Purveyor of Knowledge and Emerging Publisher of Content and Visually Driven Books

March 17, 2026

The History and the 1940s Graduates of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts

The History and the 1940s Graduates of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts (Second of Three Parts)
by: Christiane L. de la Paz

March 2014–The School of Fine Arts was established by authority of Act No. 1870, founding the University of the Philippines which was enacted by the Philippine Assembly on June 18, 1908. The School was opened to students in June, 1909. It was first housed in a building rented by the University at 931 Calle Resurreccion Hidalgo, Quiapo. In May, 1926, it moved to 1001 California Street, Ermita, and in November, 1933, it moved to Villamor Hall where it is present housed.

The object of the School, besides the teaching and development of the graphic and plastic arts in their various and manifold branches, which is its chief objects, is “to exert an influence toward the advancement and refinement of those industrial trades which are of an artistic nature; as gold and silver work, ceramics, embroidery, lace-making, and metal work.”

The 1940s Graduates


Pablo Victoria (1940)


Virginia Flor Agbayani (1947)


Constancio Bernardo (1948)


Benjamin Alano (1948)


Jose Yap (1948)


Lauro Alcala (1949)



The History of Marikina's Shoe Industry
The History of Marikina's Shoe Industry
November 2013--Marikina was founded three hundred righty-three years ago when the Jesuits arrived in 1630. They called the area Jesus dela Peña (Jesus of the Rocks). It was later called Mariquina and a parish was estab...
lee mas...
Picasso's "The Actor" Painting Accidentally Ripped by A Woman at the Met
Picasso's "The Actor" Painting Accidentally Ripped by A Woman at the Met
Pablo Picasso’s “The Actor” painting which depicts a gaunt male figure in a dusty pink costume was gouged on Friday, January 25 2010 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art when a museumgoer fell into the artwork...
lee mas...
The History and the 1940s Graduates of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts
The History and the 1940s Graduates of the University of the Philippines School of Fine Arts
March 2014--The School of Fine Arts was established by authority of Act No. 1870, founding the University of the Philippines which was enacted by the Philippine Assembly on June 18, 1908. The School was opened to students in June, 1909. It was first housed in a building rented by the University at...
lee mas...
Patis Tesoro's Busisi Textile Exhibition
Patis Tesoro's Busisi Textile Exhibition
 July 2022 -- The exhibition explores the often-surprising history of the celebrated Philippine hand-made textiles (jusi and piña), intricate patterns and designs, as well as the thinking and creativity of Patis Tesoro in how she promotes the traditional looming techniques and supporting community-based farming initiatives to create her distinctive dyes, beadwork, embroideries, prints and wea...
lee mas...
Making An Impression: Efren Zaragoza's Life in Art
Making An Impression: Efren Zaragoza's Life in Art
January-February 2015--Efren Zaragoza had his first sighting as a printmaker in 1966 when he joined the First National Graphic Art Competition sponsored by the Art Association of the Philippines. His interest in printmakin...
lee mas...
The History of the San Agustin Church
The History of the San Agustin Church
January 2012--Along with its search for wealth, the Spanish colonizers made it a top mission to spread Catholicism in the Philippines. And to broaden the reach of Christianity, a place for worship is needed to bring the cong...
lee mas...
Unique Tombs found in the Philippines
Unique Tombs found in the Philippines
 MANILA, Philippines — Archaeologists have unearthed remnants of what they believe is a 1,000-year-old village on a jungle-covered mountaintop in the Philippines with limestone coffins of a type never before found in...
lee mas...
The Art and Life of Baidy Rico Mendoza
The Art and Life of Baidy Rico Mendoza
She is truly mystical. Of herself she declares, I am as old as the hills and as young as the clouds, and somebody said, as the mist. Baidy Rico Mendoza fashions her clay people out of disparate thingsit...
lee mas...
Modern Graffiti Artist: HEPE
Modern Graffiti Artist: HEPE
February 2009--Graffiti is from the Italian word graffiato which means scratched. It has a long history that goes back to the figure drawings found in the walls of ancient ruins in  Rome and monuments in Egypt....
lee mas...
Betis Mandukit: A Comparative Analysis of the Works of Wilfredo Layug and Boyet Flores
Betis Mandukit: A Comparative Analysis of the Works of Wilfredo Layug and Boyet Flores
November 2015--When one mentions the district of Betis in the town of Guagua, Pampanga, the first thing that most likely comes to mind is woodcarving. It is an art that is as old as the history of the town itself and a sk...
lee mas...