On June 4, 1900, the Battle of Makahambus Hill (now in Cagayan de Oro City) saw a rare Filipino victory achieved against the United States during the Filipino-American War.
Led by Colonel Apolinar Velez (pictured, bottom left) and Lieutenant Cruz Taal (bottom right), the Filipino soldiers were able to inflict 20 American casualties, while suffering only four on the Filipino side. This would be one of the few instances during the war when American casualties exceeded that of the Filipinos.
Seizing the element of surprise, the Filipino lines remained quiet in the duration the Americans under Captain Thomas Miller's company (from the US 40th Regiment) climbed. But as soon as the first American reached close enough to their gate to greet "Good morning", the Filipino cannon and their rifles went blazing. Added to the enemy difficulty were the traps conveniently set where the Filipinos expected the American advance.
Thrice the Americans attempted to take the Filipino lines, and thrice they were repulsed by the entrenched Filipinos. Eventually, when the Americans saw it was nearly impossible to flank or maneuver, they sounded their retreat.
June 3, 1571, Datu Bambalito and his warriors encountered the Spaniards at the channel of Bankusay (Bangkusay), off the north shore of Manila Bay, that is known as the “The Battle of Bangkusay.”
On May 16, 1571, Miguel López de Legazpi took possession of Manila, in the name of his monarch, King Philip II of Spain (see the previous events or the prelude of this history, t.ly/xqOw). Although Sulayman and Lakan Dula gave up their respective kingdoms and became friends of Miguel López de Legazpi, the Filipinos in Central Luzon defied Spain. A valiant Pampango warlord named Datu Bambalito (not Raha Sulayman) rallied the warriors of Macabebe (his native town), Betis, Hagonoy, Navotas and other barangays to carry on resistance to the Spanish invaders.*
Bambalito established his war camp in Navotas, where he assembled his forces. One day, he went to Tondo and conferred with Lakan Dula and Raha Sulayman to support his cause. The two former native rulers did not join him because they had given their word of honor to Legazpi to maintain peace with Spain, and as men of honor, they could not break it. However, a son and two nephews of Lakan Dula and some of Sulayman’s warriors joined his forces.
On June 3, 1571, Bambalito’s flotilla of war boats sailed down the channel of Bankusay, off the north shore of Manila Bay, and engaged Marshal Martín de Goiti’s forces in a furious naval battle. At the height of the bloody sea fight, Bambalito was killed. His death demoralized his forces. For lack of a leader, his men were routed. Thus was fought the First Battle of Manila Bay, with victory to Spain.**
The might of the Spanish sword and the martial exploits of Miguel López de Legazpi, Marshal Martín de Goiti, Captain Juan de Salcedo and other conquistadores helped much in the conquest. But without the eloquent teachings and sacrificial labors of the missionaries, the Spanish colonization would not have been an enduring success, as there was but a handful of Spanish soldiers, who could easily have been wiped out by the Filipinos.
By accepting Christianity, the Filipinos became loyal subjects of Spain. Thus wrote Tomas de Comyn: “Of little avail would have been the valor and constancy with which Legazpi and his worthy companions overcame the natives of the islands, if the apostolic zeal of the missionaries had not seconded their exertions, and aided to consolidate the enterprise. The latter were the real conquerors; they, who without any other arms but their virtues, gained over the goodwill of the islanders.”***
Sources and References: 1. Gregorio F. Zaide, Sonia M. Zaide, History of the Republic of the Philippines, Metro Manila, 1983, 1987, pp. 68–70 *In previous years, historians recount that the leader of the Filipino forces in the naval battle of Bankusay against Goiti and his Spanish-Filipino forces was Sulayman. This is wrong, however, because Sulayman, keeping his pledge to Legazpi to be loyal to the Spanish monarch, did not join the anti-Spanish cause. The leader was the valiant Macabebe warlord, Bambalito, as shown by an unknown Spanish document, see Fr. Lorenzo Perez, Un Documento desconocido relativo a las Islas Filipinas, published in Madrid, 1933; footnote of Gregorio F. Zaide, Sonia M. Zaide, History of the Republic of the Philippines, 1983. pp. 424–425 **For sources on the naval Battle of Bankusay, see Relacion de la Conquista de la isla de Luzon in Retana, Archivo, Vol. IV; Fr. San Agustin, Conquistas, pp. 227–228 ***Tomas de Comyn, Estado de las Islas de Filipinas en 1810 Madrid, (1820), p. 148
- The Siege of Baler ended after 11 months, with 35 surviving Spanish
soldiers surrendered including their commander, Lt. Saturnino Martín Cerezo.
