Contributor
The pontifical crown of La Virgen Milagrosa de Badoc features an immaculate depiction of cascading ocean waves—a tribute to the waters that brought the image of the Blessed Virgin to the Ilocanos. Inspired by the fortified buttresses of the St. Augustine Church of Paoay and St. John the Baptist Church of Badoc, the band of the crown displays stylized volutes. Also included in the band is the elaborate shell motif that pays homage to St. John the Baptist, patron of the town of Badoc. The vertical bands holding the orb depict Ilocos garlic, tobacco leaves and flowers—major cash crops of Ilocos Norte, and the bado-badoc grass, where Badoc got its name.
Noli Principe Manalang. A native of Bocaue, Bulacan, Mr. Manalang is an architecture graduate from University of Santo Tomas in Manila. He was a recipient of the Freeman Fellowship Grant of Vermont Studio Center, VT, U.S.A. in 2004 and has won numerous painting competitions in the Philippines. He is the youngest artist in the hall of fame in Kulay sa Tubig, an invitational water color competition sponsored by Gallery Genesis for having won the competition thrice (2002, 2003, 2004). Most notable is his grand prize victory at the Guild of the Philippine Jewelers’ 6th Hiyas Jewelry Design Competition for Non-Traditional Category in 2016. Mr. Manalang has held local and international solo exhibitions in 2005 & 2014.
Rouel Dionisio. Hailing from a from a family of jewelers in the Jewelry Capital of the Philippines, Mr. Dionisio has witnessed how the jewelry industry flourished in Calvario, Meycauayan City in Bulacan. Despite this, he pursued a different career and became resident floral stylist of the Royal Family of His Royal Highness King Khalid bin Abdulaziz Al Saud of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and of the Jane Packer Flowers UK in Kuwait. He decided to settle in the Philippines and started doing vestments for Santos, creating ecclesiastical jewelries. In 2018, Mr. Dionisio won 2nd place (Non-Traditional Category) at the 7th Hiyas Jewelry Design of the Guild of the Philippine Jewellers.