(PIA) – Painter, sculptor, photographer, and all-around creative Ande Geronimo Busacay, also known as ‘Ande Bon’, is enriching Kalinga culture through his beautiful and meaningful acrylic paintings that depict the province’s culture, traditions, people, stories, and history.
The 42-year-old self-taught artist also creates wonderful sculptures using cement and scrap fabrics in a conscious effort to breathe new life into old clothes and reduce waste, an initiative that earned him a commendation from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Cordillera for his contribution to recycling efforts.
Becoming an artist
Tabuk City-based artist Ande Bon is a man of many talents and skills, and his home studio shows it. Every part of the room is dedicated to one of his multiple creative endeavors – in one corner stands a painting he’s currently working on, in another is a working area for his sculptures, on one table sits a row of amber bottles for the skincare products he’s developing, and displayed on a shelf are assorted handcrafted items he made.
Ande Bon said he always knew he was artistic, but the path to becoming an artist was not so straightforward. A graduate of Food Technology from the University of the Philippines-Diliman, he moved through different careers until a trip to Northern India led him to an epiphany.
“I was trekking and when I saw the beautiful view, it brought me back here in Kalinga and I thought I wanted to come back home and I wanted to share the beauty of Kalinga, I wanted to share the beauty of my hometown,” he recalled.
He shared that the experience of being invited to eat “the Indian way” and seeing how proud the locals are about sharing this aspect of their culture evoked a newfound appreciation for his own.
“Because that was also the Filipino way [of eating] and I know Filipino people who are Westernized already, who are not really proud of their culture but that moment when I was in India, it made me realize that culture is very important, there’s nothing to be ashamed of someone’s culture,” he reflected.
Ande Bon, who is ethnically from Mountain Province on his mother’s side, said his mission to promote Kalinga through his artworks was also a matter of self-discovery and self-identity.
“I am not by descent [a] Kalinga and so I don’t know anything about our culture. I was born here. I was raised here but every time I go out, I step out of my comfort zone, I feel like I’m a stranger. I feel like I don’t know much about our culture which is a shame. I’m very proud [to be from Kalinga], that if I go to another part of the world I say that I am from Kalinga but the reality is, I’m not exposed enough to our culture, so basically my art, I paint, I make sculptures to discover who I am because to me identity is very important,” he said.
When he returned to the Philippines in 2018 to do art, painting was not the first thing that came to mind. In fact, he originally set out to make a business out of selling all kinds of crafts centered on Kalinga culture since he loves making things with his hands. He then started designing, drawing, doodling, but felt that something was missing, and so he picked up a paintbrush, trying his hand at abstract paintings.
“[I thought], why don’t I paint people? So I started to learn how to paint people and [on] the first try I was able to get it,” he said.
“It’s such a revelation. I didn’t know that I know how to paint. Feeling ko tuloy na ang art, there’s a trigger. Sometimes it comes at a later part in your life, sometimes early pa lang nakita mo na, but I’ve always known that I’m an artistic person,” he said.
Muse
Ande Bon considers Kalinga his muse, drawing his ideas and inspiration from his hometown’s rich cultural heritage, its people, and even its flora and fauna.
For his paintings, he gravitates towards subjects he thinks are unrewarded, underappreciated, the unsung heroes who have nevertheless made significant contributions to the community. Most of them are ordinary people and many are women.
Among those he has immortalized on his canvass are the editor-in-chief of a local newspaper, who, despite the challenges of a dying industry, “has somehow managed to keep going”; a high school batchmate passionately promoting Kalinga culture; a coffee farmer and producer elevating Kaling coffee ; and a woman he read about in a book about the Chico River Dam struggle.
“I also wanted to highlight the great contribution of women. Kaya naging successful ‘yung struggle because the women also went out of the way, it’s not only the men that stopped the construction of the dam,” he said, referring to the history of Kalinga’s resistance against the government’s plan to build massive hydropower dams in the 80s, which would have displaced them and submerged their ancestral lands.
Sculptures
Ande Bon also makes Kalinga-inspired sculptures like the binungor (a Kalinga delicacy) and the bongor (heirloom beads).
The sculptures are made from a mix of cement and scrap fabrics, which he usually sources from the ‘ukay-ukay’ as a way to repurpose secondhand clothes.
“Why cloth? It was a conscious choice. Because people are obsessed with fashion, people are obsessed with style, and they forget that there is a responsibility towards the environment. People like to collect nice things, and I think that’s okay but when the clothes end up in a landfill somewhere, that becomes a problem. And so, I like to do my part to tell the world that we must reuse, we must recycle, we must repurpose,” he said.
His effort was recognized by the DENR-Cordillera, awarding him a Plaque of Commendation in June 2023.
While most sculptures are exhibited in museums and galleries, Ande Bon chose to display his artworks at their farm.
“The idea is, you know, there’s art in the garden, art in an island. There’s no art on a farm so yeah, that’s it basically. And it’s a nice distraction for the farmers,” he said.
Community service
On top of his many creative pursuits, Ande Bon volunteers for the Philippine Red Cross (PRC)-Kalinga Chapter and Mt. Province Chapter as a photographer, documenting the work the non-government organization is doing in communities.
“To me, documenting is important. I think having a nice picture of someone doing something is important. Because people love nice pictures, people respond well when they see nice pictures and it’s easier for us to promote the activities of the PRC if the audience has something nice to look at in my opinion,” he said.
“I like helping people. I really do. I like community service. I like public service. And to me, I believe in the cause of the Philippine Red Cross so much so I’m devoting time, effort, and money to help promote cause,” he said.
Supporting creatives
Ande Bon acknowledged that the arts and artists generally tend to be an underappreciated sector, making him deeply appreciative of clients and community members who value the work that artists do.
“Sally Lammawin is my number one client here in Kalinga because she is the first non-family member who believed in me right from the very start. She gave me an opportunity to grow, and she never undervalued me, and that’s something that I truly appreciate,” he said.
The artist is hopeful that attention and support will also be extended to local fine artists.
“In Kalinga, when it comes to arts, our artisans, our craftsmen are geared towards folk arts. There are only a few of us who are into visual arts and fine arts,” he said.
“In my humble opinion, it would be really nice if the community would also lend its support to fine artists like me – support when it comes to promotion, when it comes to financial assistance, and support when it comes to buying our pieces, and not undervaluing our artworks,” he said.
In 2022, the Philippines enacted Republic Act No. 11904 or the Philippine Creative Industries Development Act, a landmark legislation aimed at promoting the development of the creative sector. It was authored by Pangasinan Fourth District Representative Christopher “Toff” de Venecia, a writer, theater director, and producer.
In the upcoming 30th Kalinga Founding Anniversary and 6th Bodong Festival in February, the Department of Trade and Industry-Kalinga is launching the Creative Pavilion as part of the annual Kalinga Treasures Fair to provide a platform for artists and artisans to showcase their works and establish connections.
To know more about Ande Bon’s artworks, you may connect with him through his personal Facebook account @ande.geronimo. (IOS-PIA CAR, Kalinga)
