Story of a Nation

In every cut, carve and sketch of each of Unionbank president and CEO Edwin and Aileen Bautista's collection, one may conjure a narrative long-forgotten but ever-relevant to the Filipino people

-  Franz Sorilla IV

Collectors take pride in their rarest finds. It may be a large wooden escudo [escutcheon] of the Franciscan order dating back to the Spanish colonial times or excavated gold artefacts believed to be from the 10th to the 15th century representing the mythical Garuda from the Hindu and Buddhist mythologies. But besides provenance, rarity, materiality and origin, each possesses narrative connections that enticed the esteemed banker Edwin Bautista and his academician wife Aileen.

The exhibition, A Passion for Connections, of the Bautistas' partial collection posits Philippine history with dichotomiescolonialism and evangelisation, piety and mysticism, insurgence 30 and liberation, successes and sufferings. Unsurprisingly, Edwin is not far from being watched with dual lenses. In the world of finance, he is a revered banker and economist. And yet history, culture and the arts have had a special place in his heart since his younger years. While studying mechanical engineering at De La Salle University (DLSU), he joined the quiz bee segment of the defunct television show Student Canteen. To date, answering the winning question of the name of Andres Bonifacio's brother echoes in his memory, as resounding as the hero's controversial execution at Mt Buntis in Maragondon, Cavite.