Purchase of Panay

Oral legends and the book of Maragtas tell about the pre-colonial polity of Madja-as, founded after ten datus fled Borneo Island and landed on Panay Island. The ten datus were Puti, Sumakwel, Balensusa, Bangkaya, Dumalugdog, Dumangsil, Dumangsol, Lubay, Panduhinog, and Paliburong. The story then goes on to detail their subsequent purchase of the lands in which they settled from the native Ati people. The datus exchanged a golden salakot (traditional headgear) and a manangyad (pearl necklace) for the plains of Panay.

Esperanza Baxter (1919-2015), a Spaniard who married a Filipino, considered herself a Filipino citizen having lived in the Philippines most of her life. Señora Baxter was an accomplished artist who studied in the prestigious Escuela de Bellas Artes in Barcelona, Spain. She was also a consummate bronze plate artist and sculptor. She captured in her art the history, heritage and culture of her adoptive country, the Philippines.

On 26 April 2016, Señora Baxter’s daughter, Margarita, donated her mother’s bronze plate art collection to the Philippine Consulate General in San Francisco. An exhibit showcasing Señora Baxter’s impressive artworks was opened on 9 June 2016 at the Consulate’s Kalayaan Hall. The artworks now adorn the Consulate’s offices, in what is now appropriately named as the “Baxter Hall.”