Guests celebrate special legacy bond between 2 National Artists

Salcedo Auctions’ Finer Pursuits: Important Philippine Art & Rare Collectibles takes place on Saturday, June 6, 2026, with an online morning sale.

Salcedo Auctions opened its second marquee sale of 2026 with the vernissage of Finer Pursuits: Important Philippine Art & Rare Collectibles last Thursday, 28 May 2026 in its Ayala Avenue headquarters. It drew the art cognoscenti, collectors, and culturati for an evening of celebration of Philippine art, heritage, and good conversation.

Chicho de Posada, Rosa Aboitiz de Posada, and Richie Lerma

Ricardo Lagdameo

Among the guests were Singapore ambassador Constance See, Dr. Benjamin Goquingco, Jr., Asia Society Philippines Center head Ching V. Jorge, and Tan Foo Koeng, first secretary of the Embassy of Malaysia. 

Pong Magtibay and Paulino Que

Marissa Fenton, May Gatchalian, Connie Haw

Among the highlights were National Artist HR Ocampo’s Madonna and Child and Arabesque, both from the collection of National Artist for Dance Leonor Orosa Goquingco, both gifts of HR Ocampo to his lifelong friend. Mrs. Goquingco was a pillar of Philippine folk dance who established the world renowned Filipinescas dance group.

Dancers Jessa Tangalin and Jimmy Lumba in a pas de deux excerpt from National Artist Leonor Orosa Goquingco’s ‘Filipinescas,’ against the backdrop of HR Ocampo’s ‘Arabesque’ (1949) from her collection

Their kinship was brought to life in the opening program, a pas de deux excerpted from Goquingco’s masterpiece, Filipinescas: Philippine Life, Legend, and Lore in Dance. Performed before the Ocampo masterpieces, it reflected the balletic piece’s movement and visual rhythm. 

Happy Ongpauco-Tiu

George Ibañez-Ilagan, Dr. Benjamin Goquingco, Jr., Leslie Silvestre, Marian Hugo, Mav Rufino, Cathy Goquingco, Emmanuel Lim

Singapore Airlines country head Liwei Tai

Doing the accompaniment for the performance was leading concert pianist Zenas Reyes Lozada. Dancers Jessa Tangalin and Jimmy Lumba brought Goquingco’s choreography to life. Goquingco’s son, Dr. Benjamin Goquingco, Jr., has made it his mission to uphold his mother’s legacy. He put the Ocampo paintings up for auction to help fund the restaging of Filipinescas in 2027.

Therese Balmori, Cristina Romualdez Velez

Carol Hamilton, Luis Espiritu, Karen Lerma, and Mitch Suarez

Held in pre-celebration of Independence Month, the evening underscored themes of national identity, cultural memory, and artistic legacy. In addition to the Ocampos, masterpieces by National Artists Fernando Amorsolo, Ang Kiukok, Vicente Manansala, BenCab, and leading modernists such as Fernando Zóbel and Malang were also unveiled with rare collectibles, including a 19th century album of original historic Philippine photographs and valuable ecclesiastical art, foremost of which is the ivory and silver imagen de vestir of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Guests at Salcedo Auctions’ expansive Ayala Avenue galleries

The special collection and gathering underscored the significance of the upcoming auction, as well as the role of Salcedo as a major force to relate, document, and propagate the nation’s creative history and its ongoing reinterpretation across generations.

Salcedo Auctions’ Finer Pursuits: Important Philippine Art & Rare Collectibles is on Saturday, 6 June 2026, with an online morning sale (https://members.salcedoauctions.com/auction/finer_pursuits_june2026_10am)  at 10 am and a live and online afternoon sale (https://members.salcedoauctions.com/auction/238/finer-pursuits-important-philippine-art-rare-collectibles-afternoon-sale)  at 2 pm.