TSU grad wins Lapulapu monument design competition  

Date Posted: 03/03/2021

A BS Architecture graduate of Tarlac State University was hailed as champion in  the Lapulapu  National Monument Design Competition of the  2021 Quincentennial Commemorations  in the Philippines.  

Rex Sicat  Jr.’s winning design called “The Watch of Mactan” is envisioned to serve as the basis of the Lapulapu National Monument to be installed at the proposed Lapulapu Memorial Shrine and Museum in Mactan, Cebu as per the National Quincentennial Committee. 

His  design  depicts the pre-battle  wherein Lapulapu stands atop a pedestal  preparing for  Magellan’s  arrival. Sicat said  the trapezoidal pedestal symbolizes the territory he protects, while  the white podium at the base of the monument represents the white rocky shores of Mactan — a reminder of the deathbed of Ferdinand Magellan and a site of victory to Lapulapu’s people. 

 “Kalmado  si  Lapulapu  sa  pagkakadisenyo,  hindi  ‘yung  katulad  ng  ibang  bayani  na  nakikita  natin  na  parang  akmang  pasugod.  Kumbaga  nakatayo  siya  doon,  tinatanaw,  inaabangan  yung  pagdating  nila  Magellan  nang  may  tiwala  sa  mga  tao  o  kasamahan  niya,” Sicat said when asked to describe his work. 

He  also  included the  Mangatang  or warriors positioned as if preparing for an attack. The three  mangatang  on each side of the monument  represents  the divisions of the  1,500 warriors of Lapulapu. 

At the back of the monument, a mother and child representing the natives are placed inside the  balay where the mother is kissing her child as an assurance that they are under Lapulapu’s protection. 

Sicat added that  the ladder or  zigzag  pattern that outlines the balay  represents  Lapulapu’s achievements.  At the pinnacle is a hornbill or kalaw  which is recognized as a spiritual symbol or guide to the afterlife. 

Meanwhile, the goat and carabao signifies  abundant resources. 

Sicat said that the monument design is a collective effort like the Battle of Mactan where he sought the help of four  TSU Fine Arts  graduates,  namely Ace Navarro,  Lymuel  Bautista, Jayme Lucas, and Kadi Santos, to complete the design of the  two-feet  maquette.  

The young architect graduated from TSU in 2015. He was hired as a building inspector and designer at the same university from April 2015 to June 2016.

Sicat passed the licensure exams for master plumbers in 2016 and for architects in 2017.

Through the National Quincentennial Committee, the country will commemorate the 500th anniversary of the Victory at Mactan, the first circumnavigation in the world, and other related events on April 27, 2021. These events are collectively known as the 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines. 

The 2021 Quincentennial Commemorations in the Philippines aims to promote local and national tourism and intensify social awareness to foster Filipino creativity  and innovation for socio-economic growth. [Maria Adelaida Calayag]

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Image courtesy of SICAT Design Services Facebook page

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Images courtesy of the National Quincentennial Committee Facebook page