The Filipino revolutionaries laid siege to a fortified church of San Luis
Obispo de Tolosa that defended by Spanish troops in the town of Baler, Aurora,
for 337 days, from 1 July 1898 until 2 June 1899.
Baler was garrisoned by a 50-man detachment of the Second
Expeditionary Battalion Cazadores (“Hunters”) under Capt. Enrique de las
Morenas, as the district political-military governor. On June 1, 1898, Morenas
began to stock food supplies and ammunition, and to fortify the church compound
of San Luis de Tolosa in Baler’s town square against a possible attack.
Then on the night of June 30, 1898, 800 Filipino troops
under Teodorico Luna attacked, and the garrison fell back to the church. The
Spanish had to endure confinement in a small, hot, humid space. As the siege
progressed, their food supply began to diminish through usage and spoilage. On
November 22, 1898, Capt. Morenas succumbed to disease and died, the command
fell to Lt. Saturnino Martin Cerezo. The Filipinos attempted to smoke them out
by setting fires beside the church wall, but were repulsed.
By November 22, 1898, a total of 145 days had elapsed since
the siege began, during which 14 Spanish soldiers died of disease. The
Filipinos also had suffered casualties, mostly from rifle fire the Spanish were
able to inflict on them from their protected firing positions.
By January 1899, Spanish emissaries were brought to Baler,
but again Martin Cerezo turned them away. By April 1899, the Spaniards were run
out of food; they resorted to eating stray dogs, cats, reptiles, snails and
crows. By May 1899, there was yet another attempt to get Lt. Martín Cerezo to
surrender, this time, it was a fellow Spanish officer named Lt. Col. Cristobal
Aguilar y Castañeda, but Cerezo turned it away. However, Lt. Col. Cristobal
Aguilar had brought recent Spanish newspapers, which Cerezo initially
dismissed. Until Cerezo read an article concerning a close friend’s posting.
Convinced that the newspapers were genuine and that indeed Spain had lost the
war, Lt. Martin Cerezo and his men surrendered to the Filipinos on June 2,
1899. Three months later, the survivors, including Martin Cerezo, arrived in
Barcelona where they were received and honored as heroes.
Sources and References:
1. Westfall, M. (2012). The Devil’s Causeway: the true story
of America's first prisoners of war in the Philippines. Guildford: Lyons Press
2. Martin Cerezo, S. (1909). Under the Red and Gold: being
notes and recollections of the siege of Baler. Kansas City: Franklin Hudson
3. Reyes Roces, A., ed. (1978). “The period of armed
struggle, 1896–1900.” Filipino heritage. Vol. 8. Manila: Lahing Pilipino
On June 2, 1899, the Malolos Congress declared war on the United States, with its President, Pedro Paterno, issuing the Proclamation of War.
(Opening of the Malolos Congress on September 15, 1898)
Prior to this proclamation, several battles had already occurred between the Filipino and American forces.
Accordingly, this phase of the Philippine–American War, also known as
the Philippine War of Independence or the Philippine Insurrection (1899–
1902) was an armed military conflict between the Philippines and the
United States which arose from the struggle of the First Philippine
Republic
to gain independence following annexation by the United States.
The Filipinos under the leadership of General Emilio Aguinaldo rejected
the annexation of the Philippines and were determined to defend their
freedom.
From the very start, the Americans manifested bad faith when they
refused to recognize Philippine Independence after it was declared by
General
Aguinaldo on June 12, 1898 in Kawit, Cavite.
