Lapulapu

Lapulapu was the ruler of Mactan in the Visayas, and the first Filipino to resist the colonization of a Western power. He is best known for the Battle of Mactan that happened at dawn on 27 April 1521, where he and his soldiers defeated Ferdinand Magellan and his Spanish expedition forces.

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.”