In 1980, critic Leonidas Benesa wrote: “If there is anybody who deserves the title People’s Artist in the country, it could be Manuel D. Baldemor pre-eminently… because his works spring from the matrix of the town where he was born, Paete, famous for its woodcarvers and the lanzones.” The contemporary artist, best known for his church and procession paintings, is highly skilled in depicting the charms of the quaint, picturesque town of Paete, Laguna. The folksy ambiance of his hometown is translated in his art, including the richness of its festivals and the people’s way of life. The church’s antiquity and religious images such as processions are also presented in Baldemor’s works. Binyag is an exemplification of the artist’s forte in d...