Inevitably, the Santa Mesa incident on February 4, 1899, led to the outbreak of hostilities when an American sentry shot a Filipino soldier.
Hence, the Philippine-American war ensued between 1899 and 1902 with
Filipinos at a disadvantage, for they had no sufficient arms with which
to
fight the enemy. But it took the Americans almost three years to
conquer the Filipinos.
The proclamation urging the Filipino people to continue the war.
TO THE FILIPINO PEOPLE:
No one is ignorant of the fact that since we took the direction of the
ship of state we have sacrificed ourselves to the service of the
government of our republic, offering ourselves as victims for the sake
of peace, without abandoning the sacred ideal of liberty and
independence which fires our country, but the North Americans refuse to
suspend hostilities asked for by us to consult the national assembly,
seat of the free popular will.
Well, since they wish it, may the responsibility for the war and its
consequences fall on the great nation of the United States of America.
We have behaved as patriots and human beings, showing the great powers
of the world that the present cabinet acts with a diplomacy which
protects our cause as do the arms which defend our rights.
The council of government, deciding to preserve our republican
institutions, national independence and the presidency of Don Emilio
Aguinaldo, in spite of the Americans, who intend to construct upon our
ruins the edifice of tyranny, has concluded to continue the war,
preserving unhurt in their spirit and letter our constitution and laws,
which we have conquered with so much blood such sacrifices.
To war, then, beloved brothers, to war.
In order that the people be free it is necessary for them all to be
brave. Rich or poor, learned or ignorant, beloved Filipinos, hasten to
unite to save our native land from insult and ignominy punishments and
scaffolds, and from the sad and fatal inheritance of enslaved
generations.
The God of war, in whom we have put our faith and hope, is helping us.
Confusion, interior and international di;ssensions and conflicts rend
the invading army. Its volunteers, being aware that we are in the right,
fight without enthusiasm and only in compliance with their forced
military duty. Within the American nation itself a great political party
asks for the recognition of our rights, and Divine Providence watches
over the justice of our cause.
Forward, Filipinos, and the sun of victory will shine on us.
Viva the Filipino sovereign people!
Viva national independence!
Viva the liberating army!
Viva Don Emilio Aguinaldo, President of the Republic!
PEDRO A. PATERNO.
Source: The Development of Philippine Politics, Pages 199-200.
References
Philippines News Agency archives
The Development of Philippine Politics, Maximo M. Kalaw, Manila, 1927.
Miguel Ponce Barberan was killed by Sumuroy marking the beginning of the Palapag rebellion
On Tuesday, June 1, 1649, Father Miguel Ponce Barberan was killed by Sumuroy by hurling a javelin at him, killing the priest instantly. This event marked the beginning of the uprising of the men of Palapag (in the present day province of Northern Samar). Sumuroy killed Father Barberan marked start of Palapag rebellion June 1, 1649
Sumuroy was a skilled pilot of the sea and because of this account he was favored by the father and had enjoyed immunity from tribute and personal services.
Earlier, due to loses of galleons, it was necessary to maintain a shipyard in Cavite. Through a decree issued by Governor-general Diego Fajardo, carpenters from Manila were drafted and additional carpenters and laborers from each province were demanded. Provinces away from Manila resented the decree and immediately made demonstration of displeasure.
The men of Palapag declared themselves against the order due to the distance that would result in leaving their families for a long time.
The eventual killing of the priest was followed by the burning of most churches of the neighboring villages in the Ibabao (in Samar Island) coast, which now also rose in revolt.
Other provinces proceeded to follow the boldness of the men of Palapag. It was said (by the Spaniards) that these provinces was in communication with the Dutch who had promised to support them in their rebellion. Camarines declared itself against the Spaniards, the Father guardian of the Franciscans banished from Sorsogon. In Masbate the alferez was put to death. The peace in Cebu was disturbed, the natives defied the authority. In the province of Caraga, the men of Linao (Lanao) revolted. In the province of Iligan, which borders on Caraga, the Manobos, seized the peaceable village of Cagayan. The entire coast of northern Mindanao, and the adjacent island of Camigin, followed their example.
