In the continuing effort to exact revenge on the pandemic by conducting one’s affairs as normally as possible, subject to the perfectly understandable constraints of scientifically-supported health precautions, we prepared for Christmas 2021 in pretty much the same way as we did last year. Which is to say, in the midst of Covid and on-again off-again lockdowns, we scouted around for a suitable artist who might produce a respectable artwork for our family Christmas card.
As in many previous years – a good sign that our anti-pandemic revenge strategy was working – we did not have to look too hard, as one such artist came through via a mutual friend. It helped tremendously that his portfolio of completed works was available to view publicly on his social media, which included works such as the following:
San Juan Evangelista
Santa Ana
Saint Joseph’s Dream
Dwelling almost entirely within the religious art genre – almost stampita-like – and in a unique hyperdetailed style, this artist could certainly create something different for our Christmas card, I thought. As with previous prospective artists, we asked for possible subjects and studies, and by mid-August 2021, he had sent me three, with accompanying write-ups even:
PAHALIK
“At Christmas time in many towns in the Philippines, the parish’s treasured image of the Niño Dormido (the sleeping Christ Child) is brought from house to house for the faithful to venerate and kiss. Laid on a lace cushion and shielded by a linen cloth, the image of the Infant Jesus is carried by sacristans early on Christmas morning.
“From the point of view of Catholic faithful, the ‘Pahalik’ is not just a physical activity but a manifestation of how we must always accept Jesus, with the eagerness and excitement of a child. It shows how children ought to do their best to have Jesus within them: as a source of happiness and hope for a better tomorrow.”
ISDANG PAROL
“Inspired by the quaint, illuminated lanterns of bamboo and paper from the Christmases of our childhood, the ‘Isdang Parol’ is a symbol of our struggles in the sea of life. The celebration of Christmas is therefore a way of connecting Jesus Christ our Savior to our struggles in this vale of tears. He is the standard of righteousness and the source of all life.”
But it was a third study – actually the first of the three that the artist had completed and sent to me (via the Viber messaging app) – that caught our attention the most:
PANUNULUYAN
“The ‘Panunuluyan’ is a beloved Christmas tradition that brings together Filipinos in their journeys of faith and hope. It reenacts the long and difficult search by Saint Joseph and the pregnant Blessed Virgin Mary for a room at an inn.
“The traditional form of this Christmas drama is a procession of the images of the Holy Couple atop adorned carozzas, with townsfolk singing and reciting lines while knocking on three to four houses that represent the Bethlehem inns. A “ginoong maybahay” (head of the household) would turn them away at each stop until the procession ultimately finds itself at the parish church, where the Christmas story is retold in the “Misa de Aguinaldo” (midnight mass or vigil mass).
“This seemingly primitive and folk theater-like ‘Panunuluyan’ tradition is still part of the uniquely ‘Pinoy’ observance of Christmas. In the eyes of the children who witness this annually, it is a gripping and therefore effective retelling of the story of that very first Christmas night.”
It did not take long for us to converge on the “Panunuluyan” as the chosen subject for this year’s Christmas card. By October 19th, the artwork was definitely work-in-progress:
And just a few days later, on October 23rd, the foreground was essentially done,
with just the pink-and-purple sky and lanterns-framing missing.
By October 26th, the artwork was complete. On the same day, the artist sent me an expanded write-up of this subject, with an updated artwork title:
ABOUT THE ARTWORK
“Growing up in Hagonoy [Bulacan], I was blessed to experience several cultural and religious customs still being preserved to the present day. I used to join my mother, a ‘mandarasal ng kaluluwa’ [member of a traditional group of prayer devotees] along with other old women of our barrio whenever they gathered for these observances.
“There is always a sense of nostalgia, and I am instantly brought back to the Holy Weeks and Christmases of my childhood every time I witness a procession of old ‘santos’ on ‘carozzas’ [wheeled processional floats].
“Working on this painting brought back a lot of memories. In some years, our house was chosen to be one of the stops of the ‘Panunuluyan’ with the images of ‘San Jose’ [Saint Joseph] and the pillow-pregnant ‘Virgen’ [Blessed Virgin Mary], accompanied by the parish’s men, women, and children, with a band of musicians, while they re-enact the holy couple’s search for an inn that fateful night in Bethlehem. For us who belong to the simple household of a ‘karpintero’ [my father is a professional carpenter], that virtual experience of being part of the journey of the birth of our Lord will always be memorable.
