KAAGAPAY I This monument by Kublai Millan is a colossal representation of the Angono-Binangonan Petroglyphs, the oldest artworks in the Philippines.
Dated during the late Neolithic Period (3500 BCE), the petroglyphs were discovered inside a rock shelter in the area in 1965 by a young Carlos “Botong” Francisco (a native of Angono who would go on to be National Artist for the Visual Arts). 127 identified petroglyphs can be clearly seen in the caves, depicting varied human and animal symbolic figures.
This huge tri-figure monument is inspired by some of those figures.
Entitled “KAAGAPAY” (Tagalog for “someone by one’s side”), this massive sculpture continues and inverts the gigantifying tradition of Angono’s Higantes Festival and reimagines the petroglyphs as a monument. Using the monumental scale as way of celebrating the hallowed roots of Filipino art, it is a landmark that proclaims Angono as the country’s art capital.
The monument also celebrates how art connects us across cultures and eras – figures are circled around as if in a bonfire, a composition inspired both by the Dap-ays of the Cordilleras and the fireside chanting of Mindanao. The Mindanawon artist draws particular attention to the shapes of the figures themselves, which also evoke the patterns seen in his home islands’ many weaving and embroidery traditions.
What is it about these geometric figures – which in their sheer simplicity seem to be the culmination of design – that still captivates the imaginations of people across islands and ages? What future can we divine from these ancient writings on the cave walls? From the petroglyphs, Kublai divines the title – our ancestors reveal through their enduring art the universal humanity we all share with one another, a shared humanity we today often too easily forget.
The KAAGAPAY Monument invites visitors to the Loyola Retreat House to not only celebrate Philippine artistic heritage, but to also stand side by side with one another as we all face together the challenges of life in our journey to rediscover yesterday, to be present today, and to build a better tomorrow.
