
commodities fell by 50 percent, workers' wages were
reduced, and unemployment hit one-fourth of the labor
force. The crisis worsened with the assassination of
Ninoy Aquino in August 1983. As foreign banks withheld
their credit facilities, Marcos declared bankruptcy in
October 1983 and sought a 90-day moratorium on
principal debt payments. The World Bank provided
bailout loans to avert a default but with painful conditions
like cutting the government budget, peso devaluation,
tariff dismantling, and ending subsidies. Marcos had
become the proverbial debt addict wholly dependent on
foreign aid. (Eduardo C. Tadem PhD, is professorial
lecturer of Asian studies at UP Diliman and president
of the Freedom from Debt Coalition).
TORTURE METHOD
1. Electric shock – electric wires are attached to the
victim’s finger, arms, head and in some case,
genitalia.
2. San Juanico Bridge – the victim lies between two
beds and if her/his body falls, he/she will beaten.
3. Truth serum – an injection administered in
hospitals and used for interrogation, making a
victim “talk drunkenly.”
4. Russian roulette – loading a bullet into one
chamber of a revolver, spinning the cylinder, and
then forcing the victims to pull the trigger while
pointing the gun at his/her own head.
5. Cigar and flat iron burns – victims of torture are
inflicted with burns using cigarettes, and even a
flat iron.
6. Pepper torture – a concentrated pepper
substance is put on the victim’s lips or rubbed on
his/her genitalia.
Note: There was a dictatorship, there was a
revolution, not by a few, but by millions of Filipinos.
How was Marcos toppled? Not in 3 days, but it took
decades. (Susan F. Quimpo)
- The EDSA Revolution is not fight of the
Aquinos but the victory of the Filipino
People.
THE DANGERS OF FALSE DICHOTOMY
1. It reduces Philippine politics into a contest of
fanaticism between the two sides.
2. It promotes blind obedience.
3. People tend to overlook the mistakes of their
chosen side and fail to acknowledge the
achievements of the other side.
SITE OF FIRST MASS
The First Mass in Limasawa Carlos “Botong”
Francisco, National Artist
Antonio Lombardo/ Francisco Antonio Pigafetta,
• official chroniclers of magellans voyage
• one of the 18 who complete the first
circumnavigation (Magellan-El cano)
• Was wounded in the battle of Mactan with
Magellan
• returned to Spain on September 6, 1522 aboard
the victory with Juan Sebastian Elcano and more
than a dozen more survivors.
• Wrote the book (lost) and 4 manuscripts about the
circumnavigation.
Magellan voyage around the world
Chronology of dates
Magellan died April 27, 1521
▪ March 16 1521- arrived at the high island named
zamal
▪ March 17, 1521 – landed at humunu (homonhon)
and which he named, Acquada da li buoni
segnialli and later the entire group of islands as
 Archipelago of St. Lazaro (Former name of
Philippines).
- They landed on “another island which
was uninhabited,” the name of which is
“Humunu” (Homonhon). They saw two
springs and signs of gold, hence, they
called it “The Watering Place of Good
Signs”
▪ March 18, 1521 – a boat approach them and
became acquainted with them. They exchange
goods and the natives and the voyagers
exchange goods and the native promised to
return with other supply which they did on March
22.
▪ March 28, 1521 – Magellan and his expedition
anchored in a nearby island where a small boat
called “boloto” approach the ship of Magellan.
Magellan and his expedition arrived at an island
named “Mazaua’ where they stayed for 7 days.
▪ March 25, 1521 – Anchored near Mazaua
(Limasawa) and met the king in balanghai.
▪ March 31, 1521 – went ashore to say mass and
set up cross on summit of the mountain. An
eastern Sunday, Magellan and his crew
celebrated a mass attended by several natives.
▪ April 4, 1521 – they left Mazaua to head towards
zubu, guided by king Mazaua.
▪ April 07, 1521 – baptized our ancestors from zubu
and few from neighboring islands.
▪ April 14, 1521 – Entered the port of Zubu.
▪ April 26, 1521 – Raia Zula came to seek help to
Fight the other chief of matan
▪ April 27, 1521 – Wave shore in the island of
Matan and fighting commenced between them
and men of Raia Cilapulapu and lead to death of
National historical commission of the Philippines
Magalhaes.
▪ May 1, 1521 – Massacred by the Zubuanos thus
forcing the remaining Spaniards to depart to zubu
immediately.
WHERE IS MAZAUA?
*there’s are two conflicting schools of thoughts as the
identity of Mazaua:
- Limasawa, Leyte
- Masao, at the mount of Agusan River in
Northern Mindanao, now Butuan City.
The debate: Butuan tradition
▪ the Butuan claimed reigned over public opinions
of 3 centuries, the 17th 18th and 19th century.
▪ F. Francisco Colin, S.J – in his books labor
angelica publish in 1963. Father colin provided an
account of Magellan’s arrival and the first mass
which stated to have been held in Butuan.
- Father Combes wrote in Historia de
Mindanao y Jolo, that Magellan’s
expedition proceeded from limasawa and
went to Butuan, where they conducted
the mass on Eastern Sunday.
▪ In nearby Butuan island in Magallanes, Agusan
del Norte was found an old monument
commemorating the mass, which was erected in
1872.
- The monument has an inscription in
Spanish which states “to the mortal
Magallanes, the village of Butuan with its
parish priest and the Spaniards residing
here to commemorate the arrival and the
celebration of the first mass on this spot
on 8 april 1521. Erected in 1872 when the
governor of the district was JOSE MARIA
CARVALLO”
The debate: Limasawa tradition
• The shift of opinion started with the publication of
the English edition of pigaffeta’s voyage aroun
the world in the blair and the reberosons “the
Philippines island vol. 33 and 34”.
• With the availability of the new historical text
historians studied the event and pointed ou that
butuan was a mistake.
- TRINIDAD H. PARDO DE TAVERA.
Historia
- POBLO PASTELLS, S.J., historians and
Spanish Jesuit missionaries.
- Magellan did not go to Butuan. Rather,
from island of Limasawa he proceeded
directly to Cebu – pastels.
• Fr. Bernard summarized the evidence supporting
the claim that the site of the easther Sunday mass
in 1521 was limasawa.
1) The evidence from Albo’s logbook
2) The evidence of pigaffeta
a. Pigaffeta’s testimony regarding the route
b. The evidence of pigaffeta’s map
c. The two native kings
d. The 7 days of mazaua
3) Confirmatory evidence from the legazpi
expedition.
• Republic act 10086 or strengthening people’s
nationalism act of 2009
- Section 5: the NHCP is a primary
government agency responsible in
history and has the authority to determine
all factual matters relating to official
Philippine’s history.
- Section 5 (e): actively engage in the
settlement or revolution of controversies
or issues relative to historical
personages, places dates and events.
• 1980 – Several panels have been organized by
the National Historical Institute to settle the case
of the site of the 1521 Easter Sunday Mass in the
Philippines, all of which ascertained that
Limasawa, Southern Leyte is the site of the event.
- 1980 – tan workshop
- 1927 – Gangcayco panel
- 2009 – Lenardo panel
• November 2018- NHCP formed an investigating
panel after several institutions, including the
catholic bishops conference of the Philippines,
made request to authenticate the site of the 1521
easter Sunday mass.
• July 15, 2020- the NHCP released singed the
board resolution which sustained findings that the
site of the 1521 easter Sunday mass was in
Limasawa, Southern Leyte.