“This painting, entitled ‘Tuloy Po Kayo!’ [‘Welcome – Please Come In!’], is an ode to my town and its people, and ultimately to the Holy Family. It is also a message of hope and warmth, and a call-to-action for such beautiful traditions to endure, no matter what crises we experience in life: the more we should let the Holy Family into our hearts in the face of all these lockdowns and being detained in what often feels like a never-ending pandemic.
“Through this artwork, may we still keep our faith strong, and may we hope that after all these, we may carry on with these traditions begun by our ancestors and bequeathed to us.”
And here is the official photograph of the artwork, taken in HD-quality by the artist himself:
TULOY PO KAYO!
18" x 24" / 61 cm x 46 cm
Watercolor and Gouache on Paper
2021
Here is a bit more about the artist, written in the third person but in his own words:
ABOUT THE ARTIST
“Ronnel Lacas is a licensed architect and painter from Hagonoy, Bulacan.
“He discovered his passion for drawing when he won his first competition at the municipal level in his kindergarten year. In elementary school, he won several national art competitions with the supervision of his teacher-coach Ms. Ana Maria Rubio. While in secondary school, he was exposed to more art styles and mediums under Mrs. Yolanda Narciso, and won numerous awards and other accolades while representing the school.
“His first encounter with watercolor came when he majored in Architecture at the Bulacan State University. It was a love-hate relationship, as watercolor is a difficult medium, but was mandatory for students in rendering their architecture drawings. Nonetheless, in the course of his university studies, Ronnel was able to develop his own technique in watercolor, and until today, he continues to explore water-based mediums such as gouache.
“Growing up in a religious family in Hagonoy, he was fascinated by processions of life-sized images of saints, and became interested in the art of ‘pagsasanto’ [the technical and devotional aspects of creating and caring for religious images]. Seeing antique images of saints mounted on ‘carrozas'’ during Semana Santa [Holy Week] and other town fiestas, Ronnel saw how real-world crafts combined with seemingly other-worldly religiosity result in religious art that might give one a proverbial ‘glimpse of heaven’. As a result of this interest, ‘santos’ garbed in gold-embroidered garments became some of his favorite artwork subjects.
“Ronnel’s painting style is heavily influenced by, among others, the classical Renaissance and Baroque style of ‘chiaroscuro’ or the interplay between light and shade.”
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As in previous years, recipients of our Christmas card also received one or more specially-chosen items, reflecting our family’s interests and preferences, including:
The Ortigas Foundation’s 2022 desk calendar, a mainstay of our annual Christmas pack; this time featuring artworks from the pre-war “Philippine Magazine” by artists including Fabian de la Rosa, Jorge Pineda, and Fernando Amorsolo, who would all subsequently achieve broader renown.
Twisted, the 25th Anniversary Edition, by Jessica Zafra, a favorite writer of many of the people on our Christmas list.
“Tarantadong Kalbo Volume 2”, the latest compilation of painfully funny cartoons and comic strips by visual artist and animator Kevin Eric Raymundo.
“Never Again! [to Martial Law!]”, a collection of semi-apocryphal anecdotes, Martial Law-era jokes, and interesting reviews of books from the post-Marcos era, by an energetic and amiable 90-year old retired UPLB professor, “Doc Cris” Maslog.
For many recipients, the three books were packaged in a durable linen “book purse”
courtesy of our regular craftsperson in Malolos, Rheeza Hernandez. Incidentally, Rheeza was also our source for the Pampanga-made “pink parols” hung in our family’s homes and popular with many other like-minded families as well. Here it is, hanging in our city apartment’s living room, overlooking the leafy neighborhood park.
And with that, from Rheeza, Jessica, Doc Cris, Kevin (a.k.a Tarantadong Kalbo), the Ortigas Foundation & Library Team, Architect Ron, and my family and me, to you and yours –
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Maligayang Pasko at Manigong Bagong Taon!
Originally published on 31 December 2021. All text and photos (except where attributed otherwise) copyright ©2021 Leo D Cloma. The moral right of Leo D Cloma to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted.
