URDANETA CITY–Four national artists have been commissioned for a collaborative work on the monument of Padre Andres de Urdaneta, the Spanish Augustinian friar after whom the city was named.
Mayor Amadeo Perez Jr., who last week escorted the creative team for a site inspection, said the city is honored for their participation in the project, jointly financed by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA), the city government and the Urdaneta Foundation.
The Urdaneta monument, according to the NCCA, will be a collaborative masterpiece of artists Napoleon Abueva, Abdulmari Asia Imao, Ildefonso P. Santos and Dr. Alejandro Roces. Another national artist, Ben Cabrera, may contribute a mural to the plaza where the statue will be built.
Here for the site visit were Abueva himself, Imao’s son, and Horace Dimanlig from the office of Santos.
NCCA Executive Director Cecille Guidote Alvarez said joint plans of the Philippine government and the city of Ordizia in Spain, Urdaneta's hometown, are currently being laid out for the commemoration and unveiling ceremonies in December, in time for Urdaneta City’s fiesta celebration.
President Gloria Arroyo earlier issued Proclamation 1423 to form a committee that will do further research work on Fr. Urdaneta.
Padre Urdaneta, born on Nov. 30, 1498, was known as an outstanding navigation commander and was part of the expedition team lead by Don Miguel Lopez de Legazpi.
Urdaneta arrived in Cebu in 1565 and directed the Christianization of the province, including the building of the Basilica del Santo Niño, a popular landark.
After spending sometime in the islands, Legazpi decided to stay and sent Urdaneta back to Spain to find a better return route and obtain help in running the Philippine colony.
Urdaneta, after a tumultuous journey, succeeded in finding an alternative route now known as the 'Urdaneta Route', which was used for the next 250 years by the Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade.
Urdaneta City is the only place in the world known to have been named after the priest.Source
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