MINIATURES

  In this wedding photo, the bride is seated, concealing her noticeable height advantage, in compliance with the societal norms of the time, which emphasized male dominance, even in physical stature. This photograph encapsulates the dynamics of their union, ultimately leading to the tragic murder of the wife. This is the wedding photo of Juan Luna, widely regarded as the greatest Filipino artist that ever lived. It is said that Juan Luna negotiated an additional sum for his masterpiece "Battle of Lepanto" with the commission responsible for enhancing the Spanish Senate. The extra income from this deal was lavishly spent by Luna on a grand tour of Venice in 1886, intended as a honeymoon gift for his wife, María de la Paz Pardo de Tavera, known as Pacita. Luna made sure that Pacita would feel her significance to him and the deep love he held for her, bringing her to a pedestal of admiration and affection. Yet, half a decade later, love unmasked itself, revealing an ugly, multi-...

  On that fateful morning of December 30, 1896, Blas Hizon was up early, fulfilling his usual duty of playing military signal tunes. However, this time, he would be part of the 'peloton' (the squad) assigned to the most important task of the day. The first call was for 'firmes,' signaling the squad to stand at attention. The second call was 'fuego,' followed by the voice command to fire. Blas Hizon, the cornetin player from the 70th Infantry Regiment of the Spanish Army in the Philippines—composed of native conscripts—was a member of the unit that executed Rizal via musketry. He was from Binagonan. This is Blas Hizon's story. Blas Hizon was 19 when he participated in the unit tasked to execute Rizal. Despite understanding the circumstances that led Rizal to Bagumbayan that day, as a conscript of the colonial forces and a cornetist, he had no choice but to follow orders. Two days after the execution, Blas Hizon deserted, leaving his quartel quietly with some ...