Consequently, seeing that the revolt is continually gathering strength, the Manila authorities dispatched an armada from Zamboanga to subdue the Sumuroy rebellion. One of the captains of the fleet was Juan de Ulloa. He commanded Lutao soldiers along with his sargento-mayor Francisco Macombo.
The Lutaos - who lived in Basilan, Jolo, and other islands south of Mindanao aided the Spaniards to quell this insurrection
Meanwhile, upon the death of Father Barberan, Father Vicente Damian, was appointed to replace him. However, Don Pedro Caamug, who was one of the leaders of the uprising, descended from the mountain called Palapag Mesa (table of Palapag, the locals call it "Bubuyaon") where they have fortified themselves, along with about 200 of his men, and killed Father Damian and two of his aides and again burned the newly built church on October 11, 1649.
On May 1650, the area around the church was fortified by the Lutao soldiers. During the fortification Macombo made his famous speech of protest as recorded by a Jesuit chronicler, Francisco Combes:
"Why are you wearing us out with profitless labor? You weary yourself and keep your men exhausted on fortifications that are wholly unnecessary."
"We Lutaos came here from Zamboanga not to haul logs but to fight. If there is to be no fighting, then permit us to return to our homes."
"For the coxcombs and foppish adventurers from Manila, an assault may seem too dangerous an enterprise. But we are veterans and eagerly await the chance to distinguish ourselves."
"If you think us boasters, please assign to us the brunt of the battle that we may employ our courage in carrying out our own advice."
On the rainy evening of July 2, 1650, Macombo lead the assault on the fortification of Palapag Mesa, which eventually ended the Sumuroy rebellion.
The victorious Don Gines de Rojas ascended the hill with his whole army, and destroyed the insurgent quarters by setting fire to them. Having published a general pardon, those who had been insurgents before, presented themselves in peace including Don Pedro Caamug.
Sumuroy and his father survived the battle but refused to give up.
The Dutch who were headquartered in Formosa (present day Taiwan) never came.
Sumuroy was beheaded by his own men as demanded by Don Gines de Roxas. At first this demand was not taken seriously by the men of Sumuroy who would send a pig's head instead Sumuroy's head.
Later as a token of obedience, his head was presented by his men, without anyone asking for it.
Sources:
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Emma Helen Blair, Volume 38 Gems of Philippine oratory; selections representing fourteen centuries of Philippine thought, carefully compiled from credible sources in substitution for the pre-Spanish writings destroyed by missionary zeal, to supplement the later literature stunted by intolerant religious and political censorship, and as specimens of the untrammeled present-day utterances, by Austin Craig
On May 31, 1764, the Spanish troops led by Simon de Anda y Salazar
re-entered Manila,
took back possession of the city in line with the
terms of the peace treaty at Paris, ending the British occupation of
Manila.
The peace treaty that ended the Seven Years' War, and the consequential return of the Philippines to Spain, was signed on February 10, 1763 by Britain, France, and Spain after having agreed on a preliminary treaty signed earlier by the same on November 3, 1762.
The president and auditors of the audiencia was taken prisoners a day after the British assault on Manila. The archbishop, Manuel Antonio Rojo del Rio, who was acting governor and captain general at the time of the British invasion was also captured. Anda, a judge in the audiencia, escaped captivity, assumed the position of governor and captain general and established resistance from the provinces.
The first news of the suspension of hostilities was brought to Manila by a ship from Madras (India) on July 23, 1763, and was sent forthwith to Anda by the archbishop. The preliminaries of peace, signed by both sides, were brought from the same port on August 26, 1763. Although Anda was also informed of this immediately, he has paid no attention to it, and has steadfastly dared to violate the orders of his sovereign.
On September 19, 1763, the British published an edict declaring Anda responsible for any further bloodshed because of his disregard of the news of the suspension of hostilities. Hence, if Anda does not acquiesce in the suspension, he or any of his adherents, will be attacked, wherever met, with arms; and at the first opportunity, information regarding his obstinacy and arrogancy will be sent to Spain.
