Majestic Eagle
signed and dated 2009 (bottom)
carved asahi glass
19 3/4" x 5" x 8" (50 cm x 13 cm x 20 cm)

PROVENANCEFinale Art File, For Ateneo Scholars: Tomorrow’s Nation Builders (3rdAteneo Art Auction), Organized by the Ateneo Alumni Association,Makati City, October 2, 2010


The Philippine Eagle has long been a symbol of courage, strength, and freedom for us Filipinos. It is considered the largest of the surviving eagle species in the world in terms of length and wing surface area. In 1995, then President Fidel V. Ramos declared the Philippine eagle as the "National Bird of the Philippines" by virtue of Proclamation No. 615. However, as of 2022, there are only approximately 400 nesting pairs of Philippine eagles left in the wild, with threats to its habitat and continued existence mainly brought by massive deforestation by big logging companies. Due to its critically endangered status, the bird is protected under the law through Republic Act 9147, otherwise known as "An Act Providing for the Conservation and Protection of Wildlife Resources and their Habitats, Appropriating Funds Thereof, and for Other Purposes." As a symbol of our country's (endangered) fauna, the great Philippine Eagle encapsulates our genuine aspirations of hope and prosperity in the midst of tribulations. Pioneering glass sculptor Ramon Orlina sublimely captures these values attached to the charismatic bird of prey in this piece aptly titled Majestic Eagle. Here, Orlina casts his unique reinterpretation of the mighty form of our national bird. The sculptor depicts the animal as a towering figure, with its impressive wings portrayed in a frozen upstroke gesture. The solemn, almost hallowed quality imbibed by Orlina to his rendition of our might national emblem evokes both the Filipino people's spoken and unspoken declarations of self-determination enshrined in our colonial past, embodied in our challenging present, and continues toward a promising future. This piece was part of the Ateneo Alumni Association's 3rd Ateneo Art Auction titled "For Ateneo Scholars, Tomorrow's Nation Builders." The sale aimed to provide quality Ateneo education to aspiring, academically gifted yet underprivileged students who will steer the nation toward its future as leaders, innovators, and visionaries in their equally important chosen fields. The auction was in line with the Ateneo de Manila University's mission "to identify, enrich, and embody Philippine culture and contribute to the development of the nation and the upliftment of Filipinos as part of the global community." (A.M.)