Traditional Arts

1. Heritage of Cebu Monument

Description
The Heritage of Cebu Monument is a representation and
illustration of sculptures depicting significant and symbolic events
in the history of Cebu back from the time of Rajah Humabon to the
recent beatification of the Cebuano martyr, Pedro Calungsod.
The monument was built by the local artist, Eduardo Castrillo.
Its construction started in July 1997. He and the late Senator
Marcelo Fernan funded the construction together with other
donations from private individuals and organizations. The
construction was finished and inaugurated on December 8, 2000.
Historical background
The scenes illustrated in the monument are the conversion of
Rajah Humabon and his followers to Christianity, the local
revolution against the Spanish rule, a Roman Catholic Mass, and
the fateful fight on April 21, 1521 in the island of Mactan where
native chieftain Lapu-Lapu killed Ferdinand Magellan. The
structures carved in the monument includes the Basilica Del Sto.
Nino, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral, The Saint John the Baptist
Church, Magellan’s Cross, a Spanish Galleon, Statues of Sergio
Osmena Sr. and Blessed Pedro Calungsod.
Artist(s)
Eduardo Castrillo
Processes used
The process used in order to create this was sculpting and
construction.
2. Magellan’s Cross

Description
Magellan’s Cross holds a very big part of the history of Cebu. It
is believed to be a Christian cross planted by the Portuguese and
Spanish explorers headed by Ferdinand Magellan. It was planted
upon their arrival in Cebu on March 15, 1521. That day also marked
the birth of Christianity in the land
Historical background
The original cross was believed by the people of old to have
miraculous healing powers so they started chipping it away.
Because of that, the government officials was prompted to
supposedly encased it in another wooden cross made from
tindalo.It is now housed in a small chapel. Rumors say though that
the original cross was destroyed or disappeared after the death of
Magellan.
Artist(s)
It was planted by Ferdinand Magellan and was further enhanced
by the Cebuanos.
Processes used
The actual Magellan’s Cross was encased inside this wooden
cross that is carved out from Tingalo wood and it’s purpose is to
protect the actual cross.
3. Lapu-Lapu Shrine in Mactan

Description
The Lapu-Lapu Shrine is a 20-meter bronze statue located in
the Mactan Shrine park in Punta Engaño, Mactan Island, Cebu. The
statue was erected to honor Rajah Lapu-Lapu, the native chieftain
of Mactan Island who defeated Ferdinand Magellan during the
historic Battle of Mactan in 1521.
The Lapu-Lapu memorial statue is on top of a pedestal
surrounded by a low-level fence and shows the Cebuano hero in his
native costume with a sword on his right hand and a shield on his
left.
The Lapu-Lapu Shrine is inside a plaza commonly known as the
Magellan Shrine park that commemorates the events of the Battle
of Mactan. Thousands of foreign and local tourists visit the park
every year. The park includes the Magellan Shrine and a covered
structure that houses a huge mural painting of the Battle of Mactan
and a commemorative marker.
Historical background
The Magellan shrine is a large memorial tower built in 1866 to
honor Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and is built on the
area where Magellan is believed to have been killed in 1521.
The covered structure in the park houses a mural painting on
the wall depicting the Battle of Mactan. A commemorative marker
in front of the painting reads “Here on April 27, 1521, Lapu-lapu
and his men repulsed the Spanish invaders, killing their leader,
Ferdinand Magellan. Thus Lapu-lapu became the first Filipino to
have repelled European aggression.”
Artist(s)
There is no national artist, who created this statue that was
mentioned.
Processes used
This statue was sculpted using concrete cement and steel
frame.
 Contemporary Arts
1. Demands of Life

Description
The artwork depicts an old man working hard as a construction
worker.
Historical background
The artist wants to show that due to the demands in life, any
possible work that you could have is very important to sustain your
family.
Artist(s)
John Dinglasa
Processes used
The process used in this artwork was the pen and ink technique.

2. Chicharon sa Kaugmaon

Description
 The artwork shows a “chicharon vendor” by the streets in Cebu
City flashing a wide smile.
Historical background
With this artwork, Abejar wants to portray that Cebuanos are
hardworking people. The “chicharon” that is being sold symbolizes
the pride from CarCar City. While the man selling it serves as the
Cebuano vendors showing that despite the struggles in life and the
heat in the streets of Cebu City, they still managed to smile and
see the optimism in life just to provide a better future for his family
especially to his children.
Artist(s)
John Paul Abejar
Processes used
The artist used oil painting on canvas in creating this artwork.

3. Alagad Ka NiÑo

Description
The painting shows a lady dressed in a traditional Sinulog outfit
while carrying the image of Sto. Niño. The lady is walking along the
streets of Cebu City together with the people dressed in casual
outfits but the lady in a Sinulog costume is emphasized in the
painting.
Historical background
Sinulog is an annual celebration in Cebu to give honor to Snr.
Sto. Niño which symbolizes the introduction of Christianity here in
Cebu. Many people have testified on the miracles done by the Holy
Child and with this more and more people are being devoted to
Snr. Sto. Niño. The artwork depicts that in each one of the
Cebuanos, our devotion to Sto. Niño is very strong that despite the
crowd during the Sinulog celebration, people are still going there to
celebrate this annual celebration. It shows our huge faith in God
and in His churches.
Artist(s)
Jovani Rodriguez
Processes used
The artist used oil on canvas to create this artwork.

Answer the following questions:

1. If you were an artist, which of the 2 kinds of art would you most
likely use? Why do you say so?
If I was an artist, I would probably use contemporary art rather
than using traditional art. In contemporary art, I could showcase
my originality and creativity through my very own work. It also
saves time compared to the traditional art wherein one has to
make an actual sculpture of his/her artwork. In contemporary art, I
could express my own thoughts and feelings on a certain issue or
topic by displaying it based on my opinions and art style. There is
no restriction when using contemporary art.
2. How can you promote your region’s—
a. Traditional art?
I can promote our region’s traditional art by creating a post
about it on social media, on the history and culture of our
region. It is not that difficult in promoting it because a lot of
tourist agencies are already handling that one.
b. Contemporary art?
This one’s a very tough thing to promote nowadays because
the youth are not that engaged and interested in arts in these
times. Probably, the social media is a very effective way to
promote it because most teenagers and even adults are into
this platform and it would be much easier if contemporary arts
are spread here so as to display to the users the different
contemporary arts in our region.
3. What are the usual subjects of your region’s—
a. Traditional art?
The usual subjects of our region’s traditional art are culture,
history and religion. Most of it are the historical people that
contributed greatly in our economy, history, culture and
religion. One example is the statue of Lapu-Lapu located in
Lapu-Lapu, wherein the place is derived from his name and
some also include the statues and sculptures of the Saints in
our church.
b. Contemporary art?
The subjects of the contemporary arts in Cebu are the same
as of the traditional arts but the only difference is that the
artists of contemporary art incorporated a modern touch to their
 artworks. Modern day issues are also present in these type of
arts in our region.
4. What is the usual theme of your region’s—
a. Traditional art?
Most themes of our traditional art are all about the
importance of our religion and our culture and the products
made here in Cebu.
b. Contemporary art?
The contemporary arts tackles about the modern day issues
and situations here in out country. Additionally, it also shows
the different cultures of our region to relive the old culture and
introduce it to the young ones.