MANILA, Philippines – Remember Macky Bongabong, the talented son of a fisherman who painted a portrait of President Rodrigo Duterte? Malacañang commissioned him to paint another portrait of the Philippine leader, said the young artist in a Facebook post.
On Sunday night, January 15, Bongabong proudly showed his finished product via Facebook Live: a half-body portrait of a beaming Duterte in a barong.
Bongabong has been showing the different stages of progress of his latest masterpiece through video streaming. Watch some of the videos below:
Sunday, January 15
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Saturday, January 14
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Friday, January 13
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Thursday, January 12
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Bongabong came from a coastal community in Sangali, Zamboanga City, where his father taught him how to sew nylon fishing nets, which later on became his source of income as a high school student. He grew up with an appreciation for the arts, despite having no formal education or training in it.
He joined almost all of the art competitions in his school and in their town, and even dreamed of going to other places to compete. Every time he won, he would always hand his cash prize to his late mother, to help his family.
Bongabong said he is giving his second portrait of the President to Malacañang for free even if he paid for the materials.
In a mix of Bisaya and English, the Davao-based artist told some observers who were watching him work in his studio in a mall: "I offered this to him for free... It's so expensive, but this is for Tatay Digong." – Rappler.com