A Farewell Tribute to a Renowned Angono Muralist

My condolences to the family of Jose "Pitok" Blanco, native of Angono, and beloved folk muralist who may be said as a master painter after Angono's heart.

Famous in executing murals depicting the everyday life of the town he so loved when farming and fishing were still Angono's main source of livelihood, Blanco had proven his devotion to his beloved town through a vast collection of paintings celebrating the extensive storyline scenes of the life of Angono fishermen and farmers, and pivotal moments of Angono such as the burning of Angono during the Second World War, and the now famous Fiesta de San Clemente.

Without a doubt, Jose "Pitok" Blanco belongs to a select few among the great number of artists in Angono. It must be noted that most of his offsprings were indeed skilled painters themselves; his life was a testament to the path he was chosen for: to excel in the arts and to remind his fellow townsfolk to cherish a way of life so dear to him, a lifestyle which defined Angono ancestors' long forgotten ways, embodied by the simple but fulfilling life of once a upon a time Angono of the past.

Indeed, by reminiscing days long past, Jose "Pitok" Blanco had left an imprint in Angono; it is an imprint which encourages us to look back to our past as a guide to an ever-changing, growingly indistinct, and globally-connected future, in order for us to discover what makes us unique, as individuals and as a community, in this ever-shrinking world.

As one who claim belonging to Angono, it is with deep sorrow that I write this article but with solemn determination to give due credit and honor to one of its most outstanding citizens. His pursuit in the arts ought to be acknowledged as having considerably contributed to bringing our beloved town of Angono in its current place of renown as a town blessed in the arts.

We will miss our beloved master painter but none the less state that the works of arts he had created throughout the years of his life and the dedication he had shown in the arts will remain in our memories long after he has gone beyond the boundaries of his beloved town.

Farewell, native son of Angono. May you rest in peace knowing that you will always be remembered by those who know and love Angono by heart.