Martsa ng Bayan
signed and dated 1992 (lower le ft and verso)
oil on canvas
16" x 24" (41 cm x 61 cm)

PROVENANCEAcquired directly from the artist by the present owner


Pablo Baens Santos, one of the leading luminaries of the Philippines social realist movement, depicts a people’s mobilization in this 1992 piece titled Martsa ng Bayan. Here, men and women; the young and old; students, peasants, and workers consolidate their forces to amplify their calls and advance their socio-economic interests. 1992 was marked by two turning points: the repealing of the Anti-Subversion Act of 1957 and the turnover of the Subic Naval Base by the US to the Philippines, resulting from the 1991 historic Senate vote rejecting the renewal of American bases, thus ending US military presence in the country. These landmark events emerged from the uncompromising resistance of the Filipino people against imperialism and repression of their democratic liberty. “From the masses, to the masses” is a national democratic principle that means consolidating the people’s fragmented ideas and thoughts and prudently integrating and molding them. We rely on the masses’ grasp of their social, economic, and political conditions so we can understand them and fittingly act upon their issues. Thus, we must depend on their innate capacity and, above all, their level of consciousness if we want to help them amplify their calls sincerely. This is the real meaning of unity. Santos depicts genuine solidarity borne from resolute grassroots organizing and fostering the people’s profound understanding of their struggles and keen assertion of their rights. (A.M.)