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BACOLOD CITY — The 88-year-old painting of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo can now be viewed again by the public at its home, the Hofileña Museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
PRICELESS PAINTING A museum worker places the 88-year-old painting ‘Mango Harvesters’ of National Artist Fernando Amorsolo to its original spot inside the Hofileña Museum in Silay City, Negros Occidental. PHOTO COURTESY OF NEGROS OCCIDENTAL TOURISM DIVISION
The painting was unveiled in the presence of Hofileña family members and guests on Friday, and was placed on its original spot at the second floor of the museum.
"We are celebrating more than just the return of a lost painting — we celebrate the return of a story, a memory, and a piece of our cultural heritage that was once taken from us," Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said in his message delivered by provincial tourism head Cheryl Decena.
Lacson thanked the Hofileña family for their unwavering commitment to preserving the cultural wealth of Silay and Negros Occidental.
The governor at the same time acknowledged the National Bureau of Investigation, the Philippine National Police, and all those who contributed to the successful recovery of the painting.
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"The successful operation is a proud moment and a testament to the unwavering dedication, relentless investigative efforts, and excellent coordination of our law enforcement agencies," the governor said.
Decena said on Saturday that the province's tourism sector joins the Hofileña family in celebrating the return of the Amorsolo painting to the museum.
"All the efforts that came with its recovery give a strong statement, that we take very seriously the preservation and protection of our local heritage in Negros Occidental," she added.
During the ceremony, museum manager Rene Hofileña gave an award of recognition to the tourist pedicab driver who provided a lead to the authorities after it was determined that the persons who boarded his vehicle were the ones who stole the Amorsolo painting.
The painting was returned by the NBI in December last year after it was recovered from the suspects.
The 1936 painting "Mango Harvesters" of Amorsolo was stolen by two guests at the Hofileña Museum at Cinco de Noviembre street in Silay City, Negros Occidental.
The search for the masterpiece ended in Quezon City with the arrest of two persons who offered the masterpiece in the art market for P3.5 million.
NBI Director Jaime Santiago said they set up an entrapment to arrest the suspects — Ritz Chona Ching Castro and Donecio Somaylo Escobia — who delivered the 12×18-inch painting which was stolen from Hofileña Museum in Silay City on July 3, 2024.
The market value of the painting was pegged at P8 million to P12 million.
Negrense art collector Ramon Hofileña converted their ancestral home into a museum in 1962.
The Hofileña Museum is a repository of art finds collected by Ramon who asked that their ancestral home remain a museum even after his death in 2021.
Also on display at the museum are works of Filipino artists like Juan Luna, Jose Joya, Felix Resurrecion Hidalgo, Vicente Manansala, Ang Kiukok, H.R. Ocampo, and Benedicto Cabrera.
The museum also has a sketch by Jose Rizal made during his student days that was given to Ramon by Bobby Ongpin.
