Barangay at Sea

The barangay is the basic political unit in the Philippines, and is the native Filipino term for a village, district or ward. In urban areas, the term often refers to an inner city neighborhood, a suburb or a suburban neighborhood. The word barangay originated from balangay, a wooden lashed-lug boat used by the indigenous peoples of the Philippines.

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.”