This collection of art and artefacts by a banker retells the shaping of the Filipino consciousness

“When we set this up, we discussed which of these four exhibition halls has the highest value,” said Edwin. “Probably none—although the Catholic art and antiquities boast precious materiality and provenance, or the pieces of jewellery that range from excavated pre-colonial gold to relicarios [pendants that house relics, religious imagery, and sacred objects] and tamborin [rosaryinspired styled necklaces] with exquisite vintage filigree. Society has established those as highly valued vintage and antiques in the auction market. But when we invited connoisseurs and collectors to the exhibition, the agimats and anting-antings [talismanic objects], repatriated Katipunan flags and swords [a mix of the Philippine revolutionary army, Moro and Visayan from varying eras], and mamarrachos [folk renderings of religious imagery found repulsive by the Catholic Church during the Spanish colonial period] were most striking to them.”

The Bautistas have realised a vast unexplored terrain in collecting art is “not necessarily expensive but can still be pursued”.

Edwin began his collecting journey in ceramics. Eventually, his keen interest in history led him and his wife to explore deeper in collecting. Meanwhile, Aileen is a respected business professor from De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde and Asia Pacific College. She was already an avid collector of vintage jewellery with European and American roots. Until Edwin's English literature professor from his DLSU days, Ramon Villegas, introduced her to pre-colonial gold jewellery by taking her to the store of sought-after jewellery dealer Kit Roxas at La’O Center.

The vast collection unveiled at a private viewing was a mélange of artefacts that tell the history of the Filipino people and their treasured home. But as Unionbank focuses solely on Edwin’s collection, the bank’s president asked chief financial officer Manuel R Lozano to also showcase his archival maps of the Philippines to have a bigger perspective on the story the exhibition attempts to narrate. Ana Aboitiz-Delgado, Unionbank’s chief customer experience officer and digital channels officer, could also show her fascinating bulul [Ifugao rice deity] collection. Edwin shared that two Juan Luna masterpieces are in Unionbank’s possession. The company’s employees, staff, and guests may soon see these.

Not only does this project humanise Unionbank’s top officials, but it also shows how the company values history amidst efforts to thrust into digital technology. “We are going to unchartered territory. To recreate the future, we have to be confident in our understanding of who we are,” Edwin said.

The couple tapped revered writer and director Floy Quintos to help weave the stories behind the eclectic collection for their shared exposure to an interest in folk spirituality. Besides putting up the exhibition for Salcedo Private Viewing, Quintos also helped complete the coffee table book that curates the collection in posterity. He also set up the exhibit at Unionbank’s head office in Ortigas.

Edwin and Aileen’s collection ranges from decorative arts from the pre-colonial period to the last half of the previous century. These include rare maps, porcelain, ecclesiastic art made of silver and wood, and paintings of Old Masters from the 20th century.

“His collection shows the escalating degrees of hyper-refinement and social status prevalent in the decorative arts of 18th and 19th century colonial Philippines,” wrote Quintos in the exhibition’s book.

These complement Aileen’s pre-colonial and colonial gold jewellery collection, ranging from excavated beads, precious stones, necklaces, arm bands, earrings/ear plugs, sword handles, belts, and more. The cultural transformations from ancient Filipino to Fil-Hispanic showcase the assimilation of Chinese and Spanish technology and designs. Meanwhile, Edwin’s collection exposes the craftsmanship of the Filipinos enriched by Moro roots, Chinese techniques, and the grandeur of the Catholic Church during the Spanish colonial period.

“But there is another dimension to the collection that gives a deeper meaning and resonance to the narrative of an evolving nationhood,” wrote Quintos.

Unlike other collectors, Edwin ventured into lesser-known fields such as indigenous weapons from lowland Luzon, the Visayas, and the Islamic peoples of Mindanao (some were donated to the Museo ng Kaalamang Filipino and aided the fruition of his scholarly publication, A Warrior’s Armament and Ornament. Behind the Catholic art that welcomes guests to the Unionbank exhibition is Edwin’s collection of anting-anting and agimat (talismanic amulets) in brass, paper, textile, sacred wood, and natural materials that emerged out of nativist resistance and inculturation among the peoples from the provinces.

In surveying the acquisitions through the years of the Bautistas, one could be left gobsmacked and think the couple aims to profit from it. On the contrary, the Bautistas only want to continue growing this repository of Philippine heritage—a not-for-sale collection attesting to the Filipino people’s richness in craftsmanship and resources, open to all. Aileen shared with Tatler her unwavering wonder every time she discovers new gold pieces and realises how abundant the revered element is in our country.

“I love how our ancestors, even before the Spaniards came, had an eye for beauty and good design,” Aileen said. “I know that by collecting and preserving those things, I could help preserve the richness of our ancestors’ culture.”

“Not only through this collection but with the resurging interest of collectors towards these kinds of items, the Filipino people are rediscovering their history,” Edwin said. “And when you seek the truth, you cannot be close-minded. You have to see it from varying perspectives.”

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