TBC News

Visual artists Vince Martin A. Macatangay, Kennette A. Luague, and Aldrin B. Olaguir have earned top honors at the 2026 Metrobank Art & Design Excellence (MADE) awards, steering national attention toward complex reflections on empathy, labor, and institutional power.

Selected from a competitive pool of over 600 national submissions, the trio was formally recognized on September 17, 2026, at The Metropolitan Museum of Manila (The M), launching a month-long public showcase that runs through October 18.

Grounded in the theme “TRAVERSE: Creativity in Motion,” the annual recognition program awarded each grand recipient PhP500,000 in total prizes, comprising PhP350,000 in cash and a PhP150,000 scholarship to the 2027 Eskinita Art Residency Program. The winners were also presented with the “More” trophy, crafted in copper by sculptor and 2007 MADE alumnus Juan Sajid.

“This year, MADE received over 600 submissions from artists across the country, reflecting the diversity, talent, and vitality of the Philippine art community. Their works remind us that Filipino artists continue to engage deeply with the world around them and contribute fresh perspectives to the conversations shaping our society,” said Metrobank Foundation President Philip Francisco U. Dy.

Breaking Down the Top Visual Works

The 2026 grand awardees captured top recognitions across three distinct visual disciplines:

• Oil or Acrylic on Canvas: Vince Martin A. Macatangay won for “Sonder: Sa Bawat Mundong ’Di Ko Matahak (Sonder: In Worlds Beyond My Reach).” The work explores the concept of “sonder”—the realization that every stranger lives a life as complex and vivid as one’s own. Macatangay was inspired by someone who described him as “sonder-coded” before passing away. “Sa painting, hinihigop ang simuno patungo sa siklo ng walang hanggang daloy ng oras, sumasagisag sa walang katapusang interaksyon sa di mabilang na buhay (In the painting, the subject is drawn into the cycle of the endless flow of time, symbolizing the infinite interactions among countless lives),” Macatangay explained.
• Mixed Media: Kennette A. Luague secured the Grand Award for “Taya (Bet),” utilizing everyday materials like wood and billiard cloth to center on the daily risks and sacrifices of working-class Filipinos. “Bagaman tila nakapako sa gitna ng sistema, ang alab sa kanyang isipan ang nagsisilbing mitsa ng pag-asa. Hindi siya biktima ng pagkakataon, siya ay isang manunugal na may sapat na giting na harapin ang hamon (Although seemingly stuck in the middle of the system, the fire in a person’s mind serves as a spark of hope. He is not a victim of circumstance, but a gambler with the courage to face the challenges before him.),” Luague shared.
• Sculpture: Aldrin B. Olaguir claimed the top sculpture prize with “Hinahalal, Binabanal (The Chosen, the Sanctified).” Reimagining a traditional holy water font replaced with a hardened basin and backed by a crocodile figure, the piece critiques systemic corruption and normalized power structures. “Growing up in the Philippines, I am influenced by survival conditions, inherited moral systems, and fragmented histories shaped by colonial interruption and cultural layering. These experiences drive me to construct symbolic systems and narrative frameworks that reinterpret erased or distorted cultural histories,” Olaguir noted.

Olaguir highlighted the open nature of the competition format: “What I appreciate most about the 2026 MADE Competition is its open theme. It gives artists the freedom to create works that truly align with their own practice and vision, while also becoming a platform to showcase the best of their craft. For me, it encourages artists to stay true to themeselves,” he shared.

Special Citations and Competition Panel

Four additional finalists received Special Citations alongside PhP100,000 and the “More” trophy for their competitive entries:

• Sculpture: Raphael Daniel O. David for “Mirror of Consequence: Millisecond Before Light”
• Mixed Media: Richard D. Montero for “Puno ng Kwento (Full of Stories)”
• Oil or Acrylic on Canvas: Arvin C. Cantalejo Jr. for “Echoes Beneath My Skin” and Artgiveson C. Arreglado for “To Weather With You”

An independent panel chaired by sculptor Reginald Yuson evaluated this year’s entries. The judging committee included painter Mark Andy Garcia, mixed media artist Ling Quisumbing Ramilo, UP Diliman Associate Professor May Lyn Cruz, De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde OIC Lara Acuin, Vinyl Gallery co-director Gaby dela Merced, and CCP Visual Arts Division OIC Rica Estrada.

The free public exhibition featuring nearly 100 semifinalist and winning artworks is open at The Metropolitan Museum of Manila through October 18, 2026.