Anda countered by issuing an edict on January 24, 1764, stating that when the British give truthful declaration that they will abide exactly by articles 21 and 22 of the peace preliminaries that have been signed between the English and Spanish, and which relate to the evacuation of the places occupied by the former, then hostilities will cease, and the British will be given all necessary help in their transportation. But until such time, the war will continue.
In a separate note addressed to the British military and civil chiefs of Manila, January 28, 1764, Anda cites two clauses of the treaty of February 10, 1763. Article 22 provides:
"That all the countries and territories that might have been gained by conquest in any part of the world, either by the arms of his Britannic and most faithful Majesty, or by those of his most Christian and Catholic Majesty, which are not comprehended in the present articles, article of cession, or article of restitution, shall be returned without raising any difficulty, and without asking compensation."
Article 22 provided that restitution and evacuation of places that might have been captured in the East Indies were to be made within six months. That time, declares Anda, was in August 1763, yet the British still hold Manila and Cavite, and if they do not leave in the next month, they must remain until the monsoon of 1765. He earnestly asks that the terms of the treaty be observed, and all hostilities suspended. In such case, the British will be furnished with food and all necessary supplies at a just price; otherwise hostilities will continue.
A note from the British officials to Anda on March 9, 1764, informs him of the arrival of an English vessel from Fort St. George (India) with the definitive treaty, of which a copy will be sent him as soon as possible.
A note from Anda of the same date, states that he was about to send his agents to Manila, but was holding them until receiving the copy of the treaty above mentioned. These agents will have power to treat on all matters. Anda would go himself, but necessary business renders it impossible.
On March 10, Anda writes again to the effect that he will facilitate the furnishing of supplies to the British as far as possible. He will appoint persons to arrange details of the delivery of Manila and Cavite, though the delivery itself is to be made to the troops in military style. Another note from Anda on the same date, announces that he has appointed the treasurer, Nicolas Echauz, Sargento-mayor Francisco Salgado, and the infantry captains, Mariano Tobias and Raymundo Español, to formally receive the effects of Manila and Cavite and other matters that may arise.
In the night of May 31, when the Spaniards took back Manila, a banquet was given to the British commanders. This was reciprocated on June 4 when Captain William Brereton tendered a banquet to Anda and other officials on his ship.
The British vessels left the Manila bay for India on June 10 and 11, 1764.
Fernando Amorsolo, Filipino painter was born (d. 1972)
Fernando Amorsolo was born on May 30, 1892 in Calle Herran in Paco, Manila to Pedro Amorsolo and Bonifacia Cueto.
Although born in the nation’s capital, Amorsolo would spend most of his childhood in the small town setting of Daet in Camarines Norte where his love for the simple rural life would become the foundation for his artistic output for which he is most well-known.
The Early Years
Amorsolo’s earliest memories would bring him back to a quiet life in the countryside. When he was only seven months old, his father moved the family to Daet to work as a bookkeeper for two abaca firms. Pedro was able to earn a modest income, enough to keep his family comfortable.
Fernando showed early signs of his artistic talent. He would go out to the coast to draw pictures of the ships by the wharves. It was his mother who recognized the young Amorsolo’s talent. She would send her son’s drawings to her cousin Fabian dela Rosa, a prominent painter in Manila. At this early age, Amorsolo displayed an affinity for the rural landscape --- a reflection of his own small world.
Tragedy struck early in Amorsolo’s life. One night, when Fernando was still very young, his father was awakened by shouts coming from outside his window. It was the head of the revolutionary movement fighting against the Spaniards demanding that Amorsolo’s half brother, the eldest son Perico, join the group. Against his father’s wishes, Perico relented and went down to join the rebels. The family never saw him again. After the failure of the 1896 uprising, neighbors told the family that they saw Perico, bound with a bamboo pole strapped to his back, being taken to jail. He was later executed by the Spaniards. Shattered with grief by the death of his son, Amorsolo’s father Pedro never recovered from the ordeal and died of a heart attack a few years later.
