Last month, a massive 10-foot high brass sculpture left its pride of place overlooking a vast expanse of manicured landscape in Lipa City, Batangas to make a 90-kilometer journey to its new home in Diliman, Quezon City.
The sculpture, Pagsisigasig, Pagyabong, Pag-unlad by Eduardo Castrillo, was commissioned in 1980 by architects Antonio and Cristina Turalba, founders of the Active Group, for the company’s headquarters in Makati.
In 1998, the sculpture was transferred to their luxury development at the foot of Mount Malarayat in Lipa, the Malarayat Golf and Country Club.
For 25 years, the sculpture, currently appraised at over P20 million, took centerstage at the club, greeting members and guests of the golf club, one of the country’s finest all-weather courses composed of three nine-hole courses, and the club’s hotel, as well as residents of the Malarayat estate development.
Castrillo is an award-winning sculptor and jewelry designer and recipient of the Republic Cultural Heritage and TOYM awards.
The sculpture, as its title implies, represents hard work or perseverance (pagsisigasig) which allows one to flourish (pagyabong), which in turn leads to progress (pag-unlad).
Tony Turalba explains the decision to donate the sculpture to the University of the Philippines: “Three generations of Turalbas have studied in UP Diliman. My wife Tina and I, along with our children and grandchildren, decided to donate the sculpture as a gift to UP.”
The imposing artwork is now at the UP College of Engineering. “It is extra meaningful for me as a proud Tau Alphan that the sculpture is located at the Tau Alpha Corner of the College of Engineering which connects to the Tau Alpha Fraternity Legacy Boardwalk, the fraternity’s gift to the university, as Tau Alpha celebrates its 90th year,” he adds.