NEWS

It was 28 years ago when Paul walked out of the university with nothing but dreams of pursuing his craft. Chasing after his dream was no easy feat. Under the terrible heat of the sun, he carried his paintings around Manila and went in and out of banks to sell it. To earn money, he focused more on liturgical arts and made paintings, murals, sculptures and stained glass designs for churches across the country. He also went to Mountain Province to live with the Ifugaos and immersed himself with their culture to complete a project with the Veterans' Museum. His projects kept on coming but he still wasn't able to live a comfortable life.

In 2002, Paul married his highschool sweetheart and migrated to Chicago, USA with just $5 on his pocket. He worked as a waiter, forklift operator, and mailman to provide for his family. Even if he was busy as a husband to his wife and a father to his children, he never turned his back from the blank canvasses that are waiting for him to put colour on. Every after work, he goes to a park and stay for hours just to paint. After 4 years of juggling his work, family, and passion, he was able to finish his 18 x 24 feet painting where he interpreted the Philippine National Anthem. This paved way for a more colourful life as his art pieces made waves across the U.S. He was supported by the Philippine Historical Society in the U.S. and his painting was featured in places like the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C., and Consulate General of the Philippines in Chicago.

When he's not drawing designs for coins, he paints and sculpts in his free time. Over the years, he has created 30 paintings and 4 bronze sculptures that were showcased in an exhibit last December 2018 at the RE Vision Art Gallery in Wisconsin, USA.

Paul is living the dream he pursued for almost three decades. The boy who walked out of the university with nothing is almost unrecognizable, but the memories he had from the institution is still like a vivid picture in his heart and mind.

"Yung determinasyon, yung mga natutunan ko sa mga propesor ko, yung pagiging matiyaga at pagiging dedikado sa aming trabaho... Natutunan ko lahat sa UST," says Paul.

[The determination, the teachings of my professors, and the perseverance... I've learned it all from UST.]

Paul is currently working on a few designs for the US Mint and is collaborating with a writer for the book of his Philippine National Anthem painting. He is also working with the Office of Alumni Relations for the new design of the Thomasian Alumni Jubilarian medals that would be unveiled later this year.