Amorsolo’s penchant for depicting an idealized world is viewed by his critics as the work of someone who has never experienced pain in his life. It is apparent that the artist’s preference was not due to a lack of exposure to the ills of society but to a conscious effort to hang on to what is pure and good before the harsh realities of the world shattered his peaceful life in the countryside.
His father died when Amorsolo was eleven years old. Before he passed away, Pedro made his wife promise to give Fernando a proper art education. The widowed Bonifacia gathered her family and returned to Manila in hopes of finding better prospects to provide for her family. Her cousin Don Fabian dela Rosa opened his doors to the family. It was here that Amorsolo had his first real exposure to the art world.
To make ends meet, Bonifacia did embroidery to feed her family. Fernando made himself useful by assisting Don Fabian in his studio. It was during this time that Amorsolo received his first art instruction from Don Fabian. The family’s limited financial means made it difficult for the artist to receive consistent formal art instruction. He earned money the only way he knew how. Amorsolo drew sketches and sold them for 15 centavos a piece to help his family and to pay for his schooling. Despite the family’s financial difficulties, in 1914, he finally earned his degree, with honors, as a member of the first graduating class of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts.
Amorsolo lived during a turbulent time in the Philippines. He came of age during a transition period in Philippine history. The former Spanish colony became a territory of the United States of America. As American influence slowly crept into Filipino culture in the bigger cities, the artist yearned for the life he knew during his early childhood days in Daet. This clearly manifested itself in his artistic output where he clearly showed a partiality towards the rural setting where American culture was slow to trickle down. His paintings would embody an affinity for the traditions and lifestyle he knew during the Spanish era. His canvases were filled with scenes of fiestas, old churches and rituals that were the legacy of the Philippines’ former colonial masters.
Striking
Out on his Own
Success came early to Amorsolo. His
professors at the University of the Philippines were quite impressed
with the young painter. Some of them thought that Amorsolo’s brush
work surpassed their own. Apparently they were not the only ones who had
this favorable opinion of the young artist.
The artist became a professor in his early
20’s and was already establishing himself in the art world. At the age
of 25, he was already married to Salud
Jorge and had a daughter, Virginia, when he caught the eye of
one of the most influential figures in Filipino society.
Amorsolo had designed the logo for Ginebra San Miguel, still in use in
its original form today, depicting St. Michael vanquishing the devil.
The owner of the beverage company, Don Enrique Zobel, a leading
figure in the business community and an ardent patron of the arts, was
so impressed by his work that he offered to send Amorsolo to the
Academia de San Fernando in Madrid for further studies with a
generous stipend for himself and his young family. The artist took
the standard entrance exam at the Academia. To Amorsolo’s
surprise, after evaluating his work, the school informed him that, based
on the results, they would accept him not as a student but as a
professor at the school.
Amorsolo was a painfully shy man.
After his acceptance at the Academia, a banquet was held in his honor.
When he was escorted into the banquet hall, he was so nervous that he
excused himself to go to the men’s room. He hurriedly went through
the back door and went back to his hotel room. A school official
later found him and prevailed on him to return to the banquet. He
steadfastly refused. It is ironic that someone as talented and
accomplished as Amorsolo was also known for his diffidence.
Throughout his career, he shied away from any public event that was
thrown in his honor. His confidence was almost purely reserved and
confined to the practice of his trade. His precise brush work
certainly shows someone who was very sure of his artistic skills.
So confident was Amorsolo of his brush stroke that art conservationists
have frequently been surprised at how thinly paint was applied on his
paintings. It took him significantly fewer attempts, and
consequently fewer layers of paint, to get the results that he wanted.
Amorsolo was by no means a Renaissance man.
He had no other significant talent other than illustration and painting.
Unlike artists such as John Singer Sargent, who was also an
accomplished pianist, Amorsolo’s hands were permanently and solely
associated with the paint brush. As a consequence of this
exclusive association, the artist truly became the master of his craft.
