THE BOHOLANO TODAY

http://www.discoverbohol.com/bsp/bsp070906/bsp-BT-070906.htm

HERMOGENA BORJA-LUNGAY

AN ARTIST DEFINES HER ROLE

By: Loy M. Palapos

Painting as an art is an old as civilization. Unfortunately, man has to

satisfy his physiological needs before he reaches the highest level of
self-fulfillment, which could be through his art. Consequently, only a
few succeed in their artistic goals, in a society more concerned with
the rat race. In painting artistry, anybody can count with his fingers
the number of Boholanos who can be considered real artists. One of
these very few is Mrs. Hermogena Borja-Lungay.

Nene was born in Tagbilaran City on September 2, 1929 . His father

was former Provincial Treasurer Dionisio Manigque Borja, and her
mother was Teopista Aceron-Borja. She has six other brothers and
sisters. Alfredo, Bonifacio, and Rosario “Inday” B. Corales have made
USA their home. Teotimo, Dionisio and Nora B. Simbajon have also
given more meaning to their lives. Nene has nine children. Hermes
married Rosemarie Nini. Naomie and Boy FabiOSA are starting a
family in Jersey City . Nelia and married to Bobong Recemilla.
Brydon, Mitzi, Gene, Charles, and Raul are in the country. The
youngest Mary Ann is married to Ronnie Badilla of Cotabato.

Nene Borja started her education at the Myrn Graham Kindergarten

(1935-36), at a time when pre-schools were still quite rare. In 1936
she studied at the Tagbilaran Central School . She finished her
elementary studies as Valedictorian in 1941. The artist's blood has
always been in Nene Borja's veins, a bloodline that defined her future
even when she was still a gangling girl. A friend now recollects that
Nene was different from the rest of them; while they indulged in
childish games, Nene was making sketches and drawings on any
available paper, even at a time when papers were scarce. The fly-
leaves of his parents' books were not spared from her drawings.
The outbreak of the Second World War in 1941 hampered her
educational pursuits, but not her love for painting. The family had to
move to Catigbian, Bohol where they had a farm. The absence of
materials for her art made her more resourceful. In any activity
where she could avail of her talent, she was always tapped. Even the
war years did not relegate her skills to the background. Her
grandfather, Ramon Borja, used to paint churches. An uncle,
Filomeno Borja was a painter and a draftsman. Nene must have been
lucky to inherit her artistic talents from the Borja clan.

After the surrender of Japan , the schools were opened in 1945.

Nene enrolled at the Bohol High School , where she was a scholar
from first to fourth year. She was consistently elected officer in
various campus organizations in a span of four years. Her writing skill
was also given cognizance. She was a staff member of the school
paper. Even in music she showed special talent, for which reason she
was oftentimes given the task of school pianist in many programs.
Until today a profession in visual art in Bohol is not synonymous with
lucrative financial returns. More so in the field of painting. In the 50's
the panorama was worse. Yet, a few ventured into this seldom
trodden path, not because of monetary considerations, but because
of love for the art. After the secondary studies most of Nene's
classmates enrolled in the usual courses designed to earn fast bucks
after graduation. But Nene Borja, despite the discouragements,
decided to follow her heart's desire. She wanted to be an artist, no
less. She went to UP Dilliman in 1949 and enrolled in Fine Arts, at a
time when the course was viewed as a man's world. And true
enough, she was the only lady in the class which included fellow
Boholano Billy Abueva, who rose to become a National Artist.
Disregarding the discrimination, she was an Entrance Scholar, College
Scholar, and University Scholar. She was Chairman of the UPSCA Fine
Arts Chapter and was member of Phi Alpha Fine Arts Sorority-
Fraternity and Sigma Beta Sorority. She graduated on top of her class
(Cum Laude) in 1953 and was awarded “Art Student of the Year” by
the Arts Association of the Philippines .
Back in Bohol she fall in love and married Nicolas RACHO Lungay, a
banker at the Development Bank of the Philippines, who became a
founding member of the First Consolidated Rural Bank of Bohol (now
FCB), and manager of the Catigbian Rural Bank. She devoted her
time to her growing family and for while, painting almost took a back
seat. Nevertheless, her love for painting never waned. She managed
to find time for different art groups. She headed the Visual Arts
Sector of the Bohol Arts Council; was President of Banig Escaya;
facilitator of workshops and lecture-demos for different groups and
schools; was Bohol Coordinator, Visayas Islands Visual Arts
Association; Director for Painting, Bohol Visual Arts Community;
President, Datu Sikatuna Guild of Artists; Member, Diocesan
Commission for the Cultural Patrimony of the Church; and Member,
BACH (Bohol Arts and Cultural Heritage) Council. She even had
outreach activities through “Halad sa Kamot,” arts workshops for the
deaf and disabled children.

It is not only in art that Mrs. Hermogena Lungay is known for. She
has various involvements in civic and religious organizations. She is
the Vice President of Tagbilaran Civic-Legion of Mary; Board Member
of Tagbilaran Women's Club; and Member of Parish Committee on
Cultural Patrimony, Parish Finance Council, CWL, Tagbilaran Unit, and
Cathedral Latin Mass Choir. Mrs. Lungay founded the Udlot Youth Art
Group in 1985, and has organized Udlot Summer Workshops from
1985 to the present. This is her legacy to the young artists, for she
believes that any talent God has given to an individual must be
shared.

For Nene, art is life; life is art. Art is the beauty of life. It is God's gift
for the mind, heart and hands. So a work of art has a quality of
strength that defies explanation: it is felt rather than defined, then it
endures. According to Albrecht D?rer, a German 16th century artist,
“...occasionally God gives an artist the ability to learn and create
something good, and no one like him can be found in his own time,
or perhaps ever existed before him or will soon come after him.”
Therefore, the unique gift from God should be developed to the
fullest and when it ripens should be shared with others and passed
on to the next generation according to God's Word.

As a fitting tribute to this Boholano artist whose paintings now are

prized possESSIONS in several residences all over the country, the
FCB (First Consolidated Bank of Bohol) and TBTK (Tigum Bol-anon
Sa Tibuok Kalibutan) awarded Mrs. Hermogena Lungay a Plaque of
Distinction as TOBAW (Ten Outstanding Boholanos Around the
World) awardee in Visual Arts at the Grand Ballroom of Bohol Tropics
and Resort Club on July 18, 2003.

July 1, a Saturday, the 40th Charter Day of Tagbilaran City, and the
start of the Sandugo Festival, was a most fitting day to launch “Ani,”
the latest masterpiece of an accomplished Boholano writer, Ms.
Marjorie Evasco of De La Salle University. The book encapsulates the
most evocative paintings of Hermogena Lungay, made more poignant
by the poetic prose of Ms. Evasco. In her response to the accolades,
Nene Lungay was joyfully teary-eyed. At 77, the compleTE artist has
fulfilled her God-given role of sharing her “mga tipik sa
kasingkasing.”
l

The Bohol Sunday Post, copyright 2006, All Rights Reserved