Amorsolo eventually settled in and spent
seven months in Madrid where he was able to observe the works of the
masters. He visited art galleries and museums to study the works
of Diego Velasquez, El Greco, Goya, Monet, Manet, Van Dyck, Sargent,
and Joaquin Sorolla. It is here where he honed his skills
and perfected his technique. Diego Velasquez was one of his major
influences, learning from his superior brush work, painterly style, and
mastery of color. He would also learn from and build upon
Sorolla’s technique of utilizing the sun to draw out the most dramatic
effects from the heightened sunlit colors and dramatic contrasts between
light and shade. The perfection of this technique would set
Amorsolo apart from his contemporaries.
Despite his exposure to Western influences,
Amorsolo retained his Filipino consciousness. He was drawn more
towards the gentle rolling hills and verdant rice fields of the
Philippines rather than the cosmopolitan world of Europe’s proud cities.
Even his illustrations of Spanish women were drawn with slender
physiques, narrower hips, and smaller breasts more typical of Filipinas
rather than full bodied Caucasian women.
After his stint in Madrid, Amorsolo came
home to the Philippines ready to apply what he learned. His bright
sunlit rural landscapes were a stark departure from the elegantly dark
European style that was practiced during the time. American
servicemen, officials, and businessmen sought out his paintings to bring
home to the States as a token of remembrance for their stay in the
Philippines. Amorsolo made his mark and carved a niche for himself
in the local art scene. Demand for his chosen genre reached a high
point.
Amorsolo’s
first wife passed away in 1931 leaving him with six children. He
had six more children by a common-law wife. In 1935, he married Maria
del Carmen who gave him eight more children. Fortunately, his
reputation was growing as fast as his brood and his work was more than
enough to provide for his rather large family.
The
War Years
Just as his career was reaching its peak
the Philippines found itself in the midst of the second World War.
The artist and his family lived in the middle of the Japanese-occupied city of Manila
and were not spared from the grim realities of war. Amorsolo
rented another house near Raon
Street where the women and
children stayed while the men occupied the Azcarraga
residence during the daytime which was near a Japanese garrison.
Amorsolo did not let the war stop him from painting but his work took a
dramatic turn.
Difficult times during the war took its
toll on the artist and his family. Amorsolo’s customer base
dissipated in the face of the tough economic situation. Acquiring
painting materials was a challenge. More importantly, Amorsolo was
deprived of his frequent sojourns to the rural areas of Marikina,
Antipolo,
and other locales in the outskirts of Manila where he painted his
popular landscapes. Not having access to his traditional settings,
his paintings took on a darker tone.
During the
war, Amorsolo’s younger brother
Pablo, an accomplished artist in
his own right, was branded a Japanese sympathizer. He was captured
and executed by Filipino guerillas in Antipolo.
This personal tragedy, in addition to the devastation all around him,
weighed heavily on the artist.
Depictions of
human suffering and tragedy dominated his canvases. The idyllic
world within which the introverted artist chose to confine himself was
torn asunder. It was during this time that Amorsolo’s work truly
embodied the artist’s inner self. The paintings were not made in
conjunction with a client’s preferences but were reflections of the
conflicting emotions raging within. Amorsolo was deeply affected
as he watched his surroundings ravaged by war. He painted burning
edifices and mothers fleeing the scene with their children in tow.
Women’s faces were filled with terror and despair as they were engulfed
by death and destruction in their surroundings. Gone were the
ebullient smiles, replaced by expressions of desolation. Rather
than the noontime sun illuminating the main subjects, flames and embers
from the burning ruins became the primary light source casting an eerie
ominous glow.
Even during this dark period, Amorsolo
chose to portray despair not with an emotional outpouring of grief.
It was very rare that a person in his paintings would be depicted
screaming with rage or wailing in intense displays of emotion.
Tragedy was portrayed through subtle means. In one of his more
famous works, a woman is pictured clutching her veil while kneeling in
front of her dead son --- apparently a guerilla soldier killed during a
battle. The woman is looking up to the sky with a calm look of
sorrow on her face. The subtle and restrained depiction proved to
be a more powerful portrayal as the woman’s tearless eyes conveyed a
more intense form of pain. It communicated to the viewer the deep
sense of loss a mother feels when her child is taken away from her.
On the flip side, men were represented not with expressions of rage but
with looks of defiance. In his piece entitled Defensa de Honor,
the man protecting the woman from being raped by a Japanese soldier had
a determined but subdued expression. This was conveyed by the
fiery expression in his eyes and the slight but firm downward turn of
the corners of his mouth. Amidst the tragedy of the war, Amorsolo
still inserted a hint of hope personified by the implied resistance of
his characters to the occupying Japanese forces. His wartime
paintings are considered among his finest work and were exhibited at
Malacanang Palace
in 1948.
The
Prime of his Career
In the period after the war, the artist
resumed his rudely interrupted career. The next two decades saw the
blossoming of Amorsolo’s art. He went back to painting the bright
sun-drenched countryside scenes for which he was most well-known. He
reached the peak of his popularity in the late 1940’s and 1950’s
garnering numerous awards and citations along the way. Amorsolo was
widely recognized as the most influential artist of his time.
The end of the war saw
the Philippines gain its independence from the United States. As
a young republic it was seeking its own national identity. Amorsolo’s
work was naturally seen as the embodiment of a Filipino culture unique
from that of the new country’s former colonial masters. His genre
paintings were in such high demand that he catalogued his works.
Prospective clients would choose the painting they wanted. The artist
then painted a different version of the chosen subjects.
Amorsolo’s prodigious
output was helped in no small way by the speed with which the artist was
able to finish his work. His strokes were so sure and true that he was
able to finish a painting in a significantly shorter period of time. It
is believed that the oil paintings that he produced number into the
thousands. If his drawings, sketches, and studies are added, his total
output was in excess of ten thousand pieces. At one point, he was able
to finish no less than ten paintings in a typical month. Part of the
motivation for this incredible pace was the need to support his large
family.
The artist was roundly
criticized for his machine-like efficiency. Furthermore, a blossoming
modern art movement, who considered Amorsolo the de facto leader of the
classical realist school, saw him as a natural target. He never raised
his voice nor took up the cudgel in his own defense yet he had no
shortage of defenders who took up the fight. Among his staunchest
supporters was Guillermo Tolentino, the finest sculptor the
country ever produced and Amorsolo’s best friend. When asked why he did
not speak up in his own defense, the artist responded with a shrug and
said that he had already matured as an artist. He had nothing left to
prove and was comfortable painting what he wished in the form of
expression that he chose. His customers stood by his side and demand
for his paintings remained high.
The
Sunset of his Life
Amorsolo worked until the last year of his
life. Age was starting to catch up with him. He was afflicted with
diabetes and arthritis in addition to his heart condition. His eyesight
was also beginning to fail him and he had to undergo a cataract
operation. In his later works, his compromised vision led to wayward
brush strokes of red and blue lines where a mound of earth should be.
Despite these challenges, the quality of his output remained at high
levels and the popularity of his work never waned.
What were probably the
most painful tragedies struck him in his later years. In 1964, his
eldest son Fernando, Jr. died from asthma and tuberculosis. The
artist was so grief-stricken that he could not bear to attend his own
son’s funeral. Seven years later in 1971, his youngest child Milo
died in a car accident. The pain of having to bury two of his children
was too much for Amorsolo to bear. Five days short of a year after Milo
died, Amorsolo died of heart failure on April 24, 1972.
Amorsolo’s work continues to resonate among his countrymen decades after
his death. His portrayals of an ideal and beautiful world drew the most
ardent praises and the harshest criticisms. To understand the artist
one has to appreciate the man behind Amorsolo. He was shy, innocent,
and most importantly pure. These traits spilled over onto his canvas.
It was not because Amorsolo was not capable of recognizing the dark side
of society. He had his share of heartbreak and disappointment in his
life but he deliberately isolated himself from these and chose to
portray the bright side of the world. Not a shred of wickedness
permeated his character and as a result his art is the purest
manifestation of beauty. The basic desire to identify with what is good
is what people inherently have in common with the artist. It is for
this legacy that Amorsolo will be most fondly remembered.
